Join us for a captivating lunchtime concert that takes you on a journey through vibrant folk rhythms, lush lyricism, and contemporary flair. Aram Khachaturian’s glorious Trio for Clarinet, Violin, and Piano bursts with the fiery spirit of Armenian dance, while Alban Berg’s Four Pieces for Clarinet and Piano offer a spellbinding glimpse into the world of early 20th-century modernism—each piece packed with emotion and colour. Rounding out the program is Paul Dean's Lockdown Miniatures No. 2 for clarinet and violin, a work capturing fleeting moments of stillness, tension, and playfulness writing during the 2020 Covid lockdowns. An intimate and dynamic program not to be missed!
Paul Dean
Brisbase born and bred clarinettist Paul Dean, has made a name for himself as a soloist, recitalist, chamber musician and artistic director. Paul is the founder and Artistic Laureate of the chamber ensemble Southern Cross Soloists, the Bangalow Music Festival, SunWater and the Stanwell Winter Music School and has commissioned and premiered over 100 works, including his brother Brett’s clarinet concerto Ariel’s Music and Andrew Schultz’s Clarinet Quintet. Between 1987 and 2000, he was Principal Clarinet with the QSO. A passionate supporter of youth and regional music education, Paul’s extensive work throughout Australia has left a lasting imprint on many budding musicians.
Doretta Balkizas
Based in Germany since 2015, Australian violinist Doretta Balkizas returns to Australia in July 2024 as the newly appointed Lecturer in Violin at The University of Queensland School of Music. She leads a varied life as a soloist, chamber and orchestral musician and in recent seasons, has performed, recorded and toured in various ensembles, including the London Symphony Orchestra, Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, Mahler Chamber Orchestra, Bremer Philharmoniker and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, appearing in concert throughout Europe, Asia and Australia.
Doretta has performed as a concerto soloist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra and Nanning Symphony Orchestra (China), and was a finalist in several major Australian competitions, including the 2015 Symphony Australia Young Performer Award and the Dorcas McClean Travelling Scholarship for Violinists, where she was a major prize-winner and received the inaugural Fritz Kreisler Prize.
As a chamber musician, Doretta has appeared at the International Holland Music Sessions, the Musica Viva Festival, Coriole Music Festival, Mackay Chamber Music Festival and the Yellow Barn Music Festival, where she collaborated with Roger Tapping (Juilliard String Quartet) and Donald Weilerstein.
In 2018, Doretta received her Master of Music with distinction from the Hochschule für Musik “HannsEisler”, Berlin, having previously completed an undergraduate degree at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music as a student of Alice Waten.
Anna Grinberg
Dr Anna Grinberg is Piano Performance Fellow and Lecturer at the School of Music, University of Queensland. She has an international profile as a pianist, teacher, and academic, and collaborates widely with orchestras, composers and other performers.
Anna’s engagements have included solo and chamber music performances at prestigious venues in the United States, including Royce Hall in Los Angeles and New York's Weil Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall, and in Europe, Israel and China. She has performed as soloist with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Hartford Symphony Orchestra and the Paul Mellon Chamber Orchestra.
She performs as a member of the Viney-Grinberg Duo, ensemble-in-residence at the University of Queensland, exploring both existing and new repertoire. Through the duo she has commissioned and premiered dozens of new works for piano duo from composers in Australia and the United States, with funding from sources such as the Australia Council for the Arts, and the Fromm Foundation, Harvard. This work has been featured on three compact disc releases by ABC Classics and Tall Poppies, and has been nominated for an Australian Music Centre/APRA Award for Excellence.
After completing postgraduate studies at Yale University (with Boris Berman) and SUNY Stony Brook (with Gil Kalish), Anna served on the piano faculties of Chapman University and California Institute of the Arts prior to her current position at the University of Queensland.
In 2020 Dr Grinberg released a recording on Naxos that consisted of commissioned new works for two pianos.
About 2025 Nickson Room Concert Series
The University of Queensland School of Music is proud to present our Nickson Room Concert Series for 2025. In reflecting the School's role in the broader South-East Queensland community, we have designed a diverse and exciting program. With established international and national artists performing, as well as our own emerging student artists, this year is set to be a vibrant, creative, and energetic time at the UQ School of Music. We look forward to connecting with you.
