Passion
Conductor: Andrew Groch
Date: Sunday 19th June 2022
Time: 2.30pm
Venue: Northcote Town Hall Arts Centre
The Music
Édouard Lalo
Cello concerto
Soloist: Zoe Knighton
Katy Abbott
Fast Ride in a Suave Machine
Pyotr Tchaikovsky
Symphony No 6
About Zoe Knighton
Zoe is a founding member of Flinders Quartet, one of Australia’s finest chamber ensembles. Flinders Quartet has toured internationally, nationally and appears regularly at Australian festivals as well as their own celebrated subscription series. The group has commissioned many works, been nominated for an ARIA for best classical album and continues to be a champion of Australian Chamber music. “Flinders Quartet…whose players give such care and unanimity of musical thought to Australian Chamber Music” Peter McCallum, Sydney Morning Herald
After starting the cello at the age of 9 with Jill Kahans, and graduating from the University of Melbourne with the highest mark of her year, Zoe went on to establish herself as one of the country’s busiest cellists. Having studied with Christian Wojtowicz, Michel Strauss (Paris), Nelson Cooke, and Angela Seargeant, she is now in demand as chamber coach and teacher at various institutions. A regular panelist for major competitions, Zoe combines many facets of her career with performing.
Zoe has played numerous concertos with Melbourne Orchestras and with pianist Amir Farid, made an impressive debut at the Melbourne Recital Centre to great critical acclaim in 2009. Their partnership continues with recordings for ABC, concerts throughout Australia and the release of 6 CDs on the MOVE label with two more in production. She has been praised for her “thrilling tenor sound” (Limelight magazine) “sublime phrasing” and “many great technical demands carried off with ease.”
Her three other titles on the MOVE label include the complete suites for solo cello by J.S Bach.
“Knighton has produced a reading of great artistic integrity. “ Gordon Kerry
“She radiates confidence in her work and participates with personality and no little finesse. “Well worth hearing for the pleasure given through this player’s familiar warmth and honesty of musical character.” Clive O’Connell
Recent projects have included expanding Flinders Quartet’s regional engagement by becoming Artistic Patrons of the John Noble Quartet Program and initiating a secondary school residency at Footscray City College that incorporates the study of Shostakovich and Bartok quartets with other areas of the curriculum such as dance, media, art and drama.
Zoe is artistic patron of Resonance String Ensemble in Woodend. She plays on a 2020 cello made by Australian maker, Rainer Beilharz. In order to maintain conversations with her children, she is a proud supporter of Hawthorn Football Club and Yarraville Seddon Eagles.