They may play together but Queensland Symphony Orchestra violinists Faina and Simon Dobrenko have not always agreed over musical scores.
Simon, 67, rolls his eyes remembering daughter Faina’s teenage insistence at playing the Russian classic Sheherazade over and over again.
“You wore a groove in that record,” he chuckles. His preference is for Wagner: “big, bold…great!”
In both playing for the QSO, Simon and Faina, 45, make a rare pair in orchestral circles.
Both auditioned for the QSO soon after moving from Moscow to Brisbane.
Simon was a music teacher with little English but many years’ performance experience behind him; Faina was just 19. The pair landed positions and have played together ever since.
It’s Simon’s dearest wish to continue playing and one day share the stage also with his grandson Alex, a 19-year-old student at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music.
That won’t be in time for the 2019 QSO season, billed as offering something for everyone with beloved pieces and new works.
The season includes five Friday morning ‘masterwork’ concerts – rousing 90-minute versions of evening concerts in a convenient Friday morning timeslot (Romeo and Juliet among them).
There’s also the popular Sunday morning series, a brunch-like taste of shorter classical works beginning with a festival of folk in March. Special events include The Last Night at the Proms, a Latin American Gala in August. And yes, Wagner is in the line-up!
Click HERE for details of Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s concert line-up next year.
