Art Song Canberra was founded in 1976 as the A.C.T. Lieder Society a small group of supporters of art song inspired by the visit to Australia in 1975 of the famous bass-baritone, Hans Hotter. They were led by the wonderful singer and vocal teacher Eleanor Houston OAM. Our patron is the well known Australian singer Yvonne Kenny AM.

The society’s purpose was and has continued to be to foster and extend the love of art song. We are a dedicated group of volunteers, members and lovers of art song. We are constantly humbled by the loyal support from the Canberra community and by the positive reviews for its concerts.

In each Art Song Canberra presents a series of recitals, since 1997 under the collective heading of Season of Song. The majority of our artists are accomplished professional both in Australia and internationally.
To encourage the practice of singing with accompaniment we hold bi-annual members’ soirées, in the manner of the earliest Lieder societies. Both amateur and students singers and musicians are invited to participate in these events.

Since 2005 various members of Songmakers Australia led by pianist Andrea Katz have appeared in the Season of Song. Other noted Australian singers have included Greta Bradman, Sally Wilson (formerly Germany-based), Ben Connor, Robert Macfarlane, Michael Lampard, Jill Sullivan, Louise Page OAM and Christina Wilson. The 2018 season included a stunning recital by the leading international art song duo Laetitia Grimaldi and Ammiel Bushakevitz. Other overseas-based singers have included Susan Burghardt (USA), Thomas Weinhappel, Tanya Aspelmeier, Knut Schoch and Erwin Belakowitsch (each from Austria), Rebecca Ryan (New Zealand) and Bruce Cain (USA) who appeared with guitarist David Asbury.

Pianists have included (from Australia) the late Andrew Greene, Mark Kruger (formerly Germany-based), David Miller AM, Leigh Harrold, Phillipa Candy, Alan Hicks and Nigel Butterley. Overseas-based pianists have included Roy Howat (UK) and Australian Stephen Delaney (Austria). Recital programs have ranged widely from the classics of the Lieder repertoire as song cycles of Schubert and Schumann to fine art song by modern composers including Australians Horace Keats, Nigel Butterley, Betty Beath and Michael Dooley.

What is Art Song

Art song is an art form all of its own, it is based on the human voice in song coupled with beautiful texts often by great poets and usually with piano accompaniment. The accompaniment is just as important as the voice, as the partnership plays a vital role in conveying the meaning of the song, supporting the voice and setting the mood of the song.

The art of song exists in all cultures. In Germany and Austria it became an obsession under the title of Lieder and peaked in importance during the Nineteenth century. Its great exponents were the composers Schubert, Schumann, Brahms, Wolf, Richard Strauss and Mahler incorporating the poetry of Goethe, Rilke and Heine. While Lieder is part of the German musical tradition, a similar styles developed all over Europe and the USA — in France (the Chanson or Mélodie), Italy, Spain, Russia and English-speaking countries. Other composers of this wider variety of songs include Debussy, Fauré, Ravel, Puccini, Tosti, Obradors, de Falla, Rachmaninov, Tchaikovsky, Liszt, Vaughan Williams, Finzi, Britten, Quilter and Barber.

These are only a brief overview of the rich and wonderful world of arts song. Hope to see you at our next concert.

Our Activities

Art Song Canberra presents to its members and the general public an annual series of high quality recitals called the Season of Song. These concerts are recorded and sometimes broadcast at a later stage by ArtSound FM .

Art Song Canberra also presents twice-annual members’ soirées, in the manner of the earliest Lieder societies, and masterclasses for singers or duos aiming to specialize in art song.

Beautiful

Beautiful – Art Song Canberra Favourites showcases of some of Canberra’s many extremely fine artists including four Canberra Times/City News Artists of the Year.

The CD opens with Beautiful by Peter J. Casey, performed by Louise Page, Nicole Canham (clarinet) and Susanne Powell. Louise Page and Phillipa Candy continue with art song by Samuel Barber and others. Rebecca Collins and Vivienne Winther perform French art song by Fauré, Bizet and Massenet and Christina Wilson sings Brahms’ 8 Zigeunerlieder Op.103, accompanied by Alan Hicks. Peter Smith and Anthony Smith conclude the CD with several songs popularised by Peter Dawson.

The CD is available at $15 at each of our concerts or online (incl. packing and postage). Please send your order in a message from the Contact page and include your mailing address. Please either

  • send your payment as a cheque payable to Art Song Canberra and mailed to: The Treasurer, Art Song Canberra Inc., P.O. Box 336, MAWSON A.C.T. 2607; or
  • pay by internet transfer (please ring 0434 813 354 or send an email to info@artsongcanberra.org to obtain BSB and Account No.). Please describe the payment as: [your initials and surname] ASC CD.