Music You Can't Get Out Of Your Head

Have you heard this beautiful piece of music? It is one of the most popular pieces of contemporary Australian music. It is called Eliza's Aria and was composed by Elena Kats-Chernin for her ballet Wild Swans, which is based on a Hans Christian Andersen story about Eliza, a princess, whose eleven brothers have been transformed into wild swans by a wicked witch. Eliza must knit magic shirts from stinging nettles to break the spell.

The tune is the third most performed in UK television advertising.

We heard it recently in a staff concert performed by Prem Love and Elena Day-Hakker, in a student performance opportunity, played by Chloe Walker and Elena Day-Hakker and then by David Pereira (cello) and Alice Giles (harp) at All Saints Cathedral.

Not sick of it, yet. There are several interesting versions of it available on Youtube, including Sarah Cracknell's The Journey Continues.

Cello and Harp Concert

Two of Australia's best-loved musicians are performing at all Saints Cathedral, Bathurst on Friday 1st April at 7.30 PM
Alice Giles is a superb musician whose skills on the harp are world-class. She has performed recitals in Europe, Israel, America and even Antarctica.


In this concert, Alice will be joined by David Pereira, whose name is inseparably associated with the cello in the minds of many.

You can find several of his beautiful performances at his homepage, including this wonderful recording of The Swan by Camille Saint-Saëns.

Tickets will be on sale at the concert
$30 per person
$20 concessions
$10 U3A/CPSA cardholders
For further information please call 6331 6622

Do you have a video of your performance?

Mitchell Conservatorium now has its own Youtube channel. We would love to feature good quality recordings of excellent performances of Mitchell Conservatorium students on our channel.

And I would love to use your videos on this blog.

The video above features Stephen Aveling-Rowe playing Bach's Toccata in D Minor on the Opera House pipe organ. Stephen learns cello from David Pereira and piano from David McKay. We can't claim credit for his great organ playing, but we can chuckle that his organ teacher is also a David: David Clark from Cooranbong.

Would you like to hear Mitchell Con's newest teacher?

The link below, from David Pereira's own website, is of a beautiful recording of him playing one of the best-loved pieces for the cello. You can simply click on it, and listen, or right click and save the file to your computer.
David Pereira and Anna Johnstone performing The Swan, by Camille Saint-Saëns.

But if you'd like to hear a concert performance, please check out the details of concerts coming up shortly at David's website.

There is also a great concert, not advertised there, to be held on Tuesday, 5th October, at 7.30 PM at St Paul's Anglican Church,205 Burwood Rd, Burwood.

The concert includes Messiaen's marvellous Quartet For The End Of Time and Arvo Pärt's Spiegel im Spiegel.

The quartet performing are
Alan Vivian - clarinet
Anna McMichael - violin
Tamara Anna Cislowska - piano
David Pereira - cello

Distinguished cellist joins Mitchell Con staff

Judi Power-Thomson's portrait of David Pereira

Mitchell Conservatorium is excited to announce that David Pereira, one of Australia's most accomplished cellists, has joined our staff.

It is not every day that one of our staff can boast that he has been the subject of an Archibald prize entry!

Please check out David's website for information about his activities as a performer, teacher, composer, writer and mental health advocate.

Welcome David!