Richard Tognetti | |
|---|---|
| Born | Richard Leo Tognetti (1965-08-04)4 August 1965 (age 59) Canberra,Australian Capital Territory, Australia |
| Occupation | Musician |
Richard Leo TognettiAO (born 4 August 1965) is a leadingAustralian musician recognised internationally as aviolin soloist,ensemble player,leader,composer andarranger,conductor andartistic director.
He is currently artistic director and leader of theAustralian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) and artistic director of the Festival Maribor inMaribor,Slovenia.[1]
Born in Australia's capital cityCanberra, Tognetti was already playing the violin at the age of four. He was raised inWollongong where he began his violin studies with Harold Brissenden, the retired Scottish violistWilliam Primrose and his wife Hiroko who was aSuzuki method specialist. At the age of 11 he was admitted to theSydneyConservatorium High School and continued his tertiary studies at theSydney Conservatorium of Music.
His teacher was Alice Waten, herself a graduate of the Moscow Conservatoire and former student ofValery Klimov andDavid Oistrakh.[2] While there Tognetti became leader and soloist of the chamber orchestra conducted byJohn Painter who was the Conservatorium's Director and later founder of ACO. In 1980 he won the National Youth Concerto Competition held inBrisbane by theQueensland Youth Symphony.
In 1987 Tognetti left Australia for post-graduate studies withIgor Ozim at the Bern Conservatory (now known as theUniversity of the Arts Bern). During his time there he became a member of and soloist with the prestigiousCamerata Bern, gave solo performances with theBern Symphony Orchestra, and was guest concertmaster of theBasel Sinfonietta. Finally, at the end of his studies in 1989 he was awarded the Eduard Tschumi Musikpreis[3] as the best graduate performer of that year.
On return to Australia that same year Tognetti was appointed first as leader and then as artistic director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, a remarkable development for a musician just 25 years old at the time. 2020 marked the 30th anniversary of his leadership of the orchestra.
During that time ACO has become regarded as one of the world's leading chamber orchestras. It tours several times a year around Australia presenting concerts inAdelaide,Brisbane, Canberra,Hobart,Melbourne,Newcastle,Perth, Sydney and Wollongong and participates regularly in various Australian arts festivals. Its annual overseas visits have taken it to the UK and Europe, North America and Asia where it has been heard in some of the greatest concert halls includingAmsterdam’sConcertgebouw,London’sBarbican Centre andRoyal Festival Hall,Vienna’sMusikverein,Los Angeles'Walt Disney Concert Hall,Washington, D.C.'sJohn F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts,New York City’sCarnegie Hall,Birmingham’sSymphony Hall andFrankfurt’sAlte Oper. It has held residencies inHong Kong, a three-year post in London as International Associate Ensemble at the Barbican Centre's Milton Court, and through Tognetti's role as artistic director of Slovenia's Maribor Festival has had regular engagements there.
ACO's reputation has been affirmed in the Australian and international media. For example, Vincent Plush inThe Weekend Australian said, "The Australian Chamber Orchestra is uniformly high-octane, arresting and never ordinary",[4]The New York Times' Jeremy Eichler noted "virtuoso ensemble playing and an invigorating spontaneity that seemed to flow from Mr Tognetti's charismatic leadership",[5]The Washington Post'sAnne Midgette described the orchestra as having "the energy and vibe of a rock band with the ability of a crack classical chamber group",[6] theLos Angeles Times's Mark Swed said, "this red hot band is long overdue for a major record contract and star treatment",[7] Andrew Clements from the UK'sThe Guardian declared, "If there’s a better chamber orchestra in the world today, I haven’t heard it",[8] and London'sThe Times hailed one of its appearances there by saying, "This must be the best chamber orchestra on earth."
Tognetti himself is an extremely versatile violinist with repertoire that covers all periods from theBaroque onwards. As his rapid professional progress suggests, Tognetti is highly regarded as a soloist with the opinions of many expressed in a review from the UK's The Telegraph: "He is one of the most characterful, incisive and impassioned violinists to be heard today."[9]
Tognetti uses a number of violins according to need, most frequently the 1743Guarneri del Gesù violin[10] he has on extended loan from an anonymous owner. Others include period, modern andelectric instruments. For example, in 1999 he and Australian rock musicianIva Davies co-wrote for an international millennium broadcast a work called The Ghost of Time for electric violin and orchestra and he performed it with theSydney Symphony Orchestra on 31 December of that year.
