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The Fairy's Kiss
Leila Josefowicz and John Novacek explore early twentieth century music for violin and piano by Debussy, Szymanowski and Stravinsky.
Concerts in Brisbane, Melbourne, Canberra, Perth, Adelaide, Newcastle and Sydney.
Tickets from $65 – $135 (Under 40 $49 / Child $20) + booking fee.
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Prepare to be kissed by a fairy, haunted by a dream and transformed by music when Leila Josefowicz and John Novacek bring their fantastical tales and captivating sounds to Australia. Feisty American-Canadian violinist Leila Josefowicz is a passionate advocate of new music, working side-by-side with some of the great composers of recent times, from Oliver Knussen to Esa-Pekka Salonen. But that doesn’t mean she’s done with old music.
‘You have to see, observe and appreciate where these ideas that living composers use come from’, says Leila.
This program is a perfect example, a new commission from British composer Charlotte Bray framed by movers and shakers from the early 20th century, themselves inspired by ancient worlds.
Szymanowski’s Mythes luxuriates in the sensuous and slightly dangerous world of nymphs and dryads, while the Divertimento from Stravinsky’s Le Baiser de la fée (The Fairy’s Kiss) reminds us that fairies are not always nice.
Then Claude Debussy’s light-footed sonata written, in his words, by ‘a sick old man in time of war’, is a poignant counterpoint to Charlotte Bray’s Mriya, co-commissioned by Wigmore Hall, Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Musica Viva Australia and inspired by the courage, conviction and integrity of the people of Ukraine.
Josefowicz and American pianist John Novacek have been playing together since they were eight. Their enduring partnership creates a bond on stage which is, quite simply, magic.
"Josefowicz is magnificent throughout, whether negotiating ferocious technical challenges or playing with gentle lyrical wonder."
"Stravinsky’s The Fairy’s Kiss allowed Josefowicz and Novacek the chance to pull out all the stops they’d held in reserve in a flurry of full-force virtuosity that rose to a pyrotechnical conclusion."
LEILA JOSEFOWICZ violin |
DEBUSSY Sonata for Violin and Piano |
CHARLOTTE BRAY British-German composer Charlotte Bray is an esteemed and in-demand composer, exhibiting uninhibited ambition and desire to communicate. An Ivor Novello Award winner, she uses her voice to spotlight global issues, including the refugee crisis, unification, terrorism, and humanity’s impact on nature. She is currently the Composer-in-Residence with L’Orchestre de Chambre de Genève. Charlotte's work has been featured by BBC Symphony, Royal Opera House Covent Garden, Radio-Symphonieorchester Wien, Deutsches Symphonie-Orchester Berlin, Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Aurora Orchestra, and Birmingham Contemporary Music Group, and at festivals in Aldeburgh, Cheltenham, Tanglewood, Aix-en-Provence, Verbier and Kuhmo. Portrait discs of Bray’s music have been recorded on RTF Classical (2018) and NMC Records (2014). |
With special thanks to our Concert Champions for their support of this tour within their state. We also gratefully acknowledge the Creative Development Collective for their generous support of new artistic projects, and the Amadeus Society for their support of the 2026 Concert Season. |
