Experience the exhilarating synergy of Contra Guitar Duo! Join Hamish Strathdee and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle on a musical journey, featuring captivating compositions inspired by Schubert, Houghton, Grenfell, Edwards, Tansman, and Assad. Unveil the magic of diverse melodies in this unforgettable concert. 🎸🎶
Hamish Strathdee and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle
Opposing yet complementary performers can create thrilling artistry - this is the basis on which Contra Guitar Duo was formed by Hamish Strathdee and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle.
Our program is a reflection of who we are as musicians and what inspires us. The concert opens with a set of Schubert inspired works by Johann Kaspar Mertz and continues with a beautiful minimalist work by the late Australian composer Phillip Houghton, before bringing the first half to a close with a new arrangement for two guitars of Australian composer Maria Grenfell's Di Primavera.
The second half of the concert opens with the juxtaposition of two pieces by Ross Edwards, a lullaby Emily’s Song and the lively and joyous Djanaba. We then play an interesting arrangement of a solo guitar work, Tansman’s Variations on a theme of Scriabin; here the audience gets to enjoy Tansman’s work in greater depth and colour, providing a new listening experience of a much loved work in the guitar repertoire. Finally the concert closes with a celebration of Brazilian music by Clarice Assad, with her three movement Brasileirinhas. The work explores many elements of traditional Brazilian music and is an exciting virtuosic conclusion.
Tickets: $40 adults; free for children under 15. Book tickets online.
About Contra Guitar Duo
Opposing yet complementary performers can create thrilling artistry - this is the basis on which Contra Guitar Duo was formed by Hamish Strathdee and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle.
The pair met at their university auditions in 2011 and have been making music together ever since. Their contrasting musical personalities and charming personal chemistry bring a dynamic spin to the fantastic combination of two guitars.
United by their passion to bring audiences music they love, Hamish and Emma-Shay are excited to showcase the varied and rich expressive capabilities of the guitar duo as an ensemble.
Contra Guitar Duo has performed extensively in Europe and Australia. Performance highlights include the Dubai World Expo, Staatsoper Hamburg, Melbourne Guitar Festival and the Darmstädter Gitarrentage, where they presented a number of Australian works. The duo has been fortunate to be recognised and lauded by organisations such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, PPCA Performers Trust Foundation and ANU School of Music.
Hamish Strathdee
Classical guitarist, Hamish Strathdee, is regarded as an "excellent young Australian performer" (Limelight Magazine). Hamish's debut recording, Impressions of Spain, has received critical acclaim, hailed as "an excellent debut” (Classical Guitar Magazine) and his playing has been described as being of “the highest standard” (Soundboard Magazine) and with a “gloriously warm and rich” sound (Classical Guitar Magazine).
Hamish has received numerous prizes in both national and international competitions including; 2nd Prize in the London International Guitar Competition, 3rd Prize both in the Stuttgart International Guitar Competition and the Aalborg International Guitar Competition. Hamish has also received a number of scholarships and grants to help further his artistic studies including; the prestigious Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst (DAAD) Stipendium for musicians, the Peter and Lena Karmel Honours Scholarship awarded to "the most outstanding student in music commencing an Honours year at the ANU School of Music" and awards from the PPCA Performers’ Trust Foundation.
Hamish holds a Master of Music from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, an Artist Diploma (Künstlerisches Aufbaustudium) from the Akademie für Tonkunst Darmstadt and a Bachelor of Music with First Class Honours from the Australian National University, where he studied with Minh Le Hoang and Timothy Kain.
Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle
Classical guitarist and lutenist, Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle, delights audiences with her charming persona. Known for her musical and sensitive playing, Emma-Shay enjoys sharing her diverse and compelling repertoire. Chamber music collaborations and new music projects are her passions; she also enjoys playing Renaissance and Baroque music on the lute. As a champion of new repertoire for guitar, Emma-Shay has premiered new works written for her by leading Australian composers as part of her Green Guitar project, bringing together female forces in Australian composition to create new works for guitar inspired by the theme of ‘green’ in response to the climate crisis. She has recently worked on multiple interdisciplinary projects with the Elbphilharmonie, Hamburger Gitarrenforum and the Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe Hamburg.
Emma-Shay has consistently been selected as a finalist in international guitar competitions, including New York, Melbourne and Adelaide. She has received numerous awards and scholarships including the Australian Music Foundation Guy Parson Award, a prestigious scholarship from the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, PPCA Performers' Trust Foundation award, HfMT scholarship for especially dedicated students, and the ANU School of Music Ken & Vera Fowler Honours Scholarship awarded for "outstanding level of musical accomplishment and potential to make an outstanding contribution to music."
Emma-Shay holds a Masters of Music from the Hochschule für Musik und Theater Hamburg, an Artist Diploma (Künstlerisches Aufbaustudium) from the Akademie für Tonkunst, Darmstadt and a Bachelor of Music with First-Class Honours from the Australian National University.