In early 2014, I was appointed the Artistic Chair of the Australia Ensemble, filling the enormous shoes of Professor Roger Covell. And now almost 10 years have passed – how quickly that has happened! Before this, I had the opportunity to work with the Australia Ensemble on a few occasions as a guest conductor and also as a composer. My current role has only deepened my admiration of its players who were already heroes of mine. During this time, I have had the great pleasure of working with some of the greatest chamber music performers in the country. I would go beyond that, since when you hear the Australia Ensemble string players or pianist Ian Munro in the context of an International festival such as Huntington or the Townsville-based Australian Festival of Chamber Music, it is clear how top shelf these players are!

Their rich knowledge and experience of repertoire and practicality of programming has been a rich vein of wisdom that I have had the good fortune to experience. It’s quite the journey to take a program from a kernel of an idea through to performance, a process which is endlessly fascinating and demanding. And when it is accompanied by the high performance standards of the Australia Ensemble, the results can be electric!

To work with the likes of Dene Olding, Irina Morozova and Ian Munro as colleagues in the Australia Ensemble, feels like knowing musical royalty! For me, Dene is the King of violinists. His tone, intonation and technical ability are second to none. I’ve always loved how in chamber music performances, he leans out to the audience on occasions, as though to share special moments. His ability to connect with the audience as well as keep on top of often-difficult repertoire is nothing short of a high wire act! Dene manages this in rehearsals often with wry humour mixed with the authority gained from years of experience. Oh, and he doesn’t ever like air-conditioning. In the rehearsal room, musicians implicitly look to Dene for direction and guidance, although the truth is that Irina always seems to have the last say! There are plenty of robust discussions and intense exchanges in the rehearsal room that best stay there! And somehow, they continue to remain a happy married couple!

I have always loved Irina’s magnificent viola playing, and the sound she makes on her gorgeous AE Smith viola is second to none. And, besides, she has the best pizzicato technique of any violist I have heard! Irina is warm-hearted and completely authentic musician: there is no artifice in her playing. The fact that her history in the Australia Ensemble goes back to its very beginning in 1980 is extraordinary. She has so many stories to tell and I hope one day there might be a book about the amazing history of the ensemble! Irina pulls no punches in programming discussions and her views on repertoire are always crystal clear. Interestingly enough, one of her chief concerns (which has also been mine) is finding enough good material for Geoff Collins to play in ensemble programs. Although occasionally bruising to the ego (mine that is!), the robust discussion in planning meetings contributes enormously to the rigorous programming of concerts. When seven highly opinionated, confident musicians are in a room, sparks can fly!

Well known as one of two married couples in the Goldner String Quartet, which began as an offshoot of the Australia Ensemble, Dene and Irina have been a constant presence in the Chamber music scene in Australia and overseas. We also wish them well for their final year as the Goldner String Quartet.

Performance highlights from Dene and Irina? There are too many to list. But there are a few vivid standouts: an electric performance of the Mendelssohn String Octet in 2016, a beautiful Borodin 2^nd String Quartet in 2017 and the performances of the Brahms string sextets, performed relatively rarely elsewhere, but a feature of Australia Ensemble programs in recent years. A quirky moment? There was a great one from Irina when she had to speak the line “I drove Kawasaki in the Twentieth Century” as part of Martin Bresnick’s piece My Twentieth Century.  

With Ian Munro, the Australia Ensemble has had the good fortune of working regularly with one of the finest International chamber music pianists. But even more than that, audiences know of his skills as a wonderful composer and arranger. Ian is the only Australian composer to have won the Queen Elisabeth Prize for composers in Belgium, an accolade he was awarded in 2003.

Ian has amassed enormous experience in many areas of music practice, from juror in the Sydney International Piano Competition and Melbourne International Chamber Music competitions, through to festival director. I have always found Ian intensely engaged when it comes to the process of programming Australia Ensemble concerts. He researches meticulously and has often been the protagonist in finding some of the rare hidden repertoire gems that are included in Australia Ensemble programs. An introspective and thoughtful person, Ian has brought so much over the years to Australia Ensemble concerts. This quality has also been prevalent in his compositions. One of the great highlights for me from the last 10 years, for me, was Ian’s exquisite composition Three Birds written for soprano Sara Macliver and an instrumental suite of clarinet, cello and piano.

There are many other performance highlights: Ian’s versions of the Nazareth Tangos for flute, clarinet, piano and percussion – recorded on a Tall Poppies CD – are a testament to his arranging skills. These are bright, light and entertaining works and the recording is lasting reminder of the skilful, joyous performances. Speaking of joyous, the crazy shenanigans of Novacek’s Four Rags for Two Jons for clarinet and piano had us all in stitches earlier this year! And at the more substantial end, the performance of the Brahms C minor Piano Quartet last year was a remarkably satisfying one for its seamless integration of well-balanced sonorities and thoughtfully constructed tempi.

Dene and Irina will move into emeritus roles into the future. Likewise, we hope to see Ian again in future guest roles. As the ensemble moves forward, three existing members will remain and forge new artistic partnerships in the 2024 series. The audience can expect to see David, Dimity and Julian on stage regularly which gives each of these artists a chance to explore some new directions, carrying forward the tremendous legacy of an extraordinary period of ensemble stability of not only years but many decades. The Australia Ensemble’s core values of quality, creativity and connection will live on. Moreover, many younger musicians have benefitted from mentorship and experience by performing with Dene, Irina and Ian which is a legacy that will continue well into the future.

The final subscription concert for 2023 will be a very special one indeed. It’s a chance to hear the strings perform as a quartet and you will get to hear Ian perform as a duo with guest pianist Andrea Lam and, moreover, the concert will end with the charming and whimsical Carnival of the Animals by Saint-Säens. What a great way to celebrate the careers of these three amazing musicians!

- Paul Stanhope, Artistic Chair of the Australia Ensemble UNSW