Friday Music at St Stephen’s
December 6, 2024, St Stephen’s, Macquarie Street, Sydney
Sumiko Yamamura – piano
Danielle Eden – flute
Saantwana Lentz – clarinet
It is the norm in recent times to refer to the pianist in a recital as a collaborative artist as they are so much more than one who merely accompanies. Such a musician needs to be technically perfect, aware of many different music styles, have the ability to adjust in the moment and be able to communicate to the audience the music in all its glory.
Sydney has been blessed with numerous great pianists such as David Miller and Jo Allan and in recent years prominent amongst the collaborative artist elite is Sumiko Yamamura. She seems to bring a joy to all she works with and to the audiences she performs for. Ms Yamamura glides from being an expert in baroque music to radiating romanticism in music after Beethoven and she plays music of now with the highest skill imaginable. She is a go to pianist for many ensembles and composers. She has collaborated with many woodwind and brass players and maybe they enjoy working with her as surely she understands the ebbs and flows of breathing. I think of concerts in recent times with illustrious Sydney players such as Richard Rourke (clarinet), Diane Berger (flute) and Gregory van der Struik (trombone) to name just three where the music transcended from the printed page to something quite magical. The common factor? Sumiko Yamamura.
So to the concert at St Stephen’s in the centre of Sydney in a recital where Sumiko Yamamura teamed up with Danielle Eden and Saantwana Lentz performing music across various genres and always at the service of the music.
The concert opened with a Trio by Miriam Hyde. Composed in 1948 this work harkens back to English music that is always approachable and often mines a vein of happiness and entertains from beginning to end. Here and in ensemble pieces by Faure and Shostakovich and duo works by Martinu and Paul Reade, (TV music from The Victorian Garden), flautist Danielle Eden and clarinettist Saantwana Lentz showed why they are respected musicians in the Sydney music scene. The audience reacted as you would expect – sustained applause and plenty of smiles.
Here is a link to the 2025 concert series >>. The church is spacious and impressive in its Gothic-style grandeur.
