Wednesday Lunchtime Concert: Gardens of Spain

On Wednesday 1st May from 12:40 to 1:20pm, the Wesley Music Centre Wednesday Lunchtime series presents Soprano Sarahlouise, accompanied by pianist Natalia Tkachenko, in a recital that explores some of the popular classical and less well-known Spanish song repertoire. They will delight you with De Falla’s Seven Popular Songsand songs by Toldra, Lorca and others.

Versatile classically trained singer/actor/performer Sarahlouise Owens performs in many music genres and styles. An ANU graduate, her postgraduate studies at the RNCM, Manchester, were with notable teachers and in masterclasses with renowned singers, and pianists. She sang with the ensemble of Bayreuth Summer Festival, WDR Cologne Radio, and theatres of Hannover, Paris Chatelet, Brussels Monnaie, Frankfurt and Hagen. Returning to Australia in 2007, Sarahlouise established herself here as a concert artist and singing teacher. In 2020, thanks to a Homefront Grant from ArtsACT, she commissioned and premiered works by Canberra composers, which were warmly welcomed by audiences. Sarahlouise also conducts many local community choirs. She is currently creating a show based on the life of extraordinary Victorian era Diva, Anna Bishop. For further details, see: https://cantaviva.com/the-bishop-victoriana

Born in Ukraine, Natalia Tkachenko studied piano in the Ippolitov-Ivanov State Musical Pedagogical Institute in Moscow with Rena Shereshevskaya and Alexander Belomestnov. She worked as accompanist in the National Theatre Institute and the Youth Opera Theatre, performing across South Korea, Russia, France and Germany. in 2004 Natalia moved to Australia, where she was an accompanist for the ANU School of Music, and performed with cellist David Pereira, vocalists Sarahlouise Owens, Damian Whiteley, Tobias Cole, Canberra Chorale Society, and pianist Elena Nikulina. With over 30 years of teaching experience, she was rated in the AMEB top five Private Teacher category for several years in NSW. Her students participated in piano recitals, the Canberra International Music Festival, and various local and international competitions. In 2020, Natalia moved to Woodbridge VA, USA, where she works as a piano teacher, an adjudicator for scholarship competitions, and as a concert pianist in the greater Washington D.C. vicinity.