“I’m so pleased that we will be welcoming these six exceptional artists across the three concerts which make up the 2018 Windsong Series. The Windsong Pavilion is one of the region’s finest assets, and it is because of the exceptional acoustics and quality of the performance space that such eminent artists are excited to accept our invitation to perform here on the Far South Coast”
James Crabb, Four Winds Artistic Director

Dear All,

We are delighted to announce that a donor who is a great supporter of Four Winds is inviting you to join them in raising funds for the Four Winds ‘Create and Inspire Program’ which is all about developing skills, performance opportunities and a life-long passion for music among our young people.

Our donor will match fund – dollar for dollar – any donation made to Four Winds prior to the end of the 2017/18 financial year to support our work. They have pledged to match any donations up to a total of $40,000. This means, that with your help we would love to raise $40,000.

The good news is that donations made at the Four Winds Easter Festival count toward this target so in order to achieve the full $80,000 we only need to raise another $20,000. A huge thank you to everyone who has donated so far.

Our ‘Create and Inspire’ program is focused on music education and enables young people living on the South Coast to develop their skills and passion for music and music making.

Four Winds 2018 Easter Festival Schools Progam. Photo by Ben Marden

With your support we would love to achieve this goal because it will deliver:

• Regular singing and percussion activities in our schools
• Performance opportunities for our young people to perform at Four Winds so that they can experience the joy of playing and singing music in large scale performances to an audience.
• Performances at Four Winds so that our young people may meet and work with world-class musicians, share their experiences and respond creatively.
• A teaching musician in residence in Bermagui for two terms each year.
• Coaching and mentoring of classroom teachers in partnership with the National Music Teacher Mentoring Program.
• Two professional development sessions per year for music leaders and teachers in our region.

All these ongoing activities will contribute to our first Annual Youth Festival to be held 16 – 18 November. Local young people from the Far South Coast will perform alongside – and be inspired by – performances from Sydney Youth Orchestra, musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music, and the young, dynamic choir The Australian Voices. This Festival will include five local primary and four pre-schools, individual high school music students and a new Bega Valley Youth Choir. It will be a true celebration of young people’s music making.

At our recent Four Winds 2018 Easter Festival our very important work with local school children was clearly visible. One Festival attendee who completed our exit survey said:

“As a retired music teacher, I am delighted to see the strong direction and efforts to bring musical experiences and opportunities to local children and into the local schools”

Four Winds 2018 Easter Festival Mission Songs Project. Photo by Ben Marden

“Four Winds Festival is a weekend of eclectic music performed by highly professional musicians. It acknowledges the spiritual ownership of the land and encourages participation of the local community and its school age children”. Festival Audience Survey Respondent.

Can you please help us raise the remaining $20,000? Please remember that your donation will be matched dollar for dollar.

Our deadline for donations is 25 June to allow the matching dollars to be paid prior to 30 June.

Whilst we are focusing our fundraising on Create and Inspire, any donation made to support Four Winds work will be matched.

Please make your tax-deductible donation by clicking here

Thank you from Four Winds and from all the young people who will experience fantastic musical opportunities because of your donation.

Windsong Series #1 | Simon Tedeschi (piano) and Andrew Haveron (violin)
Performing works by Kreisler, Rachmaninov, and Grieg
Sunday 17 June, 2.30 – 4.30pm
Windsong Pavilion, Four Winds Road, Barragga Bay

We have programmed three incredible quality performances for you in the Windsong Pavilion, to warm your heart during the winter months.

For the first of these we are welcoming two of Four Winds’ great friends to the Windsong Pavilion; Simon Tedeschi (piano) and Andrew Haveron (violin). Both musicians stunned us with their performances in 2017, so the prospect of them performing together in the Windsong Pavilion is hugely exciting. They will be performing a stunning program of romantic music – sweeping melodies and beautiful harmonies.

Andrew Haveron performed with pianist Piers Lane when we launched the Shigeru Kawai Concert Grand Piano, purchased for the Windsong Pavilion as a result of so many generous donors. Andrew is a virtuosic performer and is currently the concert master of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Simon Tedeschi last performed at Four Winds with actor John Bell and amazed us all with the passion and theatre he created during an epic, narrative performance of Enoch Arden.

So, the combination of Andrew and Simon performing together is surely a concert not to miss – and it’s another chance to hear the Windsong’s fabulous piano played by one of Australia’s leading pianists.

You can purchase all three Windsong Series 2018 concerts as a package – for details click here

To find out more about all upcoming events at Four Winds go to www.fourwinds.com.au, call 02 6493 3414 or drop in to our Four Winds office at the Bermagui Community Centre.

If you are attending the Sydney Writers Festival this weekend, don’t miss James Crabb, Four Winds Artistic Director, performing as part of the “Outside: A Feast of the Senses“. This Sunday 6 May, 11.15am – 12noon as part of the Family Program.

“In an event that will enchant young audiences, renowned children’s author and poet Libby Hathorn reads excerpts from her book Outside, accompanied by four of Australia’s finest musicians and as illustrations are beamed on screen. The music is drawn from a lively score by composer Elena Kats-Chernin, Artistic Direction and arrangements by Christina Leonard. The story, stunningly illustrated by Ritva Voutila, celebrates the wonder of the five senses in the magic of a garden, while promoting love and respect for the natural world.”

For more information and to make a booking CLICK HERE

For anyone who has enjoyed a long lazy lunch prepared by a former Noma chef at the restaurant Long Time No Sea at Barragga Bay, these two paintings by Andrew Sayers will be familiar.

Wind in the trees, Cuttagee

Cuttagee

Beyond the stand of trees the viewer’s eye is led to the long stretch of golden sand that is Cuttagee beach and further on to the forested slopes of the ancient volcano, Guluga; a place of great spiritual and cultural significance to the Yuin Aboriginal people of the far South Coast of NSW.

Bring back memories of this stunning area by acquiring one of Andrew’s beautiful landscapes and, in the process, help Four Winds to commission Australian composers to create new work. The works are being auctioned online only

There are only two days left to place your bid. For your chance to acquire one of these paintings please click here, register and place your bid. Registration is free and only requires you to enter your email address.
If you have any problems registering or bidding please send an email to sian.morgan.hall@gmail.com.

Time is running out to acquire one of these wonderful paintings – a lasting reminder of the beauty of the Far South Coast of NSW and the area close to Four Winds. The works are being auctioned online only. The auction ends on 22nd April so please place your bid quickly.

For your chance to acquire one of these paintings please click here, register and place your bid. Registration is free and only requires you to enter your email address.