The UQ School of Music proudly premieres the John Cocteau Ensemble, an outstanding group of emerging instrumentalists coached by internationally renowned clarinettist and composer Paul Dean.
This vibrant program explores the colour, wit, and rhythmic brilliance of early twentieth-century chamber writing, where winds, brass, strings, and piano combine in endlessly inventive ways.
Opening the concert is the Octet for Winds by Igor Stravinsky, written for pairs of flutes, clarinets, bassoons, and trumpets. Stravinsky’s lean, neoclassical scoring strips the ensemble to its essentials, highlighting clarity of line and rhythmic precision. The symmetrical pairing of instruments allows for striking antiphonal effects and intricate contrapuntal exchanges, creating a sound world that is at once transparent, playful, and architecturally forward thinking.
The concert continues with the sparkling Concerto da Camera by Jacques Ibert, featuring saxophonist Samuel Long as soloist. Scored for alto saxophone and an eleven-player chamber ensemble (including flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, violin, viola, cello, double bass, and piano), the concerto offers a brilliant dialogue between soloist and ensemble.
Completing the afternoon is La Revue de Cuisine by Bohuslav Martinů, a chamber ballet scored for clarinet, bassoon, trumpet, violin, cello, and piano. This distinctive instrumentation creates a sharp, jazz-inflected palette that reflects the work’s Parisian origins in 1920s modernism. Each instrument assumes a vivid character in this culinary satire, with biting rhythmic interplay, virtuosic solos, and crystalline ensemble textures that demand both precision and theatrical flair.
Under Paul Dean’s guidance, the Cocteau Chamber Ensemble embraces the nuanced demands of these masterworks, balancing individuality with collaboration, clarity with character, in a program that celebrates the ingenuity and expressive power of chamber music at its most vivid.
Performers
Stravinsky Octet
Flute - Charlotte Nunn
Clarinet - Annabelle Freeman
Bassoons - Charlie xu and Emily Cane
Trumpets - Luka Roberts and Brandon Ivers
Trombones - Max Fitzgerald and Somer Rich
Ibert Concerto da Camera
Saxophone - Samuel Long
Flute - Charlotte Nunn
Oboe - Jordan Blake
Clarinet - Annabelle Freeman
Bassoon - Steven Galea
Trumpet - Brandon Ivers
Horn - Caterina Micola
Violin 1 - Johnny Kelly
Violin 2 - Jemima Kelly
Viola - Jinha Kim
Cello - Mercedes Hohenlohe
Double Bass - Alex Liao
Martinů La Revue de Cuisine
Clarinet - Andy Liu
Bassoon - Charlie Xu
Trumpet - Luka Roberts
Piano - Yitong Liu
Violin - Johnny Kelly
Cello - Mercedes Hohenlohe
About Nickson Room Concert Series
The University of Queensland School of Music is proud to present our Nickson Room Concert Series for 2026. 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.
