Romeo & Juliet with Paul Rissmann
UWA & WASO Side-by-Side
Wed 29 May, 6:00pm
Perth Concert Hall
West Australian Symphony Orchestra respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and Elders of Country throughout Western Australia, and the Whadjuk Noongar people on whose lands we work and share music.
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Welcome
UWA & WASO Side-by-Side
Romeo & Juliet with Paul Rissmann
Sergei PROKOFIEV Romeo and Juliet – Suite No.1 - 3 (Excerpts)
The Montagues and Capulets
Morning Dance
Creative Ensemble – The Nurse
Juliet – The Young Girl
Masks
Creative Ensemble – Antagonism (Tybalt sees Romeo)
Romeo and Juliet
Creative Ensemble – Friar Lawrence
Dance
Creative Ensemble – Parting
The Death of Tybalt
Creative Ensemble – Premonition of Death
Morning Serenade (Aubade)
Creative Ensemble – The Crypt
Romeo at Juliet’s Grave
Creative Ensemble – Juliet’s Tears
The Death of Juliet
Paul Rissmann director
Jen Winley conductor
UWA is the Tertiary Education Partner of WASO.
Creative Ensemble
UWA & WASO On Stage
VIOLIN
Semra Lee (WASO Asst. Concertmaster)
•MACA
Arwen Ooi (UWA Concertmaster)
Alexandra Isted (WASO Principal 1st
Violin)
Kate Sullivan (WASO Asst. Principal 2nd
Violin)
Seth Chong
Alice Clark
Anika Collins
Amy Furfaro
Beth Hebert
Audrey Ho
Emma Hunt
William Huxtable
Jane Johnston
Sunmi Jung
Joonwoo Kim
Siobhan Makinson
Andrea Mendham
•Dale & Michael Kitney
Akiko Miyazawa
•MIMI
Monica Rallabhandi
Gretel Smith
Cerys Tooby
Teresa Vinci
Elouise Watson
VIOLA
Daniel Schmitt (WASO Principal)
Heather Brodie
Benjamin Caddy
• Future Logic
Alison Hall
Rachael Kirk
Elsabe de Klerk
Lucas Tomkins
Helen Tuckey
Gabe Yacopetti
CELLO
Rod McGrath (WASO Principal)
Lizzy Marsh
Isaac Davis
Angus Gerrard
Lara Hadi
Shigeru Komatsu
• ^Unnamed (2)
Lizzy Marsh
Ryan Popovic
Tim South
DOUBLE BASS
John Keene (WASO Assoc. Principal)
•Janet Holmes à Court AC & Gilbert George
Sarah Crawford
Christine Reitzenstein
Josh Spirek
Lily Turbill
Giovanni Vinci
FLUTE
Andrew Nicholson (WASO Principal)
Jessica-Monique Bojanjac
Sophie Royle
OBOE
Sarah Young (WASO Principal)
Eleanor Jones
Aiden Labuschagne
CLARINET
Allan Meyer (WASO Principal)
•Leanne & Sam Walsh AO
Sophie Allison
Alex Wallace
BASSOON
Jane Kircher-Lindner (WASO Principal)
•Meg O’Neill, Chase Hayes & Vicky Hayes
Bailey Ireland
Sara Mau
TENOR SAXOPHONE
Justin Farinosi
HORN
•Rod & Margaret Marston
David Evans (WASO Principal)
Sophie Alderson
Riley Eakin
Francesco Lo Surdo
TRUMPET
Jenna Smith (WASO Acting Principal)
•John & Nita Walshe
Gabby Beal
Grace Reid
TROMBONE
Joshua Davis (WASO Principal)
•Dr Glenda Campbell-Evans & Dr Ken Evans AM
Isaac Lim
Ewan Potter
TUBA
Chloe Higgins (WASO Principal)
TIMPANI
Alex Timcke (WASO Principal)
•Jean & Peter Stokes
PERCUSSION
Brian Maloney (WASO Principal)
Nathan Herbert
Hamish MacDonald
HARP
Yi-Yun Loei^
Sophie Vo
CELESTE
Jude Holland
KEY
WASO Musician
UWA Musician
Contract Musician°
Guest Musician^
★ Section supported through the Duet program by
• Chair supported through the Duet program by
* Instruments used by these musicians are on loan from Janet Holmes à Court AC.
About the Artists
Paul Rissmann
Director
Born on the Isle of Bute, Scotland Paul Rissmann is an award-winning composer, presenter and music educationalist. He studied composition and classical saxophone at the Royal Academy of Music, Guildhall School of Music and Drama, and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. He currently holds the positions of Animateur with the London Symphony Orchestra, Children’s Composer in Residence for Music in the Round, and Education Artist-In-Residence with WASO.
