3 February

Oskar de Mari-Jones (classical guitar)

Sarabande - Francis Poulenc (1899 - 1963)

Homenaje: le Tombeau de Claude Debussy - Manuel de Falla (1876 - 1946)

Prelude and Sarabande BWV 996 - J.S. Bach (1685 - 1750)

3 movements from el Polifemo de Oro - Reginald Smith Brindle (1917 - 2003)

God of the Northern Forrest - Phillip Houghton (b.1954)
Kinkachu, I Love You - Phillip Houghton (b.1954)
Dervish (from the suite Stele) - Phillip Houghton (b.1954)

Etude 8 - Heitor Villa-Lobos (1887 - 1959)

Zapateado (from Tres Piezas Espanolas) - Joaquin Rodrigo (1901 – 1999)

Born in 1987, Oskar de Mari-Jones has had an eclectic and multi-faceted musical education. His first guitar lessons were with his father at the age of five, although these ended abruptly when a young girl trod on his guitar; aged 10 he took up the trombone and at sixteen, he returned to the guitar to seriously study the classical repertoire, studying privately with various teachers including Giuseppe Zangari (Newcastle Conservatorium of Music). During this period he also taught himself rudimentary alto saxophone in pursuance of his love of American Jazz music.

In 2006, Oskar received an Entry Scholarship to the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where he studied guitar with Greg Pikler. From Maestro Pikler, he learned to hone and refine enthusiasm and expression into a coherent and powerful interpretation. In his first year of study, Oskar injured the tendons of his left hand from excessive practice. It was at this point that he sought the help of Phillip Houghton, renowned composer, guitarist and technique specialist. With Phillip, Oskar learned an approach to technique that emphasises maximum results with minimum effort, and was able to make a full recovery and to carry on his playing career. He received high marks at the conservatorium, achieving the highest mark of any second year string-player in 2007) and received numerous scholarships, including the McCaw-Baiton scholarship and the Mary Little Memorial. In 2008, Oskar began studies of the Baroque Lute and Theorbo with Australia's leading lute-specialists, Tommie Andersson and Andrew Byrne and attended master classes and private lessons with Hopkinson Smith.

Oskar has performed throughout Sydney, making his Opera-House debut in 2005 at the age of 17 for the Sydney Region Music Festival. In 2007 Oskar became a core member of the Sydney Guitar Quartet, which went on to win several important chamber music competitions and recorded music for film. In 2010 he broadcast a solo recital for 2MBS as part of their Young Performer Program. Currently, his interests lie in exploring contemporary classical music and the role of the classical guitar in future musical endeavour.

10 February

Yong Yang (violin)

Nancy Sun (piano)

Partita No. 2 in D minor, BWV 1004 - J. S. Bach (1685 - 1750)
I. Allemanda

Violin Concerto in D minor, Op. 47 - J. Sibelius (1865 - 1957)
I. Allegro moderato in D minor
II. Adagio di molto in B-flat major
III. Allegro, ma non tanto in D major

Yong YANG, is currently studying for his Masters Degree at the Australian Institute of Music, having successfully completed his Graduate Diploma in July 2011. As a former member of the Beijing Symphony Orchestra, Yong has been a participant in their tours of Europe on several occasions. He moved to Australia to continue his career as a solo performer. He is currently studying with Professor Peter Zhang and has performed in a St Andrew's Cathedral lunchtime concert, AIM and the Art Gallery of NSW.

Nancy (Yi) Sun was born in China in 1992. She commenced her piano studies at the age of 6 and won her first major competition at the age of 11 - the CCTV piano competition. Nancy (Yi) Sun initially began her studies at the Si Chuan Conservatorium of Music at 13 and she continued her studies at the Australian Institute of Music. During these two years, she performed at the Art Gallery many times, and got Highly Commended in the Sydney Eisteddfod Competition. She have been selected to perform at the Sydney Opera House in 2012.

17 February

Raisa Dobrinsky (piano)

Gregory Elmaloglou (cello)

Grave  - J S Bach (1685 - 1750)

Sonata in E minor No. 5  - Antonio Vivaldi (1678 - 1741)
(i) Largo
(ii) Allegro (ma non troppo)
(iii) Largo (doloroso)
(iv) Allegro (con spirito)

Air and Variations - Franz Joseph Haydn (1732 - 1809)

Sonata in A minor 'Arpeggione' - Franz Schubert (1797 - 1828)
(i) Allegro moderato
(ii) Adagio
(iii) Allegretto

Raisa Dobrinsky was an outstanding graduate of the Mussorgsky College of Music as well as the Rimsky-Korsakov State Conservatory, from which she graduated with honours in solo recital, chamber music, accompaniment and teaching.Immigrating to Australia in 1977, Raisa has been teaching part-time at the Conservatoriums of Sydney and Wollongong, allowing time to pursue her career as a concert performer. She has performed regularly with leading Australian music groups and given many solo recitals and radio broadcasts.

Gregory Elmaloglou is a graduate of Lyons Conservatorium, France, where he was born. As a member of the Austral String Quartet since 1959, he undertook two international tours, playing in 15 countries.  Later he founded the Trio Australis, and in partnership with Raisa Dobrinksy, has given many concerts and broadcasts. Gergory has made solo appearances at the ABC Prom concerts and Gold Concerts, and has been soloist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for whom he was the Associate Principal Cellist from 1972 – 1992.  He has made numerous television broadcast appearances for the ABC.

22 February

Alistair Nelson (organ)

Fantasia in F minor, K.608 - W.A. Mozart (1756 - 1791)

Psalm Prelude Set 2, no.1 'De profundis clamavi ad te, Domine' - Herbert Howells (1892 - 1983)

Élégie-Fugue - Alexandre Guilmant (1837 - 1911)

Kyrie Eleison from Cathedral Windows, Op.106, no.1 - Sigfrid Karg-Elert (1877 - 1933)

Introduction and Passacaglia from Sonata no.8 in E minor, Op.132 - Josef Rheinberger (1839 - 1901)

Alistair Nelson has been Acting Organist at St. James' Church King Street, since September 2011. Previously to this he spent four years as Associate Organist and Choirmaster at the Cathedral of the Incarnation, Garden City, NY in the United States. There, he directed the Cathedral Girls Choir and Schola Cantorum, as well as accompanying and assisting with the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys. He has also served as Organ Scholar at Christ Church New Haven, Connecticut, while he was completing his Master of Music at Yale University. At Yale he studied with Thomas Murray and Martin Jean. His Yale degree recital, as well as an ABC Young Performers recording, have both been broadcast on ABC Classic FM.

Alistair grew up in Sydney, beginning his organ studies at Trinity Grammar, and serving as Organ Scholar at St. Anne's Strathfield and St. Paul's Burwood, and Assistant Organist at Christ Church St. Laurence. Alistair has a Bachelor of Music (First Class Honours) from the University of Sydney where he studied with Robert Ampt. Shortly before he moved to the United States in 2005, he won the First Prize (John Brown Award) in the Sydney Organ Competition. Alistair has given recitals in a number of venues around Sydney, including St. James' Church, St. Andrew's Cathedral, and the Great Hall of Sydney University. In addition to his liturgical organ playing duties at St. James', he has performed in the subscription concert series, and directs the Saint James' Singers.

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