26th august 2004
TEMPO DI TANGO
Maggie Ferguson :: violin
Liz Jones :: classical accordian
John Napier :: cello
John Napier has a doctorate in Musicology from UNSW, where he lectures full time. His performing life is extremely varied and has included classical, rock and pop gigs and recordings. He is especially known for his work with the Institute of Eastern Music and his improvisations with performers of traditional Indian music. He has performed in the U.S, Italy, Japan and India and has appeared with various groups such as The Mambologists, Southern Crossings, The One Extra Dance Company, and with Robyn Archer at the Sydney Opera House
Liz Jones began post graduate studies at the Royal Acadamy of Music in London in 1992 where she studied for four years with prominant accordian teacher Professor Owen Murray and piano with Antoinetta Notariello. Currently she is completing her Doctorate of Creative Arts at UWS.
She has performed in London, Hong Kong, China and New Zealand. In 1999 she was guest artist with Opera Australia in ‘Wozzeck’ and she is the recipient of many awards including an Elizabethan Theatre Trust scholarship for overseas study in 2000. She has recently released a CD of transcriptions for accordian
Maggie Ferguson studied violin at Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she completed a Graduate Diploma in performance in 2001. She currently teaches chamber music and tango at the Conservatorium High School and in the Access centre.
She has performed in Germany, South Africa, Japan, The Philipines, Hong Kong, Malaysia and Singapore and during time as a cabaret musician toured with Chubby Checker, Val Doonican, Matt Monro, Don Burrows, Ricky May and Col Joye.
In 2001 she appeared with English violinist Nigel Kennedy at the Basement in Sydney in an evening of improvised music making.
It has been a long-time dream to form a tango ensemble and bring this music live to Australian audiences.
In October 2003 she spent three weeks in Buenos Aires attending rehearsals and performances at the Escuela de Tango, a school which focuses on the orchestral tangos of the 40’s and 50’s.
She will return to Argentina in September to study with Ramiro Gallo of El Arranque and play in the Esquela orchestra under the direction of Emilio Balcarce and others.
