Benalla Art Gallery is pleased to present Andrea Lam plays Matthew Hindson: Sad Piano Music as part of its program of concerts by world class musicians. Andrea Lam’s performance has been acclaimed by The Australian as ““melting lyricism, filigree touch and spirited eloquence…She played with a firm purpose, attention to nuance and produced a spectrum of ravishing colour.”

About the performance:

Classical music has many masterpieces that are almost heart-breakingly sad, and beautiful, from works by Beethoven and Liszt, to Chopin and Debussy. During the long lockdowns of 2021, one of Australia’s most acclaimed composers, Prof. Matthew Hindson, began writing solo piano pieces that seemed to fall under the increasingly popular streaming search term of ‘sad piano music’: music that seemed sad or melancholy in mood, which yet had the paradoxical effect of making the listener feel comforted, supported, and even uplifted.

Selecting internationally renowned pianist Andrea Lam to bring these new pieces to life at the keyboard, these melodious, meditative and thrilling miniature works will be presented live on stage by Matthew Hindson, providing rare insight into the pieces, and what inspired them, as only a living composer can do. Recorded for 2024 release, and shared only intermittently until now, come and hear what online audiences are loving as an accompaniment — or antidote — to the frenetic pace, daily challenges and moments of solitude of the world we live in today.

About Matthew Hindson AM, Composer:

Matthew Hindson is one of the most-performed and most-commissioned composers in the world, and a leading Australian composer of his generation. As well as being performed by every Australian orchestra, the London Philharmonic, the Los Angeles Philharmonic and the Royal Philharmonic among many others, Matthew’s music has been set by dance companies such as the Birmingham Royal Ballet, San Francisco Ballet, National Ballet of Japan, the Queensland Ballet, and the Sydney Dance Company.

Matthew is the Deputy Dean and Associate Dean (Education) at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. From 2004 to 2010 he was the artistic director of the Aurora Festival, an event dedicated to the work of living composers. In 2006 Matthew was made a member of the Order of Australia (AM) for his contributions to music education and composition. From 2009 to 2013 Matthew was the Chair of the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, and from 2013 to 2015, a board member of the same organisation.

Matthew Hindson AM is represented by Faber Music (UK).

About Andrea Lam, Piano:

Pronounced a “real talent” by the Wall Street Journal, Australian pianist Andrea Lam performs with leading orchestras and conductors across Asia, Australasia and the USA including the San Francisco Ballet Orchestra, Hong Kong Philharmonic, and the major Australian symphony orchestras. A Semi finalist in the 2009 Van Cliburn Competition, Silver Medalist in the 2009 San Antonio Piano Competition, and winner of the ABC’s Young Performer of the Year Award in the Keyboard section, and the Yale Woolsey Hall Competition, Andrea holds degrees from both the Yale, and the Manhattan Schools of Music. Recently returned to Australia after two decades in New York, Andrea has played venues from Carnegie Hall and the Lincoln Center to the Sydney Opera House, with works from Bach, Mozart and Schumann to Aaron Jay Kernis, Liliya Ugay and Nigel Westlake.

2023 engagements include Schumann and Rachmaninov with the Sydney and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras with conductors Sir Donald Runnicles and Jaime Martín; Sydney Opera House’s Utzon Music Series, Adelaide Festival for its Chamber Landscapes Weekend and the world premiere of Ngapa William Cooper by Nigel Westlake, Lior, and Dr Lou Bennett. In 2022 Andrea toured Bach’s Goldberg Variations nationally to acclaim for Musica Viva Australia, performed as soloist with the Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, and as pianist alongside baritone Bo Skovhus at Sydney Opera House. Andrea’s recordings include Mozart concerti with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra; with renowned cellist Matt Haimovitz, and as pianist for New York’s acclaimed Claremont Trio. Pianist alongside violinist Emily Sun on her debut album Nocturnes (ABC Classics), the duo earned a 2022 ARIA nomination for Best Classical Album; Andrea’s upcoming album release features new piano works by Matthew Hindson AM.

Learn more: www.andrealam.com