Charisma
Ros Dunlop, David Miller, Julia Ryder

Ros Dunlop is one of Australia’s leading clarinetists/bass clarinetists. She has been a strong advocate of new music for the clarinet & bass clarinet all her professional life. She has commissioned many Australian Composers and premiered many new compositions by composers worldwide. Ros has performed throughout Australia, New Zealand ,Canada, the UK, Europe, Japan, Hong Kong, East Timor and the USA, Her CDs have received International acclaim. Ros is a founding member of Charisma, with whom she has commissioned and premiered many new works including many multimedia premieres. Recently he has embarked on an extensive project in East Timor, recording the traditional music of East Timor thus preserving it for future generations. Ros teaches clarinet at Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Julia Ryder has earned a reputation as one of Australia’s most accomplished performers. She has won various prizes for her interpretation of Beethoven and chamber music as well as for her performances at the Darmstadt Ferienkurse für Neue Musik. She has worked with composers such as Messiaen, Xenakis, Ferneyhough and Finnissy and has toured and recorded extensively as a soloist and with Australian and European ensembles and also appearing regularly at major festivals in Australia, Asia and Europe. Julia records for ABC Classics, Etcetera records (Holland) and Virgin Classics. She is a founding member of Charisma and Michelangeli Ensemble. She teaches chamber music at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

David Miller is one of Australia’s leading chamber musicians and vocal accompanists. The Sydney Morning Herald described him as “the role model of Australian accompanists. He has been awarded an AM for his services to Music. His distinguished career has included partnerships with many internationally renowned artists, Joan Carden, Marilyn Richardson John Pringle, to name but a few. He has performed with The Huntington Trio, Flederrman, The Song Company, The Australia Ensemble. He is a founding member of the Grevillea Ensemble. He has performed in the U.K, New Zealand, Indonesia, Japan, China, Saudi Arabia, New Caledonia, Korea, Vanuatu and Vietnam. He has recorded for Walsingham Classics, Tall Poppies, Vox Australis, 2MBS-FM and ABC Classics. David Miller is on the staff of Sydney Conservatorium of Music and is Chair Ensemble Studies.

CD Reviews

David Sudmalis, Music Forum, Feb/March 2003:
“an excellent collection of performances superbly captured in the studio and rendered on disc … excellent balance, tone colour, space and spread make the disc a pleasure to listen to … I found the performance in Ingham’s Frampton Elegy incredibly moving … Wesley-Smith’s White Knight & Beaver … lost none of its personable humour, vitality and playfulness, and is expertly managed by Charisma … This disc would be a valuable addition to those interested in expert ensemble playing with a focus on the more accessible music written in the twentieth Century”

Diana Tolmie, Australian Clarinet & Saxophone, March 2003:
“Ros and Julia do justice to the composer (Hindemith) with their vibrant interpretation and particular attention to detail … Listeners can take pleasure in hearing the rich tones of Ros Dunlop on bass clarinet conveying the ‘blue’ mood … This oft-performed work (White Knight & Beaver) presents many issues of rhythm and tone colour difficultlies, I would have to suggest that this would be the best performance of the work I have ever heard. The interpretation is fresh and insightful ulitising the true essence of Lewis Carrol’s Alice in Wonderland characters”

Charisma was founded by clarinettist Roslyn Dunlop and cellist Julia Ryder in 1995 to explore and develop music for clarinet and cello.. The duo premiered many works and enjoys an international reputation for lively and virtuosic music-making, receiving critical acclaim for recent tours in Australasia and Europe.

David Miller, pianist joined Charisma in 2004, as a trio they have played many innovative programs, this year’s concerts feature different regions of the world in each concert. As always, Charisma has a commitment to the performance of Australian Music, including works appropriate to each programme. Charisma enjoys lively music –making and has been complimented by audiences as an engaging, trio presented interesting programmes in an informative way.

Their programmes Programmes include over works spanning four centuries and four continents, including many written especially for them by composers from Australia, New Zealand, USA, Britain and Germany.

Charisma moves easily across all kinds of musical boundaries – from classical to blues, avant-garde to tangos, and minimalist to multi-media works. The marriage of styles has led to performances in unconventional venues such as jazz clubs, art galleries, bars and open spaces as well as traditional concert halls. They have given numerous composer workshops, the most recent as part of the Aurora Festival at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre.

Charisma often collaborates with other instrumentalists, with Violinist Chris Kimber joining them for performances of the Messiaen Quartet for the End of Time, including a festival at Canberra Grammar Boys School. Violinist Richard Pulley joined Charisma in 2007 in their concert series. In 2008 violist Valmai Coggins and flutist James Kortum will join Charisma in Concerts. Charisma often gives fundraiser concerts and performs for occasions such as International Refugee Day.

They released their CD “Charisma”, in 2002. It has been played on many ABC programmes since its released, and has received critical acclaim for its quality, innovation and musical attributes.

Charisma regularly records for ABC classic FM.

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Charisma CD available directly from Ros Dunlop [rosdunlop@tekeemedia.com]

Ros Dunlop - clarinets
Julia Ryder - cello
David Vance - piano

Untitled - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Priere d’une vierge dans la Tonart mixolydique (A virgin’s prayer in the mixolydian mode) - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Untitled - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Kanon zum Schiessen (Canon for shooting) - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Broken melody - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Marsch der Lowenreichswehr - Oberst W. gewidmet (March of the Lion King’s artillery dedicated to Colonel W.) - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Lied (song) - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Die Gebetsmuhle im Schwarzwald, Charakterstuck (Prayer wheel in the Black Forest, character piece) - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Ein Tanzlein (A little dance) - Paul Hindemith Musikalisches Blumengartlein und Leyptziger Allerley
Verfranzt - Stephen Ingham
Frampton Elegy - Stephen Ingham
Tango From Tales of Love - Richard Vella
Duet - Richard Vella
Surface Tension number One - Howard Skempton
A Card for Lucy - Howard Skempton
Lullaby - Howard Skempton
White Knight and Beaver - Martin Wesley-Smith