James Rawley (guitar) & James Huon George (piano) at Baroque Hall

Elder Conservatorium alumni James Rawley (guitar), and James Huon George (piano) perform duos for guitar, and piano at the Baroque Hall, North Adelaide. They will perform duos by Nigel Westlake, Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco, and solos by Alexandre Tansman, and James Rawley.

Program:

Nigel Westlake (1958-) – Jovian Moons (2001)
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968) – Fantasia Op. 145 (1950)
Alexandre Tansman (1897-1986) – Passacaille (1953)
James Rawley (1997-) – The Sleeper

Biographies:

James Rawley (born 1997) completed his Master of Philosophy under Dr. Oliver Fartach-Naini at the University of Adelaide in early 2023, focusing on arranging the music of J.S. Bach for guitar. Combining his love for performing, composing, and teaching, James has performed around Australia, New Zealand, as well as in South Korea at the prestigious Tongyeong Concert Hall, where his composition ‘Three Short Duos’ received its international premiere. His compositions have also been premiered by guitarists in Sydney (‘Rosella’ for solo guitar, commissioned by the Sydney Guitar Society) and in the USA (‘Music for Bo’ for guitar ensemble), as well as at home in Adelaide. In late 2023, he wrote ‘Zephyr’ (for guitar ensemble) for an upcoming CD release featuring all newly written music by South Australian composers. As part of the Opal Guitar Quartet, James has featured in the well-received Adelaide Fringe show ‘Guitar Feast’ for two consecutive years; in 2024, he wrote and premiered his own new multi-movement solo piece ‘The Sleeper’ for the Fringe. 2024 also saw the Opal Guitar Quartet win a grant for the Chamber Music Adelaide ‘Space to Create’ initiative. As part of this grant, James was commissioned to produce a substantial piece for guitar quartet, entitled ‘Song of Myself (After Walt Whitman)’. As a soloist, James has won the Adelaide Eisteddfod Guitar Competition (open age) and been a finalist in the renowned Adelaide International Guitar Competition. He regularly performs around Adelaide, and has given talks on arranging Bach for guitar at the Sydney Guitar Summer School. James is currently completing a Master of Music Therapy at the University of Melbourne. He plays a traditional cedar guitar by Adelaide luthier, Dominic Roscioli.

James Huon George (born 1999) has been described as possessing “razor sharp technique, fearless power, and compelling musicality”, and is gaining a reputation as an outstanding young pianist from South Australia. Raised in Adelaide, he is currently undertaking a Masters in Music Performance at the Elder Conservatorium, University of Adelaide under the tutelage of Lucinda Collins (Head of Piano). Between 2017-2021, James completed undergraduate study through to Honours level under the tutelage of German pianist Stefan Ammer, and Russian pianist Konstantin Shamray (winner of the Sydney International Piano Competition). Showing a strong interest in music from a young age, James commenced piano lessons aged 10, and learned from various local teachers during his education at Prince Alfred College, where he began in 2003, and graduated in 2016. Since undertaking tertiary study in music, he has established himself as a well-known performer in Adelaide, and has had many performance broadcasts on Radio 5MBS 99.9FM, Radio Adelaide 101.5FM, and ABC Classic FM. James has performed interstate, and appears frequently in the Recitals Australia, Flinders University, Tuesday on Flinders, Mount Lofty Music Club, and Baroque Hall concert series. Many of his performances have been reviewed, and praised heavily by members of the Adelaide Critics Circle. A passionate chamber player, and collaborative pianist, James often performs alongside Australia’s finest young musicians in various contexts. Throughout his postgraduate studies, he has been awarded the 2023 Norman Chinner scholarship, and the 2024 Norman Chinner scholarship by the Elder Conservatorium. As a concert curator, James has organised concerts in a diverse array of contexts, encompassing lecture-recitals, fundraising events, and independent solo, and ensemble concerts. He has featured as a concerto soloist with local orchestras – recent highlights include Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 21 with the Burnside Symphony Orchestra in 2021, and Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 1 at the North Adelaide Baroque Hall in 2023. After completing his Masters in Adelaide, James intends furthering his piano studies interstate, and overseas, and preparing for major piano competitions.

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