Adelaide Symphony Orchestra: Light–Song: Concert 1

Performers

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 
Clement Mao-Takacs, conductor
Cathy Milliken, curator 

About Clement Mao-Takacs

Clément is a graduate from the Conservatoire Supérieur de Musique et de Danse de Paris and the Accademia Chigiana in Sienna, and was awarded the Prix "Jeune Talent" by the Fondation del Duca (Institut de France / Académie des Beaux-Arts).

He is both Artistic and Musical Director of Secession Orchestra, which he founded in 2011. Taking the ideals of the Viennese Secession movement as the starting point, the repertoire encompasses music from Mahler, Bartók and Debussy through to rarely performed scores to contemporary music. Secession gives over 50 concerts each year including residencies at venues such as the Musée du Louvre. He also created and is Artistic Director of the festivals INTERVALLES in Paris and TERRAQUÉ in Carnac, Brittany.

As a guest conductor, he has been invited to give concerts by Helsingborg Symphony Orchestra, Copenhagen Philharmonic, Norwegian Radio Orchestra, Oslo Philharmonic, Odense Symphony, Orchestre Symphonique de Bretagne, Festival Orchestra of Sofia, Avanti! Chamber Orchestra Finland, and Bit 20 Bergen.

Last season, Clement returned to San Francisco Opera to conduct ‘Innocence’ by Saariaho and will conduct it again this season at the Adelaide Festival.

With stage director Aleksi Barrière he founded and leads the collective La Chambre aux échos, working on musical theatre and chamber opera. This season they joined forces with the Finnish National Opera in Helsinki producing ‘Between’.

A specialist of Kaija Saariaho’s music, he has conducted the world premiere and several national premieres of the chamber version of her opera La Passion de Simone, including performances in Bratislava, Saint- Denis, Lublin, Clermont-Ferrand, Copenhagen, Bergen and Nantes. Further Saariaho credits include the world premiere of the chamber version of Quatre Instants which is also dedicated to him, the Danish premiere of the concerto Notes on Light (with cellist Jakob Kullberg), and regularly performs numerous works from her catalogue.

2019 saw the release of a CD of her works for violin and orchestra on BIS Records with the Oslo Philharmonic and soloist Peter Herresthal. Lauded for its expressivity and virtuosity and nominated for a Spellemann Award, it was BBC Music Magazine’s Concerto Choice and “could scarcely be bettered” (Gramophone). Clément Mao-Takacs’s further recordings include Stockhausen’s Adieu for Crystal Classics, a disc of Jacques Ibert’s music for Timpani (awarded ‘5 diapasons’ by DIAPASON magazine) and Debussy “Fantaisie for piano and orchestra“ with the Secession Orchestra (Mirare). Upcoming releases include music by Stravinsky, Saariaho and Berg.

About Cathy Milliken 

Cathy Milliken is an international award-winning performer and composer known for her evocative instrumental and vocal works.

She moves between manifold musical worlds, taking great joy in facilitating creativity and participation. The diversity and relevance of her output has won her international recognition as a leading composer, creative director, educational consultant and performer.

Born in Brisbane and based in Berlin, Milliken completed a degree in Australia majoring in performance (piano and oboe) and continued her studies in Europe under Heinz Holliger and Maurice Bourgue. A founding member of Ensemble Modern, she worked extensively with artists such as György Ligeti, Karlheinz Stockhausen, Pierre Boulez, Fred Frith, and Frank Zappa.

Milliken has composed for concert, opera, radio and film. Commissioners include Southbank Centre London, Donaueschinger Musiktage, Staatsoper Berlin and Musica Viva of the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra. International participatory compositions include Umculo Festival (South Africa), Future Labo (Japan), Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra, and Munich Biennale. A versatile performer and member of Ensemble Extrakte Berlin, Milliken is known for her sonic improvisations using oboe and voice.

Recipient of several awards, including the Prix Italia and the APRA AMCOS/AMC Art Music Award, Milliken was also Associate Composer of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra from 2018-20.