Alimentare

6pm, Saturday 20th June

ALIMENTARE is an intimate performance for oboe and piano, inspired by the evocative paintings of Llael McDonald. The program brings together compelling music by women composers across the last century. From Lili Boulanger and Amy Beach to Ruth Gipps and Rebecca Clarke - alongside contemporary Australian voices including Sally Greenaway, Nat Bartsch, Imogen Ferdinando and Ella Macens.

Echoing the themes in McDonald’s work, ALIMENTARE places nourishment at its core - not just as a form of sustenance but as something that comforts, restores and energises. Expect music that is warm, expressive and deeply human, moving between moments of intimacy, extreme passion and quiet intensity.

Curated by Melbourne oboist Jasper Ly and performed with pianist Peter Dumsday, this is a meeting point between music and visual art - a chance to experience both side by side, each enriching the other.

Artist Bios:

JASPER LY

Jasper Ly is an Australian oboist based in Melbourne. A versatile and dynamic performer, he aims to captivate and transport his audience through musical settings ranging from classical to contemporary.

Jasper’s passion for audience engagement has led him to present chamber performances across Melbourne and regional Victoria. Recent highlights include TENERA (2025) and Folklore (2022) at the Melbourne Recital Centre; BLOOM (2024) and Glow (2022) at fortyfivedownstairs, the latter featuring an all-Melbourne program; Beau Soir (2020), presented by the Australian Digital Concert Hall; Colour and Light (2019), featuring works by Debussy and Ravel; and Oboe Salon (2018), presented alongside Lyric Opera of Melbourne’s production of Les Mamelles de Tirésias. In the same year, Jasper co-produced Quietus, a program for oboe, voice, and piano presented as part of the Winterwild Festival in Apollo Bay.

A passionate advocate for new music, Jasper has performed with specialist ensembles including Sydney Chamber Opera, Inventi Ensemble, and the renowned ELISION Ensemble. His 2017 solo recital Sonic Landscapes featured several works for oboe and electronics.

As an orchestral musician, Jasper performs with leading ensembles including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Opera Australia Orchestra, Victorian Opera, and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.

In 2013, Jasper won the University of Melbourne’s Melbourne Conservatorium of Music Concerto Competition, performing Richard Strauss’s Oboe Concerto with the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Other concerto appearances include the Lebrun Concerto with the Melbourne Sinfonia in 2022 and the Vaughan Williams Concerto with the same orchestra in 2014. In October 2019, he gave the Australian premiere of James Stephenson’s Concerto: Duels and Dances with Orchestra 21.

PETER DUMSDAY

Peter Dumsday is a Melbourne-based pianist known for his versatility as both a soloist and collaborative artist. A respected figure in Australia’s classical and contemporary music scene, he has performed widely in recitals, chamber and choral concerts, and with orchestras.

He is particularly valued as a collaborator, partnering with a broad range of instrumentalists and singers. His playing is marked by sensitivity, clarity, and a strong sense of musical dialogue, making him a sought-after musician across both traditional and contemporary repertoire.

Beyond the stage, Peter is a dedicated teacher and mentor, supporting the next generation of musicians while contributing to a vibrant and connected chamber music scene in Melbourne. Alongside his classical work, he is also active as a DJ and dance music producer, bringing a different creative energy to his musical life.