Kim Bastin Retirement Recital

A special solo piano recital marks the retirement of Astra's long-time accompanist and solo performer Kim Bastin. As a distinguished publishing editor of Australian and American musical works, he offers an original program that reflects his close personal links with composers Helen Gifford, Keith Humble, Lawrence Whiffin and Martin Friedel. These are set against a wider background of Schumann's late piano work Songs of the Early Hours, Max Reger's Leaves and Blossoms, and a Concertino for piano 4-hands by the famous mid-century composer/conductor René Leibowitz, composed for his students Keith Humble and Lawrence Whiffin. For this work Kim Bastin is joined by pianist Peter Dumsday. Keith Humble's final piano piece 'Miniature' (1994) is heard in its first performance in this recital, 31 years after the composer's death.