By Stella Joseph-Jarecki (Enquiries: stellamusicwriter.wordpress.com)
Generally speaking, hero worship is a bad idea. (Unless it’s directed at Pedro Pascal… that man can do no wrong!)
People are people: flawed, skilled, brilliant, complicated… But I would be lying if I said I didn’t worship Andrea Katz while I was doing my Bachelor of Music in classical voice. She was the five-foot-firecracker. God help you if you showed up for Vocal Class with a bad attitude or didn’t know your music. I’m proud to say I never did either of those things!
Andrea took a class called Vocal Ensemble. In it she dispensed wisdom, delivered tough-love, and told the craziest stories. (One of which involved Pavarotti!). I still remember every anecdote she shared and the way she said Bizet’s Carmen would be the perfect opera if Bizet shifted the entire opera a quaver to the left (BRILLIANT).
Honestly, I still worship Andrea. But just a normal amount! I promise…
Andrea got in contact with me and asked if I would talk about an upcoming concert of hers on the blog. Of course, I was happy to oblige. If you’re in Bendigo on the 8th of June, check it out!
Andrea and I had a chat about all things art song below.
A Poet’s Love at Langley Estate (Bendigo)
Sunday 8 June 2025 3:00 PM – 4:00 PM (UTC+10)
Lauriston Chapel at Langley Estate
Tickets from $40, and audience members under the age of 18 get in for free!
Book your tickets here
Excerpt from the event page:
In A Poet’s Love, Michael Petruccelli, one of Australia’s leading tenors, teams up with Melbourne-based Argentinian pianist Andrea Katz, for an outstanding program of German, French and Italian songs. And the date of 8 June itself is perfect – celebrating the anniversaries not only of Robert Schumann’s birthday on 8 June 1810, but also the opening of the Langley Chapel on 8 June 1873!
The concert title A Poet’s Love references the inclusion of Schumann’s famous Dichterliebe – A Poet’s Love, composed in 1840: the best-known song cycle by Robert Schumann and a rare chance to hear this immortal work with two of our country’s finest musicians. This memorable afternoon also includes a performance of Schumann’s delightful suite for solo piano: Papillons – Butterflies, Op. 2, together with other exquisite songs by Henri Duparc and Paolo Tosti.
After the concert, you can enjoy meeting the artists and other audience members during the refreshments served in the Langley Hall mansion.
If you get to the edge of what words can express, only music can take you beyond.
Andrea Katz
How did your ensemble Songmakers Australia come about?
I was inspired by the London based Songmakers Almanach while working with its pianist and director Graham Johnson, who became a mentor and eventually our Artistic Patron. Upon hearing I was moving to Australia, he gave me a mandate, to create something similar here. After the opening of the Melbourne Recital Centre, I was able to gather a fantastic group of singers and perform there and around the country for 14 uninterrupted years.
Your upcoming concert features ‘Dichterliebe’, the famed song cycle by Robert Schumann. What is your favourite thing about this song cycle and why do you think it’s so enduringly popular?
Obviously, the piano part is the best part of the cycle! I say that with tongue in cheek, because the songs are one of the best examples of poetry and music amalgamation. The poems are by Heinrich Heine, a literature genius Schumann probably understood better than any other song composer. The text is beautifully set, and the music is coloured in such tangible ways as to make them understandable beyond the language barrier.
Schumann is a composer close to your heart. How would you describe him and his music to someone who knew nothing about him?
Yes, he is! His music really reflects every single aspect of his life: love, tragedy, friendship, mental health. He was also an innovator in his approach to piano writing, totally obsessed with sound, resonance and colours, which may explain why he was so good when it came to songs!
What is your favourite thing about working so closely with singers?
Another thing I have in common with Schumann, I have worked with singers all my professional life. They teach you a very important lesson: without breath there is no life. When you perform with a singer, you strive to imitate those wonderful, sustained sounds, that sense of endless legato, the magic of word painting that comes from extraordinary poetry.
How did you start working with Michael Petruccelli?
Michael was a young tenor in one of my classes at the Conservatorium. I have been following his career for years! He went overseas to continue his development and had an impressive performing career too. We are very fortunate that he is now back based in Melbourne.
We had the chance to perform together last year for the first time. We reunited for a beautiful program of French songs. I was able to reciprocate and invite him to sing Dichterliebe with me in two weeks. His affinity with Schumann’s music really matches mine, which makes for a thrilling musical experience.
What do you think makes art song so special?
By now it would be clear I am totally crazy about art song. Thinking back of the great traditions of storytelling throughout the ages, it has always been accompanied by music. If you get to the edge of what words can express, only music can take you beyond.
Fever Pitch Magazine 