Intimate Worlds

7pm, 14th August

Join us for an intimate evening of exceptional chamber music at this beautiful art gallery, where music and visual art come together.

The program features three remarkable works spanning the Romantic tradition and beyond. The concert opens with Beethoven's Sonata for Piano and Cello No. 4, a work of elegance, wit, and profound lyricism that showcases the equal partnership between cello and piano. This is followed by the Mahler Piano Quartet, an extraordinary early composition that offers a fascinating glimpse into the emerging voice of one of music's greatest symphonists. The evening culminates with the Schumann Piano Quartet, a beloved chamber masterpiece celebrated for its warmth, expressive depth, and exuberant finale.

Set within the inspiring surroundings of a contemporary art gallery, this performance invites audiences to experience these timeless works in an intimate setting where every musical detail can be appreciated up close.

Experience an unforgettable journey through the rich emotional landscapes of Beethoven, Mahler, and Schumann in one of Melbourne's most distinctive cultural venues.

Performers:

Belinda Liew – Cello

Christopher Nankervis – Piano

Cameron Jamieson – Violin

William Vyvyan Murray – Viola

Program:

Ludwig van Beethoven - Sonata for Piano and Violoncello No. 4 in C Major op. 102 no. 1

Gustav Mahler – Piano Quartet in A minor

Robert Schumann - Piano Quartet in E flat major, Op. 47

Artist Bios:

BELINDA LIEW – CELLIST

Belinda is a Melbourne-based cellist whose career spans orchestral and solo performance, chamber music, and cross-disciplinary artistic collaboration. A graduate of the University of Melbourne, where she completed her music studies in 2011, she has established herself as a versatile performer equally at home in the classical concert hall and contemporary creative projects.

Throughout her career, Belinda has served as Principal Cellist with numerous orchestras across Victoria, performing a broad orchestral repertoire while earning a reputation for expressive musicianship and collaborative artistry. Alongside her orchestral work, she enjoys exploring music beyond traditional boundaries, performing contemporary works and collaborating with Australian composers and visual artists.

Her diverse performance career has also included appearances alongside internationally renowned artists including Michael Bublé and Hans Zimmer, reflecting her ability to move seamlessly between classical, film, and popular music settings.

Belinda is generously supported by Southgate Financial Services, where she also holds the position of Executive Assistant to the CEO. Through this partnership, she has been able to develop and curate innovative chamber music projects that bring exceptional musicians together in unique and engaging performances throughout Victoria.

Among these initiatives is the acclaimed 12 Cellos concert series, which unites an extraordinary ensemble of cellists to celebrate the remarkable versatility of the instrument. Featuring works written for and specially arranged for cello ensemble, the series traverses’ centuries and genres - from Bach and Mahler to Led Zeppelin and Michael Jackson - offering audiences fresh perspectives on familiar masterpieces while showcasing the rich sonorities and expressive possibilities of the cello ensemble.

Driven by a passion for collaboration and artistic innovation, Belinda continues to champion performances that connect audiences with music across genres, creating experiences that are both accessible and inspiring.

CHRISTOPHER NANKERVIS – PIANO

Chris’s love for the piano started at a very young age, introduced to the music of Beethoven, Mozart and Grieg by his grandmother. He now performs classical and contemporary music at events across Victoria, collaborating with composers, big bands, drama ensembles, choirs and performance artists.

Chris studied with eminent pianists Ian Holtham, Janine Sowden and Len Vorster at the University of Melbourne and went on to further his study of Taubman’s Approach to piano technique at the Golandsky Summer Symposium at Princeton University, USA.

Chris performs established solo repertoire, as well as championing composers such as Helen Gifford, Margaret Sutherland and Anne Boyd. Passionate about chamber music, Chris is the pianist in two trios – Kalimna Trio who share a vision of unique programming and performing undiscovered gems, and Daphnis Trio who have premiered the works of talented young composers. Chris has commissioned new music, including a work for solo piano by composer Luke Speedy-Hutton, and has had the honour of playing several world premieres for piano and chamber ensembles.

WILLIAM VYVYAN MURRAY - VIOLA

William Vyvyan Murray loves music. He has led the viola section of orchestras in Paris, Amsterdam and Berlin, and his compositions are played throughout the world.

He is a member of Ensemble Reflector in Germany and performs regularly with groups like the Netherlands Chamber Orchestra, the Netherlands Philharmonic Orchestra, Quator Alter Ego, Spira Mirabilis, the Nieuwe Philharmonie, the Inventi Ensemble, the Brandenburg State Orchestra, the Petyan Quartet and the Berliner Kammerorchester. With these groups he performed regularly in halls like the Concertgebouw Amsterdam, the Berlin Philharmonie, Frankfurt Alte Oper, Salle Pleyel in Paris, Hamer Hall in Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House.

He has undergraduate paperwork certifying his musical excellence from the Victorian College of the Arts, the UdK Berlin, and the CNSM de Paris. He completed two Masters degrees – the first at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italia where he worked with Bruno Giuranna and the second from the Sweelinck Conservatorium van Amsterdam where he was privileged to be one of Nobuko Imai’s only full students.

An active chamber musician, he has performed string quartets and quintets with musicians like David Geringas, Antje Weithaas, Bruno Giuranna, Rainer Honeck, Salvatore Accardo, Phillipe Grafin, Rocco Fillipini and Peter Buck.

William has composed original work for many groups throughout Australia and abroad and has won awards for his film composition.

While in Europe he had the privilege to work with many living composers - Thomas Ades, Harrison Birtwistle, Oene Van Geel, Judith Hamann, Huang Ruo. His compositions and arrangements have been performed throughout Europe at festivals in the Netherlands, Germany and Italy, Asia at the Tokyo Viola Space festival by Nobuko Imai and throughout Australia by a variety of groups.

William has been invited to perform at the leading European music festivals - Kuhmo, Verbier, Ysaye, Prussia Cove, Chigiana, Mantova, Lugano and the Otaru festival in Japan. He also feels fortunate to have taken part in masterclasses with most of today’s leading violists - Kim Kashkashian, Lawrence Power, Yuri Bashmet, Antoine Tamestit and Hariolf Schlichtig are just a few of the artists whose advice has regularly aided his musical development.

He has undergraduate paperwork certifying his musical excellence from the Victorian College of the Arts, the UdK Berlin, and the CNSM de Paris. He completed two Masters degrees – the first at the Conservatorio della Svizzera Italia where he worked with Bruno Giuranna and the second from the Sweelinck Conservatorium van Amsterdam where he was privileged to be one of Nobuko Imai’s only full students.

He feels very fortunate to perform on a composite viola made by Antonio and Hieronymous Amati of Cremona in 1620.