Past Concerts
The Grand Masquerade Ball, Dec 2011
Guest Conductor: Jacky Wong
Khachaturian Masquerade Suite
Richard Strauss Concerto No. 1
Michael Wray (WPO Principle French Horn)
Gordon Jacob Mini Concerto
Stephanie Whitmont (WPO Principle Clarinet)
Shostakovich Ballet Suite No. 1
Spring Concert, September 2011
Sibelius Finlandia
Vivaldi Concerto for Two Celli
Featuring: Weiling Lei Internationally acclaimed cellist from China
Eslee Hwang Principle Cello WPO
R. Strauss Serenade for 13 wind instruments
Tchaikovsky highlights from The Nutcracker Suite and Swan Lake Suite
Winter concert, conducted by Anthony Clarke.
Sunday 26th June 2011,
Soloists: Martin Cohen (Flute) and Alexandre Oguey (Oboe)
Programme:
Gabrielli and Copland - featuring our fabulous Brass and Wind sections
Haydn - Concerto No 4 for Flute and Oboe - featuring Alexandre Oguey from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Martin Cohen , playing a delightful and rarely heard concerto by Haydn, a much loved composer from the Baroque era.
Schubert - Symphony No 8 in B minor, The Unfinished Symphony - full of Schubert's lyrical melodies.
Dvorak - Slavonik Dance No 8 - the most popular and well known of Dvorak's sequence of dance
Superb concert – March 2011
I would like to say how immensely we all enjoyed the symphony concert performed by the Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra held March 27 at Scots College.As a long time music lover and listener of the WPO, I have to say that the orchestra under their new conductor Anthony Clarke played superbly. My only criticism is that that the slow second movement of Mozart’s piano concerto No 28 was played a trifle too fast.
The dances by Borodin were performed magnificently and in correct tempo. The soprano Narusha Arnold sang arias by Handle, Purcell and Mozart with genuine conviction and pathos, while the incomparable pianist Rachel Valler played the Mozart concerto with her usual zest combined with her outstanding musicianship. Like old wine, her performances seem to get better with time. Her cadenzas were real gems.
Anthony Clarke’s flawless conducting was such throughout that I sincerely hope that the WPO may be able to appoint him as its permanent conductor, a decision I would wholeheartedly support.
Gerard da Graca Ozoria
Bondi
Sunday 19 September 2010
A crowd gathered at The Scots College Bellevue Hill for "A Festive Farewell" on Sunday 19 September to farewell the WPO's founding conductor Mathias Rogala-Koczorowski. As well as Mathias' last concert for the WPO, the audience was treated to a work by resident composer Joe Wolfe and a solo by SSO's Anthony Heinrichs.
Sunday 27 June 2010, The Scots College, Victoria Road, Bellevue Hill
Conductor: Cristian Cimei
Program:
Weber
Overture to Der Freischütz
Ravel
Pavane for a Dead Princess
Samuel Barber
Knoxville: Summer of 1915 (Soprano soloist – Teresa La Rocca)
Dvorak
Symphony No 5 in F Op 76
About the soloist - Teresa La Rocca, Soprano
Teresa La Rocca completed a drama and music degree at Adelaide University. She was a finalist in the ABC’s Young Performers’ Award and went on to win the State Opera Aria, the Herald-Sun Aria and the Metropolitan Opera Awards. Her roles for State Opera of South Australia have included, Norina in Don Pasquale, Parasha in Stravinsky’s Mavra, Yum Yum in The Mikado, Despina in Così fan Tutte and the soprano role in the highly acclaimed Flamma Flamma for the Adelaide Festival. For the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Teresa has performed in their Symphony Under the Stars, a Viennese Gala, Handel’s Messiah and the soprano solo in Vaughan Williams’ Symphony Antarctica.
She made her debut with Opera Australia singing Queen of the Night in The Magic Flute and her major roles since with the national company have included Susanna in Le Nozze di Figaro and The Milliner in Der Rosenkavalier; for OzOpera, she toured nationally as Musetta in La bohème and Micaela in Carmen.
In recent seasons, Teresa has appeared as soloist with the Sydney Symphony in their Amore series of concerts as well as Symphony in the Domain, starred in Viva Vivaldi for Vision Events in Perth, performed the title role in Bel Canto’s Lucia di Lammermoor, sangmajor roles in Co*Opera’s productions of Pagliacci and The Impresario and has been a frequent guest soloist with Sydney Philharmonia and the Darwin and Willoughby Symphony Orchestras.
In 2009, Teresa La Rocca was a full-time soloist for Opera Australia appearing in Aida and Dido and Aeneas and singing the title role in Manon Lescaut. In 2010, she sings principal roles in La Traviata, Bliss and Der Rosenkavalier.
© Patrick Togher Artists’ Management 2010
2009 Concert Program
Season Opening - Sunday 29 March 2009
Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra presented its Season Opening for 2009, featuring acclaimed violinist Natsuko Yoshimoto (pictured right) playing Beethoven’s Violin Concerto. The
program also featured Rachmaninov’s Symphonic Dances and Hungarian March from ‘The Damnation of Faust’ by Berlioz. The conductor was Mathias Rogala-Koczorowski.
Winter Solstice - Sunday 28 June 2009
With guest conductor Anthony Clarke, Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra presented Winter Solstice, featuring soloist Maria Lindsay (pictured right) playing Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto. The program also 
featured Dvorak’s popular Symphony No 9 from “The New World” and“Carmen” Suite No1 by Bizet.
Music from the Movies - Sunday 20 September 2009
Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra presented Music from the Movies, an entertaining program of soundtracks from your favourite motion pictures on Sunday 20 September. The program
featured “The Lord of the Rings Suite” by Howard Shore, Horner’s “The Titanic Medley”, and Walton’s “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue from “The First of the Few”. The conductor was Mathias Rogala-Koczorowski.
Twinkle, Twinkle, Bang! Bang! - Sunday 6 December 2009
Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra presented its 2009 season finale, Twinkle, Twinkle, Bang! Bang! with special guests the Waverley Bondi Beach Band and piano soloist Cho Ki Wong on Sunday 6 December 2009. The conductor was Mathias Rogala-Koczorowski with special guest conductor Paul Goodchild. The Waverley Bondi Beach Band performed Howarth’s Music from the Elizabethan Court.
The program also featured Schubert’s Symphony No.3 in D and Dohnanyi’s Variations on a Nursery Theme for Piano and Orchestra. The dramatic finale was Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture performed with the Waverley Bondi Beach Band.
