Something I Can Never Have

Satu Vänskä, Violin, Vocals
Kristian Winther, Violin
Caleb Wright, Viola
Li-Wei Qin, Cello
Chloe Lankshear, Soprano
Louis Hurley, Tenor
David Greco, Baritone
Donald Nicolson, Piano, Organ
David Jones, Drums, Percussion
Katherine Tonkin, Actor

Satu Vänskä | Violin, Vocals

Born to a Finnish family in Japan, violinist Satu Vänskä has developed an international profile through her role as Principal Violin with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, a position that she has held for the past twenty years. Satu is also successfully developing solo violin projects reflecting her desire to continually evolve as a musician and to courageously embrace new musical challenges. This season, she will appear with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras in addition to recitals at Melbourne Recital and UKARIA Cultural Centre amongst other highlights.

Kristian Winther | Violin

Kristian Winther is widely recognized for his ability to perform as a virtuosic violin soloist and as an energetic and brilliant chamber musician, seeking musical challenges performing classic, contemporary and rare works.  As a violin soloist, Kristian has appeared with Australia’s leading orchestras and as a devoted chamber Kristian has collaborated with some of the world’s leading artists including Anthony Romaniuk, Daniel de Borah, Anne Sophie von Otter, Angela Hewitt, Steven Osborne, Anna Goldsworthy, Richard Tognetti, Satu Vanska, Brett and Paul Dean, and Konstantin Shamray.

Caleb Wright | Viola

Caleb Wright is the Principal violist of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He began his studies in Adelaide with Keith Crellin, Melbourne with Alice Waten and Berlin with Wilfried Strehle. Caleb began his professional career in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Following this he began roles as principal, holding positions in the West Australian Symphony, Adelaide Symphony and Malaysian Philharmonic. He is a passionate Chamber musician and teacher. 

Li-Wei Qin | Cello

Chinese-Australian cellist Li-Wei Qin appears world-wide as a soloist and chamber musician, and has appeared with all the BBC symphony orchestras, the LA, London, Hong Kong, Osaka, China and NDR Hamburg Philharmonic Orchestras, Berlin Radio Symphony and Konzerthaus Orchestra, La Verdi Orchestra Milan, ORF Vienna Radio Orchestra, Prague Symphony, the major Australian symphony orchestras and the Munich, Manchester, Zurich and Australian Chamber Orchestras.Li-Wei’s recordings include Beethoven Sonatas, Rachmaninov with Albert Tiu, and the Dvořàk, Elgar and Walton cello concertos.  

Chloe Lankshear | Soprano

Chloe Lankshear is a versatile soprano who made her professional operatic debut in 2018 with State Opera South Australia in their production of Brett Dean’s Hamlet. She has since been a featured soloist with some of the country’s finest organisations, including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Haydn Ensemble, Pinchgut Opera, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra and most recently her debut with Sydney Symphony Orchestra at the Sydney Opera House. In 2021, Chloe was named the inaugural Taryn Fiebig Scholar with Pinchgut Opera and was featured in their film A delicate fire. In 2022, Chloe was a finalist at the Bel Canto singing competition and was awarded the Decca Prize. In 2023, she was the First Prize winner and People’s Choice Award recipient of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Oratorio Competition.

Louis Hurley | Tenor

Tenor Louis Hurley’s repertorie spans the Baroque through to the 21st Century and is currently Pinchgut Opera’s inaugural Humanity Foundation Taryn Fiebig Scholar, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Louis has most recently appeared with the Sydney and Mellbourne Symphony orchestras, Melbourne Opera, the Song Company, Castalia Vocal Consort, Vocal Detour, and Cantillation. Whilst studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, Louis was a member of the Guildhall Consort under Eamonn Dougan.

David Greco | Baritone

Internationally regarded for his recordings of Schubert lieder and the cantatas of J.S Bach, ARIA Award-nominated baritone David Greco was the first Australian singer in 2012 to be appointed a position with the Sistine Chapel Choir in the Vatican, Rome. Now an acclaimed interpreter of opera and concert work, he appears regularly with Australia’s finest orchestras, most recently in Britten’s War Requiem with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and in Verdi’s Requiem with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs at the Sydney Opera House. David’s PhD in 19th century Historical Voice led to ABC Classics recordings of Schubert’s Winterreise and Die schöne Müllerin with early keyboardist Erin Helyard. David is a Lecturer in Voice and Opera at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

Donald Nicolson | Piano, Organ

Listed among Australia’s best classical performers by the ABC in 2019, harpsichordist, synth artist, organist, composer and arranger, Donald Nicolson is a prominent figure in performance and research of the music of seventeenth- and eighteenth-century Europe. A PhD in Musicology at the University of Melbourne in 2018, an avid reader of the classics Donald teaches historically-informed performance practice at the University of Melbourne. Donald is equally at home in front of the harpsichord, synthesizer, or looper, with an extensive discography ranging from William Byrd to the Balkans to John Psathas.

David Jones | Drums, Percussion

David Jones, a drumming luminary, is creating an indelible mark on the global music scene. His exceptional artistry and rhythmic prowess have earned him the prestigious Melbourne Prize, a testament to his influential contributions. David's innovation shines through two captivating drumkit concertos composed especially for him; seamlessly fusing genres and pushing artistic boundaries. With a career spanning decades, his impact resonates worldwide, inspiring and innovating; an icon of creativity, exploring new sonic horizons.

Katherine Tonkin | Actor

Katherine Tonkin has worked as a writer, creator, and performer with a number of Australia’s leading mainstage and independent theatre companies including Melbourne Theatre Company, Malthouse Theatre, Sydney Theatre Company, Belvoir, Griffin, Bell Shakespeare and Black Swan State Theatre Company. With many screen credits to her name, Katherine is known for working across a diverse range of mediums, having appeared in live works for the ACO, Lucy Guerin Inc, Chamber Made Opera, as well as large scale immersive works. Her collaborations have taken her to Arts Festivals across Australia and overseas, and she is delighted to be returning to her home town of Adelaide for the Festival.