Classical Expressions 2021: Argyle Trio feat. Wilma Smith

UPDATE: Due to the current pause on the New Zealand and Australia travel bubble, pianist Laurence Matheson is no longer able to perform with the Argyle Trio during their New Zealand tour. Fortunately, eminent New Zealand pianist Michael Houston is set to join the Argyle Trio tour in Matheson’s place.

Programme:

Beethoven Piano Trio Op. 1 No. 1 in Bb Major

Ravel Piano Trio in A minor

Interval

Beethoven Piano Trio in Eb major Op 97 “Archduke”

Wilma Smith (AUS), with Matthias Balzat (NZ), Laurence Matheson (AUS). Since Wilma Smith, celebrated Kiwi violinist, left New Zealand she has annually brought together different groups of musical friends she thinks might create exciting chemistry and they design programmes full of variety and appeal, from premières to revered masterpieces and undiscovered gems from every musical era.

Wilma Smith, formerly Concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the NZSO, was born in Fiji and raised in New Zealand. She studied in Auckland then at Boston’s New England Conservatory before becoming the first violinist of the Lydian String Quartet, winners of the Naumburg Award for Chamber Music.

Invited to return home to form the New Zealand String Quartet, Wilma was the first violinist of the group for five years before the NZSO appointed her Concertmaster. She now teaches violin at Melbourne and Monash Universities.