Best friends and performing artists Briana Leaman (oboe) and Yasmin Rowe (piano) deal in the art of ambiance: Crafting captivating atmospheres that draw inspiration from all facets of their intuition and creativity. Their original and thoughtfully-designed programs aim to lead the audience on a journey of the heart and mind to sometimes-unexpected destinations.

Briana and Yasmin are thrilled to be able to share some of their favourite musical memories with you in the beautiful and inspiring surrounds of the Art Gallery of Ballarat as part of their 2024 Tour of regional Victoria. From the glorious ripples of 20th century French 'impressionism' to the mesmerising waves of Australia's modern neo-classicists (and much more), The Music That Made Us features an array of stunning and meaningful works for oboe and piano; each a distinct mini sound-world that spurs the imagination and invites connection.

Georges AURIC Impromptu

Maurice RAVEL Pièce en forme de habanera, M.51

Francis POULENC Sonate pour hautbois et piano, FP185

I. Elégie II. Scherzo III. Déploration

Germaine TAILLEFERRE Rondo

Émile PALADILHE Concertante

-brief interval-

Keyna WILKINS Scorched Earth

Luke SEVERN 'Should the wide world roll away' (from and other lines)

Elena KATS-CHERNIN eggshell

love token

Jane HAMMOND Song Without Words

Matthew ORLOVICH Flight of Fancy

American-Australian oboist Briana Leaman has performed and taught throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia. In addition to her work as a freelance oboist with groups including Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, and Victorian Opera, Briana is an avid chamber musician and soloist. Her chamber group, Duo Obax, with saxophonist Joseph Lallo has given performances in the U.S., Singapore, Thailand, and Australia, and their recording of Luke Severn’s chamber work, and other lines, with pianist Yasmin Rowe has remained a part of ABC Classic’s ‘Best of Australian Classical Music’ playlist since its 2021 release. In 2023, Briana was honoured to be the guest soloist for the Australian Doctors Orchestra’s 30th Anniversary Concert, performing Graeme Koehne’s oboe concerto, In-Flight Entertainment.

Briana is the oboe teacher at Loreto Mandeville Hall and tutors for the Chamber Music and Musical Perspectives subjects at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. She has been invited to give masterclasses at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, Adelaide’s Elder Conservatorium, the University of Texas at Austin's Butler School of Music, Vanderbilt University's Blair School of Music, and the University of South Carolina, and was a Guest Mentor for both seasons of 3MBS’s ‘The Talent’ in 2023. Briana has served as the Victorian State Representative for the Australasian Double Reed Society (ADRS) since 2019, and is an examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB).

Briana completed her PhD (Music Performance) at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music in 2023, and has previously received degrees from the Haute École des Arts du Rhin (MMus(Perf) with Sébastien Giot and Christian Schmitt) and the University of South Carolina (BMus(Perf) with Dr. Rebecca Nagel).

Briana is proud to be a Rigoutat Artist and plays on a Model ‘J’ oboe. She extends her sincere thanks to Rigoutat/Buffet-Crampon for their enthusiastic support and generous sponsorship of this 2024 Regional Tour of Victoria.

www.brianaleaman.com

Pianist Yasmin Rowe has earned critical acclaim as a soloist, collaborator and recording artist in Europe, Asia and Australia. As well as her concert hall recitals, she gives many live-to-air performances appearing as a frequent guest on Melbourne-based 3MBS Radio since 2019.

Yasmin is a graduate of the Royal Northern College of Music in the UK. She received a BMus with first class honours and subsequently an MMus with distinction under the tutelage of Murray McLachlan and Stephen Savage. In 2014, she was one of only four selected instrumentalists to receive an International Artist Diploma from the RNCM.

Yasmin has appeared as a feature soloist with numerous orchestras including Pro Musica, Stonnington Symphony Orchestra and the Manchester Camerata as well as guest principal pianist with Orchestra Victoria and celeste player with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.

She has given performances at leading concert hall venues including the Wigmore and Bridgewater Halls, the Wuxi Grand Theatre, the Shanghai and Forbidden City Concert Halls, Melba Hall, Hanson Dyer Hall and the Melbourne Recital Centre.

In addition to her solo recitals, Yasmin enjoys maintaining her diverse portfolio as a chamber musician. This includes her performances with the duo Y-Squared, and the trios Rock Paper Scissors and Collide. In 2021, Yasmin was honoured to be the recipient of the Australian Geoffrey Parsons Award for collaborative piano.

Described as ‘thrilling’, Yasmin’s debut solo album with Willowhayne Records was selected as the BBC Music Magazine Editor’s Choice in September 2016. She made her second album with the cellist Yelian He and both these albums were later included as a highlight of British Airways’ long-haul flight entertainment system.

In 2021, Yasmin was featured on the ABC Classic label with ‘And Other Lines’, a seven-movement work written for her, oboist Briana Leaman and saxophonist Joseph Lallo by Melbourne composer Luke Severn.

In 2022 she was a Laureate of the Australian National Piano Award.