Other works by Tognetti includeThe Red Tree for children's choir, chamber orchestra and projected images, co-written with Australian composerMichael Yezerski and inspired byShaun Tan's illustrated book of the same name, music forPeter Weir's motion pictureMaster and Commander: The Far Side of the World co-written with Iva Davies andChristopher Gordon, and his music integrated with that of other composers in his documentaries such asMusica Surfica,The Reef,The Glide,The Crowd andMountain.Musica Surfica, his film about music and his hobby surfing, won Best Feature at the 2008New York Surf Film Festival.
As an arranger Tognetti has created repertoire for many different ensembles including ACO who have performed and recorded these works. Composers have includedJanáček (String Quartet No 1 'Kreutzer Sonata'),Szymanowski (String Quartet No 2, Op 56),Haas (String Quartet No 2, Op. 7 'From the Monkey Mountains'),Paganini (Tognetti's own work Caprice on Caprices based on two of the originalCaprices for solo violin),Schubert (String Quartet No 14 in D minor, D 810 'Death and the Maiden'),Beethoven (Violin Sonata No 9 in A major, Op 47 'Kreutzer'),Grieg (String Quartet No 1 in G minor, Op 27),Ravel (String Quartet in F major) andSatie (Choses vues à droite et à gauche (sans lunettes)).
Tognetti has been a longstanding collaborator withOud virtuosoJoseph Tawadros, with their albumConcerto of the Greater Sea winning theARIA Award for Best World Music Album at theARIA Music Awards of 2012.[11][12] In March 2023, Tawadros and Tognetti were again live with the ACO in their concertFour Seasons atHamer Hall, Melbourne.[13]
Along with his busy schedule with ACO, Tognetti has appeared with other ensembles such as theOrchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, theAcademy of Ancient Music, theLuxembourg Philharmonic Orchestra, theSlovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, theHandel and Haydn Society (Boston), theHong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra, theCamerata Salzburg, theTapiola Sinfonietta, theIrish Chamber Orchestra, the Nordic Chamber Orchestra[14] and all the major Australian symphony orchestras, particularly theMelbourne Symphony Orchestra andTasmanian Symphony Orchestra with whom he has appeared as soloist and director. He has also performed with various musicians from different genres including an appearance with Scottish classical accordionistJames Crabb at the Opening Ceremony of the 2003Rugby World Cup. At the 2001Sydney Festival he made his debut as an opera conductor withOpera Australia's production ofMozart'sMitridate, re di Ponto, K 87.
As a soloist Tognetti has made many recordings including the violin concertos ofBach (ABC Classics ABC4765691), Beethoven (ABC Classics ABC4654252), Mozart (BIS BISSACD1754 & BISSACD1755)Vivaldi (BIS BISCD2103) andDvořák (BIS BISCD1708) as well as chamber works such as Bach'sSonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin, BWV 1001–1006 (ABC Classics ABC4768051) and theSonatas for Violin and Harpsichord, BWV 1014–1019 (ABC Classics ABC4765942).
Either leading or conducting ACO in association with other international musicians he has also recorded many works including Beethoven's piano concertos withStephen Kovacevich (EMI Eminence CD-EMX 2177 (nla), CD-EMX2190 (nla) & CD-EMX 2184 (nla), Bach's keyboard concertos withAngela Hewitt (Hyperion CDA 67307 & CDA 67308), Vivaldi's flute concertos withEmmanuel Pahud (EMI Classics 0946 3 47212 2 6),Shostakovich'sCello Concerto No 1 in E flat major, Op 107 withPieter Wispelwey (Channel Classics CCS 15395), Baroquetrombone repertoire withChristian Lindberg(BIS BISCD1688), Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 4 in G major, Op 58 withDejan Lazić (Channel Classics CCS SA 30511), Haydn's cello concertos withDaniel Müller-Schott (Orfeo C080031A), and a ground-breaking 2000 collaboration with Australia'srock singer and former politicianPeter Garrett and cartoonist, poet and cultural commentatorMichael Leunig which resulted in the release of a recording ofSaint-Saëns'The Carnival of the Animals accompanying a book of Leunig's text and illustrations (Sydney:Macmillan, 2000.ISBN 0-7329-1070-6.).
