Review: NMC 2026 Tutor Chamber Concert

Home / Magazine / Review: NMC 2026 Tutor Chamber Concert

Written by Paul Nicolaou (2026 Media and Communication participant)

The evening of Friday 9 January 2026 was a significant one this National Music Camp. It marked a dramatic change in weather, the first sign of some cool respite following several relentless days and sleepless nights exceeding 40 degrees. It also signalled the first concert of the 2026 NMC, the annual Tutor Chamber Concert. Described by NMC Creative Director Monica Curro as the concert which “strikes terror and trauma into the hearts of the musicians,” the Tutor Chamber Concert is the exciting evening where roles reverse, and campers watch their tutors inspire onstage.

The evening got off to a glittering start with Elena Kats-Chernin’s Take Me Along (2020), dazzling the audience with its groovy tango rhythms and satisfying counterpoint. Composed for and originally premiered by the performers of PLEXUS ensemble, Stefan Cassomenos (piano) and Michelle Wood (cello) drove the second movement ‘Tango Insistente’ with an energetic groove, the violin (Monica Curro) and clarinet (Philip Arkinstall) releasing expressive wails on their instruments. The sixth movement ‘Contrapatango’ showcased intricate counterpoint weaving its way through the quartet—an expressive melody from the clarinet delicately emerging amidst the clockwork-like motion beneath. The work’s undulating textures exhibited the virtuosity of each instrumentalist, making for an electric opening performance.

From left to right: Monica Curro, Stefan Cassomenos, Michelle Wood and Philip Arkinstall performing Elena Kats-Chernin’s Take Me Along (2020)

Next came Sofia Gubaidulina’s Five Etudes for Harp, Double Bass and Percussion (1965)—more a study in colour and space than an etude of technical proficiency. The work quickly made the necessity of heightened musical engagement apparent, the performers demonstrating an impressive display of focus and communication in their performance of the work’s third, fourth and fifth movements. A student of famed Soviet composer Dmitri Shostakovich, Gubaidulina explores a wide range of colours throughout the work, each performer drawing unique timbres from their instruments.

Harsh plucked tones reverberating from the harp (Jessica Fotinos) evoked an eastern zither, engaging in hypnotic conversation with the rich pizzicato and icy tremolo of the double bass (Aurora Henrich)

Sizzles and sustains from Sami Butler performing various percussive items such as chains on marimba shaped the complexity and curiosity of the work’s atmosphere.

A vast change in colour and style, South American Tango Suite arranged by Joshua Davis included a joyous collection of three works for Brass Quintet— ‘Corralera’ (‘Corral’), a milonga by Anselmo Aieta; ‘Pedacito De Cielo’ (‘Little Piece of Heaven’), a waltz by Enrique Francini and Héctor Stamponi; and ‘El Choclo’ (‘The Corn Cob’), a tango by Ángel Villoldo. With glowing tone and crystal-clear passagework, Sarah Butler and Matthew Hyam (trumpets), Peter Luff (horn), Josh Davis (trombone), and Karina Filipi (tuba) delivered a whimsical performance transporting audiences between vivid tableaux, from dancing on the streets of Argentina to sounds reminiscent of a vibrant carnival fair.

From left to right: Matthew Hyam, Peter Luff, Karina Filipi, Josh Davis and Sarah Butler performing South American Tango Suite

A real highlight of the evening, Max Bruch’s 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op.83 (1910) was composed in the final decades of his life. Tonight’s performance commenced with the second movement, undulating piano swells providing a forest floor for the rich, melancholic viola solo masterfully performed by Elizabeth Woolnough.

Nostalgically echoed by the clarinet (Philip Arkinstall), Arkinstall and Woolnough sensitively weaved in and around each other—each performer responding perceptively to the other.

Opening with gently arpeggiated piano chords, the fifth movement ‘Romanian Melody’ introduces a viola solo with an almost childlike wonder. Arkinstall’s clarinet undulated between foreground and transparency, revealing the earthy caramel of Woolnough’s tone and delicate precision of Cassomenos, who expertly supported his colleagues throughout the work.

From left to right: Elizabeth Woolnough, Stefan Cassomenos and Phillip Arkinstall perform a selection of Max Bruch’s 8 Pieces for Clarinet, Viola and Piano, Op.83 (1910)

Vibrantly illustrated by Sophie Rowell as “beautiful, suave, energetic…” Claude Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (1893) is an enormously influential work that, in Rowell’s words, “tears at your heartstrings.” Performed with formidable synchronisation yet so dynamic and alive with colour, the quartet’s performance of the first movement swelled with the dynamism that makes Debussy so well loved.

