By David Godkin, Friends of the Wangaratta Steinway

The latest Steinway on Stage featuring Emma Lang and string quartet experienced some possible firsts when it aired at the Wangaratta Performing Arts and Convention Centre (WPACC) on 13 May.

The concert was performed in front of 231 patrons, which is the largest audience to date for these intimate concerts featuring the Wangaratta Steinway piano.

For this performance, the piano was placed near the front of the stage with the audience almost in the round, with patrons on the stage forming a horseshoe shape while remaining patrons positioned themselves in the auditorium.

The feedback from patrons to this enlarged format was very positive, with one on-stage patron saying it felt like being part of the popular ABC TV series 'The Piano'.

It was a relaxed atmosphere, with Emma briefly introducing each piano piece, providing the audience with deeper context.

For example, she explained that one of the nocturnes she was to perform was played in a WW2 Concentration camp and the inspired performance given actually helped to save some lives.

A very sobering thought to contemplate as she played the piece.

Emma's program began with contemporary music, consisting of two pieces written by Bruce Rowlands for the film 'The Man from Snowy River'.

Then, she moved onto a suite of nocturnes composed by Chopin.

In another Steinway-first, Emma introduced her violin partner Margaret Hurd to perform a Brahms-composed Hungarian Gypsy dance tune.

Before starting, Margaret gave a brief demonstration of Gypsy dance, much to the delight of the audience.

After this stirring piece, Emma was joined on stage by Sarah Brindley on violin and Carolyne Amery on viola.

Emma left the piano and joined the trio to perform on cello and the quartet performed movements one and four from the American String Quartet to complete the performance.

"It was a joy for me to share music that I love with the people I love," Emma said after the show.

"This would be the largest audience I have performed for mainly as a solo performer."

The evening was emceed by Mark Bolsius, another local talented musician who not only knows the delights of being a Steinway on Stage performer, but is also a skilled tuner of the Steinway.

Mark is also a member of the Friends of the Wangaratta Steinway group that liaised with Emma, the WPACC, Goulburn and North East Arts Alliance (GANEAA) and Rural City of Wangaratta to facilitate the performance.

The Friends of the Wangaratta Steinway aim to nurture and continue the popular Steinway on Stage performances begun by the now inoperative Wangaratta Arts Council under the leadership of Marg Brickhill in partnership with the Rural City of Wangaratta through the WPACC.

The group's other aim is to explore how to successfully replace the ageing Wangaratta Steinway piano.

"Unlike a quality violin for example, a piano has a limited life, and this Steinway purchased in 1963 is nearing the end of its life as a high quality concert instrument," Mark explained.

He said the group, in consultation with WPACC, has aspirations for two further Steinway performances in 2026, one of which will be a fundraising show featuring artists with a national profile.

He advised patrons to keep a lookout for further notifications of these through the various media sources.