A Festival of Opera and Music
Cairns - Great Barrier Reef - Whitsundays - Brisbane
25 - 30 October 2008
Scooping the awards for ‘Best Small Ship, ‘Best Cuisine’ and ‘Best Adventure Ship’ in Cruise Passenger Magazine’s 2006 Readers’ Choice Awards, the Australian owned and operated Orion has set a new benchmark in luxury expedition cruising.
Launched in 2003, the Orion is a purpose built vessel designed to access the inaccessible, all in 5-star luxury. The ship combines the best and the latest in design with maritime and environmental technology, comfort and casual elegance. From the ice-strengthened hull to the chilled champagne and superb cuisine, this is expedition cruising at its finest! For further information about the Orion, visit www.orioncruises.com.au.
Renaissance Tours is delighted to announce our exclusive charter of the Orion for A Festival of Opera and Music, from Cairns to Brisbane. Over five days and nights you will explore the magnificent and unique Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays. Set against this stunning, ever-changing panorama, you will enjoy five magnificent concerts featuring Australia’s favourite soprano, Yvonne Kenny, real-life opera couple Cheryl Barker and Peter Coleman-Wright, the renowned Australia Ensemble, acclaimed harpist Marshall McGuire and rising star Joseph Tawadros (oud). The Festival’s musical director Sharolyn Kimmorley will accompany the opera recitals.
Renaissance Tours is delighted to announce our exclusive charter of the Orion for A Festival of Opera and Music, from Cairns to Brisbane. Over five days and nights you will explore the magnificent and unique Great Barrier Reef and Whitsundays. Set against this stunning, ever-changing panorama, you will enjoy five magnificent concerts featuring Australia’s favourite soprano, Yvonne Kenny, real-life opera couple Cheryl Barker and Peter Coleman-Wright, the renowned Australia Ensemble, acclaimed harpist Marshall McGuire and rising star Joseph Tawadros (oud). The Festival’s musical director Sharolyn Kimmorley will accompany the opera recitals.
ITINERARY:
| OCTOBER 2008 | Time | Itinerary |
| Saturday 25 | 1500-1600
1700
Dinner
|
Embarkation
Depart Cairns
Marshall McGuire recital
|
|
Sunday 26
|
0800
1500
1600
1800 |
Arrive Dunk Island
Depart Dunk Island
Meet the Musician – Marshall McGuire
Yvonne Kenny recital
|
|
Monday 27
|
0930
1100 1800
2000
|
Meet the Musician – Yvonne Kenny
Arrive Hayman Island
At leisure – Hayman Island
Australia Ensemble concert
Depart Hayman Island
|
|
Tuesday 28
|
0600
1100
1600
1800
|
Arrive Hardy Reef
Depart Hardy Reef
Meet the Musicians – Cheryl Barker and Peter Coleman-Wright
Joseph Tawadros recital
|
|
Wednesday 29
|
1100
1800 |
Meet the Musician – Joseph Tawadros
Cruising
Cheryl Barker and Peter Coleman-Wright recital
|
|
Thursday 30
|
0800
0900-1000
|
Arrive Brisbane
Disembarkation
|
THE DESTINATIONS:
CAIRNS
Cairns is the heart of Tropical North Queensland and the gateway to the Great Barrier Reef, the World Heritage listed Wet Tropics Rainforest and the Outback. A vibrant, eclectic city Cairns is framed by the spectacular twin backdrops of rainforest mountain ranges and the sparkling Coral Sea. Almost a century of architecture is reflected in the city streets - a comfortable blend of traditional Queensland style and contemporary designs. Make sure to visit the Reef Casino to view its unique rainforest simulation and wander through the Cairns Regional Gallery to see exceptional art and exhibitions that focus on Indigenous works. There's also the Flecker Botanic Gardens with its Gondawanan Evolutionary Trail that offers a glimpse into the ancient history of the rainforest plants.
