Wagner Society AGM and a talk and presentation with violist Tobias Breider and pianist Susanne Powell

ABOUT TOBIAS BREIDER

Before his appointment as Principal Violist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 2011 Tobias Breider has held Principal Viola positions in prestigious German orchestras like the Rhine Opera Düsseldorf, the Hamburg State Opera (under Simone Young) and the Konzerthausorchester Berlin. As a guest Principal he frequently performed with other European top orchestras such as the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig and the Radio Orchestras of Vienna, Berlin and Cologne. In chamber music he regularly collaborates with many of Australia’s finest artists and ensembles such as the Australia Ensemble, Selby and Friends, Wilma & Friends, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and the Australia Octet. Tobias is founding member of the String Trio EX PATRIA (together with his SSO colleagues, Concertmaster Andrew Haveron and Principal cellist Umberto Clerici) and last year joined the Brisbane-based Ensemble Q. Internationally he has been invited to Festivals in the USA, Germany, Austria, the UK and South Africa.

Tobias’ presentation will feature Hermann Ritter’s oversized viola alta. In February 1876, Ritter met Wagner in Haus Wahnfried in Bayreuth, where Ritter presented his new viola alta, playing the song Lied an den Abendstern from Tannhäuser. Wagner, pointing towards Ritter’s viola alta, said: “The right alto instrument!” Wagner had always been on the lookout for new instrumental colours, especially in the mid-register. He immediately hired Ritter as solo violist for the Bayreuth’s Festival Orchestra and commissioned several of his instruments for the premiere of Götterdämmerung. Two of these historically significant violas live with Tobias - No 12 made in 1876, and No 132 (!) from 1891, they are named Fasolt & Fafner. Tobias is in the process of collecting more data and opinions about these sonorous sounding violas.

ABOUT SUSANNE POWELL

Pianist Susanne Powell is a well-known Australian performer who has shared the stage with some of the world’s leading artists. Often performing at the Sydney Opera House on a wide variety of keyboard instruments including piano, celesta, synthesiser, harpsichord and occasionally a Mac computer, Susanne is an ACT Creative Arts Fellow and keen mentor of upcoming Australian talent.
Susanne has appeared with many artists including Cho Liang (Jimmy) Lin, Dimitri Ashkenazy, Peter Coleman-Wright, Dr G Yunupingu, Nick Cave and Ben Folds. She performs regularly with the Sydney Symphony, Australian Ballet and Gondwana Choirs.

Susanne has worked with the world’s leading conductors including Vladimir Ashkenazy, Valery Gergiev, Christoph von Dohnányi and Simone Young. She has performed in world premieres of works by John Adams, Brett Dean and Thomas Adès and played piano in Nigel Westlake’s award-winning Oboe Concerto on Diana Doherty’s CD Spirit of the Wild.

After graduating with Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium, Susanne continued her studies at the Hochschule für Musik in Vienna and also with Geoffrey Parsons in London. She has been a faculty member of ANU and tutors regularly for the Australian Youth Orchestra.

AGM of the Wagner Society in NSW

The talk will be preceded by the 2024 Annual General Meeting of the Society.
The full agenda will be emailed prior to the meeting.
Note: only currently paid-up members are eligible to vote.