thursday 23 April 2026 8PM
BLAIR HARRIS & Timothy Young
ABOUT BLAIR HARRIS
Blair Harris is considered among Australia’s leading cellists and chamber musicians. He presents two concerts at Tempo Rubato in 2024, featuring three colleagues with whom he shares a reputation for being among Australia’s most highly respected chamber musicians.
Blair has appeared as soloist and principal cello in both the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. In 2023 Blair joined the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra as principal cello.
Blair is also a member of Ensemble Offspring, playing a major role in the commissioning and creation of Australia’s musical future. As a passionate educator Blair holds a position at Monash University as lecturer in cello performance.
Blair plays a fine cello crafted by V.Gagliano, Naples, 1859.
ABOUT TIMOTHY YOUNG
Timothy Young is one of Australia’s most prominent and versatile pianists. Currently the Head of Piano and Chamber Music at the Australian Academy of Music and a founding member of Ensemble Liaison, he performs regularly in recital as a soloist and in partnership with leading Australian and international musicians and ensembles.
He studied at the University of Melbourne with Ronald Farren-Price and Mack Jost before completing his Diploma with distinction from the Nicolò Paganini Conservatorium in Genova, Italy under the direction of Lidia Baldecchi- Arcuri and Massimiliano Damerini. While studying in Italy Timothy won several first-prizes in International Music Competitions including the Premio Kawai-Tortona and the Palma d’Oro-Finale Ligure, along with other major prizes in the Premio Venezia and the Sanremo Classico International Piano Competition. A personal highlight was a special performance playing works by Luciano Berio for the composer’s 70th birthday celebrations in Genova.
In recent years Timothy has toured Australia with violinist Ray Chen for Musica Viva and New Zealand with Ensemble Liaison for Chamber Music NZ. Performed with the Australian String Quartet, the Tin Alley String Quartet, the Australian Brass Quintet, the Australia Ensemble, the ANAM Orchestra and the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra. Frequent festival appearances include the Australian Festival of Chamber Music in Townsville, Huntington Festival, Queensland Biennial Festival of Music, the Australian Piano Duo Festival, the Melbourne International Arts Festival, Port Fairy Festival, Bangalow Music Festival, Melbourne International Festival of Brass, the Utzon Room music series at the Sydney Opera House, Canberra International Music Festival, the Aurora Festival (ISCM), the Perth Concert Hall Summer Series, Perth Festival, Woodend Festival, the Novi Sad Music Summer Festival in Serbia, the Kotor Arts International Festival in Montenegro and recently the opening recital at the Capraia Festival of Music in Italy.