From the editor

I’d like to welcome 2MBS-FM 102.5’s new Principal Sponsors, Craddock Murray Neumann Lawyers, into our music community. From now on if you’re planning to sue us for playing too much Kodály or Messiaen … think twice.

This year sees the 100th anniversary of the birth of Olivier Messiaen, and one of the country’s finest chamber music groups, the Australia Ensemble selected Le merle noir (The Blackbird) for flute and piano (1951) in their April concert to celebrate his centenary. The Australia Ensemble is renowned for its variety of programming and after 28 seasons they still bring challenging works to new audiences. In our cover story (pages 4-5), Phil Vendy talks to artistic chair Emeritus Professor Roger Covell and principal flute Geoffrey Collins about the group’s dynamic and its longevity. read more

The same variety – albeit in another genre – is true of Bridie King. As a classically trained pianist she has been a driving force on the Sydney blues and soul scene for the past four decades, not only as a performer but as a tutor to some of the city’s most prodigious keyboard talent. Chris Ruhle chats to Bridie (pages 6-7).

From blues to world music with Chopin nocturnes on the vibraphone … Yes, that’s correct. On page 56 Van-Anh Nguyen catches up with percussionist Nick Parnell on the eve of his national concert tour. A percussionist who has studied marimba, vibraphone, drums, gongs and cymbals, Parnell has focused on the vibraphone in the last year and a half, since finding that the instrument adapts to Chopin’s music really well.

Chopin will also be heard on 2MBS-FM 102.5 on 19 April and on Station Manager Mike Smith’s iPod. He’ll be taking a ‘Walk with Chopin’, listening to all Chopin’s solo piano works, all 12 hours 28 minutes of them. And that’s exactly the time he’ll be walking. On page 49 read more about why anyone would be daft enough to do that!I can assure you it’s for a good cause – 2MBS-FM 102.5.

Ildikó