Gina Sanders' World Tour 2003
Beginning in Lismore, NSW Australia (where I had been a guest performer/lecturer at the Uni) I gave a recital at the city's most historic landmark, Tulloona House.
Hosts Geoff and Lynne Randell ensured this was a unique evening for the eager guests, with absolutely every morsel of the gourmet delights prepared on-site. We were treated to wonderful hospitality and this made a most positive start to the tour.
An excellent local piano teacher, (who is an equally accomplished accompanist), Robyn Egan, proved to be a fine partner for the recital. Lismore is a medium sized, self-sufficient city with a number of artists and creative people. Most of my programmes were varied in content and included art songs, opera, show songs and NZ compositions by Lilburn and Bisley. This particularly suited the Australians, but moving on to Tokyo an entirely different approach had been prepared!
Pictures of the Australian Concert
The pianist here was my accompanist from student days at the Hochschule in Stuttgart. We had become a strong duo and won competitions and given recitals in England and Germany. Having not seen each other for over a decade, and both having made significant career advancements, the concert was undoubtedly the most polished.
The programme was more formal, consisting of only art songs and opera and Chopin piano solos in strictly chronological order. The informed audience was responsive and enthusiastic. Again hospitality was overwhelming and we were honoured in many ways.
Hamburg was the next stop with a concert in Niendorf-am Markt in the splendid baroque church. Music is still a serious and esteemed business here. The (full time!) musical director of the church has several degrees, is an excellent organist, conductor and composer. We performed sacred items together and he had an in depth knowledge of the vocal repertoire.
The pianist (from Russia) for the remainder of the concert is the head repetiteur for the Hamburg Staatsoper Studio. After our first rehearsal she informed all the students that they should attend as part of their course requirements! Every detail had been attended to by our new friends, Klaus-Henning and Rosemary Pöpplow, who, with finesse and generosity, truly accorded us an all-encompassing introduction to this majestic and elegant city.
Pictures of the Hamburg Concert
Arriving in Paris in mid September, we struck perfect weather and were most fortunate to be able to stay with my brother, Aaron and his French wife, Véronique, in Place du Clichy. Everything was close by and Aaron and Véro ensured we had a marvellous time in this legendary city! The recital was in the home of the NZ Ambassador, Adrian Macey, and he and his staff were superb, the audience charming.
We had located an amazing young pianist through the Director of the Chopin Conservatoire, Mr Peter Vizard. Paris-trained Carole Vuillaumey is just 23 years old and was not familiar which much of the repertoire I sang but had both an extraordinary technique and remarkable insight.
Back to Germany and another lovely Russian pianist for a concert in a "Kultur Café" in Stuttgart. The response here was overwhelming and when the audience stood up and applauded after the very first item ("Piangerò" from Giulio Cesare), it reminded me of the differences in the general knowledge levels of northern hemisphere audiences compared with those in Australasia.
Our hostess here was a very dear friend from Stuttgart days. Conny Viggiani is a multi talented, energetic lady, who is not only in natural music theatre, but also a keen author. in the concert, I had the pleasure of performing the world premiere of a beautiful song with words written by Conny and music written by her sister Lydia.
A short stay with a school acquaintance, Joanna, was yet another bonus on this amazing trip. Passing through Munich, I gave a house concert for some wonderful new friends, Felix and Monica Feßel, who again could not have been more kind or appreciative.
Then we tackled Italy, hiring a car and heading for Velletri, 45km south of Rome. We stayed at fascinating B and B that also serves as the centre of the various cultural and literary societies for the area (about 100,000 people).
Host Valeriano Bottini is one of the main organizers of a huge number of events, including some for astronomy as he is also an astrophysicist!
I gave two performances (the 2nd one being quite impromptu) and offers to return next year are currently being pursued! (The pianist for the second concert, Giorgio, is from the Rome Opera.)
A German couple, Rheinhard and Anna, who were long time Rome residents kindly acted as hosts for our one (very eventful!) day in Rome.
We then drove up to Guastalla, an hour south of Verona to stay with Lydia, whom I taught while I lived in Germany. She went on to complete vocal training in Parma (a highly regarded conservatory) and now freelances.
Although very brief, we caught up on many things and discussed future prospects. An audition in Verona (arranged by a most helpful "friend of a friend", Lorenzo) with one of the main agencies in the north of Italy - Opera Art was very revealing. The agent encouraged me to return next year to have an intensive 3-4 week tuition period with him and other coaches to be prepared "in the true Italian" style before considering a full audition tour. This would be a wonderful opportunity and we are working towards that possibility.
The last concert was in Rarotonga (sponsorship had been obtained to fly up my Auckland accompanist Kay Shacklock and tenor Greg Patel) at the Rarotongan Hotel Resort and Spa. The hotel were incredibly helpful, sponsoring the accommodation for all four, and ensured we were well looked after.
As far as we could ascertain this was the first time opera had been performed in the Cook Islands and we were thrilled with both the large audience and their animated response. It was the brain-child of Richard and Willy Barton, ably assisted by Dorice ... and extremely successful.
I gave a well attended master class (again a first!) and worked intensively with 6 excellent young women aged from 14 -30yrs. As various elements of the technique of breathing, resonation and articulation were revealed, their eyes (an ears) seemed to be constantly enlarging!
Various church and educational groups are keen to pursue further tutoring so I hope to return next year, combining this with concerts in France, Italy and Germany and the UK. We were very fortunate to have had such generosity and hospitality from both friends and strangers (who soon became friends) and do hope to catch up again soon. A huge "thank you" to you all!
