Contra Guitar Duo

Ipswich Civic Centre presents…

Opposing yet complementary performers can create thrilling artistry – this is the basis on which Contra Guitar Duo was formed by Hamish Strathdee and Emma-Shay Gallenti-Guilfoyle. The pair met at their university auditions in 2011 and have been making music together ever since. Their contrasting musical personalities and charming personal chemistry bring a dynamic spin to the fantastic combination of two guitars. United by their passion to bring audiences music they love, Hamish and Emma-Shay are excited to showcase the varied and rich expressive capabilities of the guitar duo as an ensemble.

Contra Guitar Duo has performed extensively in Europe and Australia. Performance highlights include the Dubai World Expo, Staatsoper Hamburg, Melbourne Guitar Festival and the Darmstädter Gitarrentage, where they presented a number of Australian works. The duo has been fortunate to be recognised and lauded by organisations such as the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung, PPCA Performers Trust Foundation and ANU School of Music.

Our program is a reflection of who we are as musicians and what inspires us. We open our concert opens with a set of Schubert inspired works by Johann Kaspar Mertz and continue with a beautiful minimalist work by the late Australian composer Phillip Houghton, before bringing the first half to a close with a new arrangement for two guitars of Australian composer Maria Grenfell’s Di Primavera.

The second half of the concert opens with the juxtaposition of two pieces by Ross Edwards, a lullaby Emily’s Song and the lively and joyous Djanaba. We then play an interesting arrangement of a solo guitar work, Tansman’s Variations on a theme of Scriabin; here the audience gets to enjoy Tansman’s work in greater depth and colour, providing a new listening experience of a much loved work in the guitar repertoire. Finally the concert closes with a celebration of Brazilian music by Clarice Assad, with her three movement Brasileirinhas. The work explores many elements of traditional Brazilian music and is an exciting virtuosic conclusion.