THE GREAT BARRIER REEF AND WHITSUNDAY ISLANDS
The World Heritage-listed Great Barrier Reef is the world’s largest coral reef comprised of 3,000 individual reefs and coral islands along 2,300km of the Queensland coast. It's the only living organism that can be seen from space and is home to a myriad of sea creatures including dolphins, turtles, dugongs and more than 1,500 species of fish. The Whitsundays are located within the Great Barrier Reef and are made up of 74 tropical islands scattered amidst coral reefs and deep waterways. Discovered by Captain Cook in 1770, the beautiful waters of the region are protected by the natural harbour created by the Great Barrier Reef and make up the largest offshore island chain on Australia’s east coast. Of the 74 islands only eight are inhabited.
DUNK ISLAND
Dunk Island is Australia's most beautiful tropical rainforest island. It was known to the first inhabitants as 'Coonanglebah' - the Island of Peace and Plenty. Most of the island is national park, with unique tracts of rainforests, pristine beaches and abundant species of wildlife. There are plenty of walking trails on the island so you can fully experience the beauty of the rainforests on the island. Be sure to walk to the top of Mt Kootaloo for spectacular views of the Dunk, the mainland and the Hinchinbrook Channel. HAYMAN ISLAND
Hayman Island is located in the beautiful Whitsundays just off the Queensland coast, and home to Hayman, one of the world's finest resorts. Hayman Island is the epitome of tropical paradise.
On a sparkling sunny day the colour of the water of Hayman's lagoon and the Whitsunday Passage are simply stunning - the hues range from turquoise to emerald and sapphire. There's excellent snorkelling directly off one of the beaches on Hayman in Blue Pearl Bay. Some argue this is the best beach snorkelling in the Whitsundays. During your day at Hayman Island, you can make full use of the resort’s superb range of sporting facilities – including swimming, tennis, squash and beach activities - or simply enjoy a tranquil bushwalk. The luxury Spa Chakra Hayman, Marine Centre excursions and motorised water sports are available at additional cost.
HARDY REEF
One of the highlights of the cruise will be the visit to the coral chasm of Hardy Reef, located on the outer Barrier Reef and part of the Whitsundays. You will explore this most beautiful and prolific of nature’s coral gardens directly from the Orion, using the ship’s Zodiacs with the opportunity to experience the vibrant coral and abundance of marine life whilst snorkelling or diving. THE MUSICIANS
MARSHALL MCGUIRE - Harp
Marshall McGuire studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, Paris Conservatoire and Royal College of Music London. He has performed as soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, English String Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Australia Ensemble and has appeared at numerous international festivals.
From 1988-1992, he was Principal Harpist with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. He was recently appointed Executive Manager, Artistic Planning with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Director of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp in 2008.
YVONNE KENNY AM - Soprano
Yvonne Kenny has performed in most of the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls, with an enviable reputation for the works of Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Donizetti, Britten and Richard Strauss.
She appears regularly on the concert platform including the Edinburgh, Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence Festivals, and at Carnegie Hall. Her discography includes many releases on international labels as well as the best-selling discs Simple Gifts, Something Wonderful, Handel Arias and Make Believe, all for ABC Classics. Recent appearances include Countess/Capriccio (Dresden State Opera), Marschallin (Vienna State Opera), the BBC Proms, The Merry Widow, Marschallin, La Voix Humaine and Alice Ford (Falstaff) for Opera Australia.
AUSTRALIA ENSEMBLE
Since its foundation in 1980, the Australia Ensemble, resident at the University of New South Wales has been recognised as one of the most exciting and dynamic groups in the country. The unusual instrumentation of the Ensemble allows the players to program fascinating concerts with works in every combination from solo to septet, spanning the chamber repertoire from Mozart to Richard Meale.
For the concert on Hayman Island, the following five members of the Australia Ensemble will perform: Geoffrey Collins (flute), Dimity Hall (violin), Irina Morozova (viola), Dene Olding (violin) and Julian Smiles (cello). Marshall McGuire (harp) will join the Australia Ensemble as a guest artist.
JOSEPH TAWADROS - Oud
Born in Cairo, Joseph Tawadros immigrated to Australia in 1986, bringing with him a musical tradition inherited from his maternal grandfather, Mansi Habib (1920-1957), a composer and oud and violin virtuoso. In 2006 Joseph graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the University of NSW with a pioneering analysis on advanced techniques and applications in oud playing.