Tognetti was first married to winemaker Susie Roberts. They had a son, Leonardo, in 2002, and were divorced in 2005. He is now married to violinistSatu Vänskä, the assistant leader of the ACO. He has a brother, Simon Tognetti who is an Arts teacher in Wollongong, Australia.
In 1997 Tognetti received anhonorary Doctor of Creative Arts degree from theUniversity of Wollongong, the youngest recipient ever to receive such an award from that university.[15] This was followed in 2003 with an honorary Doctor of Music degree from theUniversity of Western Australia[16] and in 2005 with an honorary Doctor of Music degree from theUniversity of Sydney.[17]
In 1999 Tognetti was declared aNational Living Treasure, an award administered by theNational Trust of Australia and based on popular vote.
OnAustralia Day 2010 Tognetti was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to music through leadership of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, as an internationally acclaimed violinist, through the development and promotion of educational programs for children, support for emerging artists and contributions to charitable organisations.
The Australian Independent Record Awards (known colloquially as theAIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | Brahms: Symphonies 3 & 4 Ensemble Offspring - Songbirds(withAustralian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated | [18][19] |
| 2022 | River(withAustralian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Nominated | [20][21] |
| 2024 | Beethoven (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Independent Classical Album or EP | Won | [22] |
TheAPRA Awards are held in Australia and New Zealand by theAustralasian Performing Right Association to recognise songwriting skills, sales and airplay performance by its members annually.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | "Spirit Voice of the Enchanted Waters" fromRiver (William Barton, Piers Burbrook de Vere & Richard Tognetti) | Best Original Song Composed for the Screen | Won | [23] |
TheARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres ofAustralian music.[24][25][26]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1993 | Janáček: Kreutzer Sonata for Strings, Barber: Adagio for Strings, Walton: Sonata for Strings (withAustralian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Classical Album | Won |
| 1994 | Mendelssohn: Octet in E Flat for Strings Op. 20 Sinfonia No. 9 in C. Swiss (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Nominated | |
| Symphony Serenades and Suites (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Nominated | ||
| 2000 | Beethoven Violin Concerto & Mozart Symphony No. 40 (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Nominated | |
| 2006 | Bach Sonatas and Partitas for Solo Violin | Won | |
| 2007 | Bach Violin Concertos (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Won | |
| 2008 | Bach Sonatas for Violin & Keyboard (with Neal Peres Da Costa & Daniel Yeadon) | Won | |
| 2010 | Mozart Violin Concertos (with Christopher Moore & Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Nominated | |
| 2011 | Mozart Violin Concertos Vol 2 (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Nominated | |
| 2016 | Mozart's Last Symphonies (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Nominated | |
| 2017 | Mountain (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album | Nominated |
| 2019 | Heroines (with Australian Chamber Orchestra &Nicole Car) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
| 2020 | Beethoven & Mozart Violin Sonatas (withErin Helyard) | Won | |
| 2022[27][28] | River (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album | Won |
| 2023[29][30] | Indies & Idols (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Classical Album | Won |
| 2024[31] | Beethoven Symphonies 1, 2 & 3 'Eroica' (with Australian Chamber Orchestra) | Best Classical Album | Nominated |
TheSir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Richard Tognetti | Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award | awarded | [32] |
TheHelpmann Awards is an awards show, celebrating live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry groupLive Performance Australia since 2001.[33] Note: 2020 and 2021 were cancelled due to theCOVID-19 pandemic.
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017 | Himself | JC Williamson Award | awarded | [34] |
| Bach Violin Concertos - Richard Tognetti | Best Individual Classical Performance | Nominated |
The Australian Entertainment Mo Awards (commonly known informally as theMo Awards), were annual Australian entertainment industry awards. They recognise achievements in live entertainment in Australia from 1975 to 2016. Richard Tognetti won three awards in that time.[35]
| Year | Nominee / work | Award | Result (wins only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | Richard Tognetti | Classical Performance of the Year | Won |
| 1993 | Richard Tognetti | Classical Performance of the Year | Won |
| 1994 | Richard Tognetti | Classical Performance of the Year | Won |
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