Frequently commissioned to transform children’s literature into symphonic scores, Paul won a British Composer’s Award in 2012 and was nominated for an Ivor Novello Composer Award in 2020. ABC Classics recorded his musical adventure Stan and Mabel, and his setting of Kobi Yamada’s New York Times bestseller What Do You With An Idea? was recently released online. In July 2023, the London Symphony Orchestra released a recording of his concert suites inspired by Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.
Paul’s music has been performed by orchestras all over the world, including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, New York Philharmonic, Luxembourg Philharmonic, Philharmonia Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Scottish Chamber Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra and Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.
Passionate about music education, Paul is equally comfortable making music in a primary school or explaining the intricacies of Stravinsky’s motor rhythms to an audience of adults. His work in this field has received awards from both the Royal Philharmonic Society and the Royal Television Society. Paul appeared as creative director in a Channel 4 (UK) documentary Addicts’ Symphony, which explored how music can be therapeutic in overcoming addiction.
Paul creates and performs bespoke orchestral events for people of all ages which range from full-scale orchestral concerts for young listeners to a critically acclaimed series of music discovery concerts for adults called Naked Classics. He has guest presented Classics Unwrapped for BBC Radio Scotland, Inside Music for BBC Radio 3 and dissected the world of opera for Glyndebourne in Behind the Curtain.
Paul has appeared with the New York Philharmonic, Vienna Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra with Simon Rattle, Esa-Pekka Salonen and the Philharmonia Orchestra, Andris Nelsons and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra and toured India with Nicola Benedetti and BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra.
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Interview with Paul Rissmann
Tell us what it’s been like working on a side-by-side creative development with WASO and UWA.
This should really go in the section where you asked about my favourite projects, because I’ve adored working on creative projects with WASO and UWA over the years. I am especially proud of the Petrushka Project we did in 2021.
The creative process involves reducing a massive, complex score to just a handful of key elements. Then, through a series of workshops, use those elements as seeds from which we can grow new material. The participants embark on a creative journey which challenges them to work in a completely different way. This project certainly isn’t like a normal day at Uni or at WASO, and that requires massive amounts of trust. Especially since everything we make has to be memorised and performed unconducted. It’s a bit like the most intense chamber music project imaginable – except that the group have to compose their own music too.
The icing on the cake with these projects is that I get to work with the very brilliant Jen Winley. Jen runs a parallel project where a side-by-side orchestra of UWA and WASO musicians prepare to play our source work. And then, magically our new music gets interwoven with the original score. Somehow, all of that happens in the space of single week.
You’re clearly very passionate about music. Where did your love of music and composing start?
Without a doubt, when I was baby! I was a terrible sleeper and my poor Mum had to sing me to sleep every night. I think from the earliest age I was made aware that we have this incredible capacity to make beautiful sounds.
Sadly, I was starved of music in my primary school so it wasn’t until I started high school that everything fell into place. By an incredible stroke of luck, I ended up going to the most musical state school in Scotland. We were treated to the most brilliant education by three inspirational music teachers. When I get asked about what needs to happen to fix music in schools, I always reply “Just give young people what I experienced growing up in the West of Scotland”. I owe my school teachers everything.
You’ve had such a varied career. What are some of your favourite projects to date?
Gosh, that is a tough one. I’m an all or nothing kind of person, so I fully commit to whatever project I’m involved in and try to make it the best one yet. That is, until the next one starts.
Over the years there have been some milestone that still make me smile today, such as:
- Performing the UK’s first ever series of full-scale orchestral concerts for the under 5s. Nobody had presented little people with the full symphony orchestra before and certainly not with a tailor-made concert experience and so no one had a clue what would happen. It was a terrifying but magical experience.
- Working with adults in recovery from drug and alcohol addiction to make a new piece to perform with the London Symphony Orchestra.
- Hearing an audience of thousands of school children come to life and sing one of my songs.
- Getting 10,000 people to clap Stravinsky’s motor rhythms from The Rite of Spring in Trafalgar Square.
You’ve worked with orchestras all over the world. What is it about WASO that keeps you coming back?
I feel honoured to be WASO’s Education Artist-In-Residence and I love coming to Perth. I always stay in Scarborough Beach and the drive to PCH is one of my favourite journeys (it beats travelling by tube in London any day). There is an openness and can-do attitude at WASO which is unique, and that motivates me to perform at my best – even with jetlag.
Over the years, there have been some fabulous performances of my music with the orchestra, but more than anything, I love WASO’s willingness to try new things. What musician is brave enough to commit to playing a concert when they don’t know what they will be playing? Oh, and they’ll have to compose all the music too. Well, the musicians of WASO are. They are fearless and it’s a privilege to work with them. And it’s not just me that feels that. I’ve just been working with Otto Tausk in Vancouver, and we spent many a night talking about our love for WASO.
About the Artists
Jen Winley
Conductor
Jen Winley is WASO’s Associate Conductor. Jen began her career in percussion and timpani working principally with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and regularly with Orchestra Victoria and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). She then spent several years as a classroom music educator and loves being able to combine her passions for music and education when working with young people.