Joseph has performed with artists such as tabla master Zakir Hussain, sarangi master Sultan Khan, Mali band Tinariwen, Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, Adel Salameh, Fathi Salama, Christian Lindberg, Neil Finn, Mark Isaacs, William Barton, Karin Schaupp, Lior, The Song Company, Riley Lee, Karen Schaupp, Bobby Singh, Katie Noonan, James Crabb, Richard Tognetti and The Australian Chamber Orchestra.
CHERYL BARKER - Soprano
Cheryl Barker is noted for her performances of Madama Butterfly for English National Opera, De Vlaamse Opera, in Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam and Houston. Other international appearances include Jenifer (A Midsummer Marriage) Royal Opera Covent Garden, Oksana (Christmas Eve), Foreign Princess (Rusalka), Musetta, Donna Elvira, Tosca, Salome and Emilia Marty for English National Opera; Violetta/Hamburg State Opera/Deutsche Oper; Suor Angelica, Giorgetta, Mimi, Desdemona, Liu, Merry Widow/De Vlaamse Opera and Katya Kabanova/Welsh National Opera/Geneva.
Roles for Opera Australia include Nedda, Countess, Mimi in the award-winning Baz Luhrmann production of La bohème, Violetta, Donna Elvira, Tatyana (Eugene Onegin) and the title roles in Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Jenufa, Rusalka and Suor Angelica.
PETER COLEMAN-WRIGHT - Baritone
One of the most versatile singers in the world today, Peter Coleman-Wright debuted with Glyndebourne Festival as Guglielmo. Roles with English National Opera include Michele, Scarpia, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin and Billy Budd and at the Royal Opera House, Dandini, Billy Budd, Papageno, Marcello and Gunther.
Roles with Opera Australia, include Onegin, Giovanni, Almaviva, Chorebe, Orestes, Wolfram, Golaud, Germont, Scarpia, Billy Budd and Sweeney Todd for which he won a Helpmann Award.
In Europe he has performed in Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Venice, Munich, Geneva, Paris, Flanders and at the Aix-en Provence and Bregenz Festivals. North America engagements include Vancouver, Santa Fe, Houston, New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.
SHAROLYN KIMMORLEY - Musical Director and Accompanist
Sharolyn is regarded as one of Australia’s finest vocal coaches and accompanists and has appeared in recital with Håkan Hagegård, Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Inessa Galante, Sir Thomas Allen, Dennis O’Neill, Kathleen Battle, Desirée Rancatore, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Jonathan Lemalu.
She has held the positions of Head of Music Staff, Artistic Administrator and Director of Music Administration with Opera Australia. Sharolyn is currently a staff member of the Sydney Conservatorium.
In 2007, Sharolyn was guest vocal coach at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice. London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Australian Opera Studio in Perth
MARSHALL MCGUIRE - Harp
Marshall McGuire studied at the Victorian College of the Arts, Paris Conservatoire and Royal College of Music London. He has performed as soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, English String Orchestra, Les Talens Lyriques, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Australia Ensemble and has appeared at numerous international festivals.
From 1988-1992, he was Principal Harpist with the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. He was recently appointed Executive Manager, Artistic Planning with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Director of the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp in 2008.
YVONNE KENNY AM - Soprano
Yvonne Kenny has performed in most of the world’s leading opera houses and concert halls, with an enviable reputation for the works of Monteverdi, Handel, Mozart, Donizetti, Britten and Richard Strauss.
She appears regularly on the concert platform including the Edinburgh, Salzburg and Aix-en-Provence Festivals, and at Carnegie Hall. Her discography includes many releases on international labels as well as the best-selling discs Simple Gifts, Something Wonderful, Handel Arias and Make Believe, all for ABC Classics. Recent appearances include Countess/Capriccio (Dresden State Opera), Marschallin (Vienna State Opera), the BBC Proms, The Merry Widow, Marschallin, La Voix Humaine and Alice Ford (Falstaff) for Opera Australia.
