Diana Doherty and Bernadette Harvey | UKARIA Cultural Centre

Diana Doherty describes her very personal program:

To friendship –

From the first piece in the first recital we ever played together to a brand-new piece to leave to future generations, this program charts more than two decades of a partnership very dear to me. ‘Beep’ (as I call her) and ‘Dees’ (as she calls me) bonded from day one over music, motherhood, and the rollercoaster of life to form what has become a deeply satisfying artistic collaboration and a treasured friendship.

Adagio and Allegro, Op. 70, was the opening piece in our first concert together in January 2001. Borrowed from the horn repertoire, this example of Schumann’s more passionate side (the alter ego Florestan) always felt more instinctive to me than the reflective and deceptively simple Romances (more Eusebius) that he wrote for the oboe itself. How lucky we are that he wrote for oboe at all! We just had to include him.

Two songs, neither originally for oboe but both absolute gems, underpin the beauty of a moment in time and an opportunity to ponder. Bernadette has known Kevin Puts from her student days and it is thanks to her friendship with him that we have permission to adapt this violin Aria for oboe.

The Vocalise-Étude, originally for voice, was an early work by Messiaen that legendary oboist Heinz Holliger convinced the composer much later in his life to expand into a major work for four soloists and orchestra. This became the Concert a Quatre which Bernadette and I were fortunate to perform together in Perth in 2011.

Tim Dargaville’s In the Spirit House was the first piece written for us as a duo. A long-time friend of his and champion of his work, Bernadette commissioned this piece and we have always loved playing it together. It allows us to explore a large range of expression throughout the work, which further highlights how important it is to have challenging, satisfying Australian works to perform in this context.

Last – but absolutely not least – the new Sonata by Nigel Westlake. How lucky are we!? It is a dream come true for me personally, a celebration of another deeply enriching artistic collaboration and personal friendship, and an offering to all future oboists. May they relish the journey and find their Beep.

Diana Doherty | Oboe
Bernadette Harvey | Piano