Jen made her professional conducting debut in 2020 with several orchestras in Perth including WASO and Perth Symphony Orchestra. Jen is a highly versatile conductor and enjoys working on a wide variety of projects. She has conducted WASO in mainstage concerts, Family, Education and Outreach projects, regional tours, Films in concert, and contemporary and recording projects. Jen is also proud to have conducted the WA Youth Orchestra since 2019.
In 2023, Jen made her debut as conductor with West Australian Opera and Queensland Symphony Orchestra and in November 2023 WASO announced Jen as their Associate Conductor. The two-year appointment sees Jen become the first Associate Conductor in the organisation’s history. 2024 sees Jen make her debut with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and her subscription concert debut with WASO.
Jen Winley is supported by the Simon Lee Foundation.
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Your Concert Experience
Get the best out of your concert.
- Explore the music
Be sure to take a quick look at the performance schedule or enjoy a deep dive into the music with your concert program online or in the foyer. - Share with your friends
Snap a selfie from your seat, capture the artist bows and share the experience with friends. Don’t forget to tag us! #wasymphonyorchestra - Clap with enthusiasm
Whether you are welcoming your favourite artist to the stage, or showing appreciation at the end of a piece, we love thunderous applause. Not sure when to clap? Here’s a tip; if the conductor’s arm is raised, hold it. If it’s relaxed, go for it! - Respect those around you
Ensure your mobile phone is on silent and does not disrupt the experience of those around you. If you need to cough or sneeze, please do this into your elbow. Cough lozenges are available from the Information
Desk located on Level 1. Masks are welcome but not required. - Accessible services available
For information about our services such as assisted listening and accessible toilets please search “Perth Concert Hall Access” online. - Latecomers admitted at a suitable time
If you arrive late or leave your seat during a performance, your auditorium entry will need to wait until a suitable break. - Drinks and nibbles
The Wardle Kitchen is open for casual dining, serving delicious hot meals before each performance, while our Grab and Go stations offer quick bites such as sushi and sandwiches. Bars are available on the first two levels, and you are welcome to bring your cold drink into the auditorium. - First Aid available
St John First Aid officers are present at every WASO concert. Please notify a Perth Concert Hall team member if you require any first aid assistance. - Box Office is open
Get tickets to your next WASO experience at the Box Office located on the ground floor (Level 1). Our Box Office is open one hour prior to each performance, and during interval, or you can email us anytime at boxoffice@waso.com.au. You can also visit us Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.
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About WASO
Engage | Excite | Experience | Educate
From the centre of Perth to the furthest corners of the state, we have provided the soundtrack to life in WA since 1928.
As the State Orchestra, Perth’s first and finest, WASO is the largest employer of performing artists in Western Australia and reaches two million people with musical experiences each year on stage, in our community, and online.
From concert halls to classrooms, hospitals to aged care, we bring joy, inspire learning, and nurture participation in our community, because everybody deserves the opportunity to experience live music. Every year, through community and leading industry partnerships, we engage a new generation of young and emerging artists to help secure a bright future for music in Australia.
We celebrate our rich classical music heritage with great artists from all over the world and commission and perform new repertoire to renew and expand it.
The Orchestra collaborates widely with major arts companies and independent artists, performing opera to ballet, movies to musicals, jazz to rock. We champion the diversity of music in all its forms, with a team of talented and passionate people who create unforgettable experiences for all West Australians to enjoy.
Asher Fisch is Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser of our Orchestra and we are proud to call Perth Concert Hall home.
About UWA
As one of Australia's leading music schools in one of the world's leading universities, the UWA Conservatorium of Music transforms individuals to release their full creative potential.
We offer specialist programs in performance, composition, musicology, contemporary popular music and electronic music, as well as offering students the opportunity to study music alongside other subjects and tailor their study pathways to achieve their unique goals.
We place performance at the heart of what we do. Students can expect to participate in regular performances, cover a huge range of repertoire and benefit from staff who are actively engaged in music making at the highest level. The Conservatorium of Music is home to more than 200 events each year, and we enjoy meaningful partnerships with the state’s leading arts organisations including the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Opera.
Our graduates perform in every major orchestra in Australia and as chamber musicians and soloists around the world. Others have won coveted Arias and other industry awards. More have gone on to postgraduate study at international centres of music excellence. They inspire the next generation of musicians in classrooms across Australia and work in a wide range of arts organisations.
To learn more about the events of the University of Western Australia, Conservatorium of Music visit the website or follow UWA on social media.
2024 Trusts and Foundations
Lead Partner of Crescendo
Crescendo / Hospital Orchestra Project
First Nations Creative Collaborations / Composition Project
Associate Conductor Program
2024 Corporate Partners
Principal Partner
Lead Partners
Government Partners
Major Partners
Supporting Partners
Beverage Partners
To share in our vision and discuss the many opportunities extended through corporate partnerships please contact Corporate Development on 08 9326 0020.