Characterfully exploring moments of curiosity and intrigue, the ensemble performed with razor-sharp precision and exceptional cohesion. Vivid transformations of mood and scene included a moment of gently rocking arpeggios from the first violin (Sophie Rowell) and cello (Noah Lawrence), which supported an unwaveringly united sound from the second violin (Alison Heike) and viola (Thomas Chawner).

From left to right: Sophie Rowell, Noah Lawrence, Alison Heike and Thomas Chawner perform Claude Debussy’s String Quartet in G minor, Op. 10 (1893)

Characterfully exploring moments of curiosity and intrigue, the ensemble performed with razor-sharp precision and exceptional cohesion.

The String Sextet No.2, Op.36 (1865) by Johannes Brahms is a work of immense tenderness and expression, described by violinist Glenn Christensen as a “confused, ambiguous and subtle love letter” to Agathe von Siebold (Brahms’ former fiancée whom he later confided was his “last love”). Performed with a glassy transparency yet equally rich warmth, the ensemble’s performance of the first movement circulated between universes of beauty—at times exploding into jubilation as counterpoint gently bubbled throughout the ensemble. An exuberantly performed cello solo (Shuhei Lawson) accompanied by rich pizzicato from the second cello (Noah Lawrence) and bustling figures from upper strings made for a moment of revelation, the ensemble’s precise intonation making the resolution of harmonic unease all the more satisfying.

From left to right: Glenn Christensen, Doretta Balkizas, Thomas Chawner, Elizabeth Woolnough,Noah Lawrence and Shuhei Lawson performed String Sextet No.2, Op.36 (1865)

A dramatic shift in sound and character, Brazillian composer Júlio Medaglia’s Belle Epoque en Sud America (2002) transported audiences to South America’s fin de siècle. Originally composed for the Berlin Philharmonic’s wind quintet, the performance by Kim Falconer (flute), Joshua Oates (oboe), Philip Arkinstall (clarinet), Mark Gaydon (bassoon), and Peter Luff (horn), celebrated each instrument’s distinct colours—the tonal abilities of each performer on full display.

From left to right: Kim Falconer, Joshua Oates, Philip Arkinstall, Mark Gaydon and Peter Luff performed Júlio Medaglia’s Belle Epoque en Sud America (2002)

An intriguing stage change left chairs onstage acting as drum stands, to accommodate the six drums (three snares and three bass drums) arranged in pairs for each player. Oscillating between funky rhythmic patterns, Joseph Tompkins’s Trio in a Rudimental Style (2002) was fittingly performed with an extroverted punchiness by Sami Butler, Alex Timcke, and Nathan Herbert. The performance’s mesmerising synchronisation created a highly engaging visual spectacle, not to mention an audible one.

The performance’s mesmerising synchronisation created a highly engaging visual spectacle, not to mention an audible one.

From left to right: Sami Butler, Alex Timcke and Nathan Herbert perform Joseph Tompkins’s Trio in a Rudimental Style (2002)

Closing the evening, Nonet No. 2 (2000) by Finnish composer Olli Mustonen painted scintillating musical brushstrokes. Opening with delicate chirping in the upper strings (Doretta Balkizas, Sophie Rowell, Alison Rayner, and Jasmine Milton, violins; Elizabeth Woolnough and Thomas Chawner, violas) and dark sustain from the cellos (Michelle Wood and Shuhei Lawson) and bass (Jonathon Coco), this chirping evolved into driving, pulsating figures. Bursting into exhilarating momentum, the performers crafted vibrant colours and textures quickly fleeting in and out of vision. An intimate movement of sheer beauty followed, unveiling the expression of each individual performer. The work’s final movement sparked an exhilarating busyness buzzing throughout the entire ensemble, with energetic col legno jabs almost posing an invitation to dance.

Bursting into exhilarating momentum, the performers crafted vibrant colours and textures quickly fleeting in and out of vision

From left to right: Doretta Balkizas, Sophie Rowell, Alison Rayner, Jasmine Milton, Elizabeth Woolnough Thomas Chawner, Michelle Wood, Shuhei Lawson and Jonathon Coco performed Nonet No. 2 (2000) by Finnish composer Olli Mustonen

This proved an exciting finale to a wonderfully varied and brilliantly performed concert, leaving audiences clearly awake, inspired, and ready to tackle the mammoth lineup of concerts the following day.

Photo credit: AYO (Geraldine Cardozo)