AUSTRALIA ENSEMBLE
Since its foundation in 1980, the Australia Ensemble, resident at the University of New South Wales has been recognised as one of the most exciting and dynamic groups in the country. The unusual instrumentation of the Ensemble allows the players to program fascinating concerts with works in every combination from solo to septet, spanning the chamber repertoire from Mozart to Richard Meale.
For the concert on Hayman Island, the following five members of the Australia Ensemble will perform: Geoffrey Collins (flute), Dimity Hall (violin), Irina Morozova (viola), Dene Olding (violin) and Julian Smiles (cello). Marshall McGuire (harp) will join the Australia Ensemble as a guest artist.
JOSEPH TAWADROS - Oud
Born in Cairo, Joseph Tawadros immigrated to Australia in 1986, bringing with him a musical tradition inherited from his maternal grandfather, Mansi Habib (1920-1957), a composer and oud and violin virtuoso. In 2006 Joseph graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Honours) from the University of NSW with a pioneering analysis on advanced techniques and applications in oud playing.
Joseph has performed with artists such as tabla master Zakir Hussain, sarangi master Sultan Khan, Mali band Tinariwen, Slava Grigoryan, Leonard Grigoryan, Adel Salameh, Fathi Salama, Christian Lindberg, Neil Finn, Mark Isaacs, William Barton, Karin Schaupp, Lior, The Song Company, Riley Lee, Karen Schaupp, Bobby Singh, Katie Noonan, James Crabb, Richard Tognetti and The Australian Chamber Orchestra.
CHERYL BARKER - Soprano
Cheryl Barker is noted for her performances of Madama Butterfly for English National Opera, De Vlaamse Opera, in Hamburg, Berlin, Amsterdam and Houston. Other international appearances include Jenifer (A Midsummer Marriage) Royal Opera Covent Garden, Oksana (Christmas Eve), Foreign Princess (Rusalka), Musetta, Donna Elvira, Tosca, Salome and Emilia Marty for English National Opera; Violetta/Hamburg State Opera/Deutsche Oper; Suor Angelica, Giorgetta, Mimi, Desdemona, Liu, Merry Widow/De Vlaamse Opera and Katya Kabanova/Welsh National Opera/Geneva.
Roles for Opera Australia include Nedda, Countess, Mimi in the award-winning Baz Luhrmann production of La bohème, Violetta, Donna Elvira, Tatyana (Eugene Onegin) and the title roles in Madama Butterfly, Tosca, Jenufa, Rusalka and Suor Angelica.
PETER COLEMAN-WRIGHT - Baritone
One of the most versatile singers in the world today, Peter Coleman-Wright debuted with Glyndebourne Festival as Guglielmo. Roles with English National Opera include Michele, Scarpia, Don Giovanni, Eugene Onegin and Billy Budd and at the Royal Opera House, Dandini, Billy Budd, Papageno, Marcello and Gunther.
Roles with Opera Australia, include Onegin, Giovanni, Almaviva, Chorebe, Orestes, Wolfram, Golaud, Germont, Scarpia, Billy Budd and Sweeney Todd for which he won a Helpmann Award.
In Europe he has performed in Amsterdam, Bordeaux, Venice, Munich, Geneva, Paris, Flanders and at the Aix-en Provence and Bregenz Festivals. North America engagements include Vancouver, Santa Fe, Houston, New York City Opera and the Metropolitan Opera.
SHAROLYN KIMMORLEY - Musical Director and Accompanist
Sharolyn is regarded as one of Australia’s finest vocal coaches and accompanists and has appeared in recital with Håkan Hagegård, Wilhelmenia Fernandez, Inessa Galante, Sir Thomas Allen, Dennis O’Neill, Kathleen Battle, Desirée Rancatore, Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Jonathan Lemalu.
She has held the positions of Head of Music Staff, Artistic Administrator and Director of Music Administration with Opera Australia. Sharolyn is currently a staff member of the Sydney Conservatorium.
In 2007, Sharolyn was guest vocal coach at the Cardiff International Academy of Voice. London’s Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Australian Opera Studio in Perth
