Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra – Reflections
Saturday & Sunday
SATURDAY
29 MARCH
5.30PM
SUNDAY
30 MARCH
2.30PM
PROGRAM
BIZET Petite Suite
RAVEL Piano Concerto
MENDELSSOHN Italian Symphony
Saint Columba Uniting Church
Corners Forth & Ocean Streets Woollahra
CHRISTOPHER HAYLES
CONDUCTOR
Christopher Hayles is a dedicated music educator and a passionate advocate for the transformative role of music in fostering lifelong learning among young people. He served as Head of Woodwind, Brass, and Percussion at MLC School for 15 years before assuming his current role at Cranbrook School in 2015. Christopher pursued flute and conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and was awarded a prestigious Big Brother Scholarship to the Royal Academy of Music in London. His career reflects a wide-ranging expertise in performance across diverse ensembles and musical genres. His performance highlights include membership in the SYO Senior Ensemble as a student, performing at the HSC Encore Concert, and leading international tours to Chile, Cuba, and Italy. Domestically, he has toured Australia, performing at the Four Winds Festival in Bermagui and participating in Relief Concerts in Mungindi.
Christopher has been invited as a guest conductor and presenter for the SYO, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the University of Sydney, numerous schools, and community groups. He values the opportunity to learn from collaborating with like-minded musicians and eagerly anticipates connecting with members of the WoollarahA Philharmonic in 2025.
QUANG HONG LUU
PIANO
Quang Hong Luu is a distinguished Vietnamese Australian pianist, renowned for his sensitive lyricism and passionate artistry. He began his musical training at the Vietnam National Academy of Music before earning a Bachelor of Music from the Academy of Music and Performing Arts in Australia, studying under Professor Kyunghee Lee. He later completed his Master’s degree at the University of Montreal under the guidance of Dang Thai Son, the acclaimed winner of the International Chopin Competition.
In 2011, Quang won first prize at Australia’s prestigious Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition. He has also received awards at international competitions in Italy, Germany, and Japan. As a soloist, he has performed with esteemed orchestras, including the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra (UK), the Wuhan Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra (China), and the Metropolitan Orchestra (Australia). His recital engagements have taken him across Australia, Vietnam, Japan, China, Malaysia, the United States, and France.
Quang holds the distinction of being the first young Vietnamese pianist to perform a duet with Dang Thai Son. In January, he performed Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1 with the Szolnok Hungarian State Orchestra at the Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest.
His discography includes a CD and DVD recording under the Master Performers label, and he has also been featured with ABC Classics Australia. His most recent release was a recording of Liszt’s 12 Transcendental Études under the Rattle Records label.
Quang is currently pursuing a Doctor of Musical Arts at the New Zealand School of Music, studying with Dr. Jian Liu.