Composer
LEE BRADSHAW
Lee Bradshaw is a Melbourne-born Australian composer.
Bradshaw’s music has been premiered and performed by Artists such as: Dame Sarah Connolly, Serena Farnocchia, Dresdner Sinfoniker, Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno, Baiba Skride, Ivan Vukčević, Harriet Krijgh, Stefan Cassemenos, The Flinders String Quartet, The Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Svizzera Italiana, Amira Medunjanin, Wilma Smith, Quartetto Energie Nove, The Fidelio String Quartet, Anna Sleptsova and Sally Anne Russell.
Among his extensive output are numerous sonatas, ensemble pieces, and suites for various instrumental groups. Noteworthy among these is the String Trio “Trigon” (2003), commissioned and premiered by Ivan Vukčević, which garnered critical acclaim as “sublime.” Additionally, he has composed several String Quartets, such as “Images” (2018), a compilation of single movements that can be rearranged in any sequence chosen by the ensemble and premiered by the Flinders Quartet. His Oboe Quartet titled “The Language of Trees” was commissioned by the Fidelio Ensemble and premiered during the Festival of Chamber Music at St. John's — a series for which Bradshaw also serves as Artistic Director. Furthermore, “Radiance (or The Black Sonata)” for cello and percussion was commissioned by the Australian National Academy of Music. Bradshaw's portfolio also includes several Trios for various instrumental combinations, among them, three Piano Trios. Notably, the "Ma Ha’ish Variations" were commissioned and performed by the Israeli/German-based trio, Trio Delyria.
His collaboration with the award-winning violinist Baiba Skride commenced with the solo violin piece “Via Crucis,” which Skride premiered for the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra’s 360degree Series in 2020. This partnership evolved, leading Skride to feature prominently on an album of Bradshaw’s string compositions titled “The Ties That Bind,” alongside Ivan Vukčević and Dutch cellist Harriet Krijgh. The album notably includes the emotionally resonant “Sarabande” for ‘cello, composed in response to a friend's tragic loss of two stillborn twins, as well as the evocative “Rhapsody (after the Concerto)” for solo viola.
“Elegy, 15th March,” composed in Lugano, Switzerland, amidst the Russian/Ukrainian conflict, received a poignant rendition by Ukrainian pianist Anna Sleptsova during a fundraising event at the Perth Concert Hall in Western Australia, aimed at aiding displaced Ukrainians. The premiere was met with a resounding ovation, underscoring the power of music to resonate with current events and evoke shared emotions.
Bradshaw's Piano Sonata (2017-2018), premiered in Singapore by Sleptsova, has since been performed by Stefan Cassemenos. Furthermore, in 2008, Bradshaw received a commission from Muzički Centar Crne Gore to compose a Trio for Flute, Viola, and Contrabasso.
Lee is Composer-in-Residence for the Mediterranean Notes Festival in Montenegro, Montenegro - where his concert overture “Letters from Montenegro” was premiered in 2021 by the Montenegrin Symphony Orchestra and Veton Marevci at an open air event in Luctica Bay in front of an audience of over 7000 people.
He is the creative director and producer of “The Death of Beethoven” - a recording cycle of the late-Beethoven String Quartets performed by Quartetto Energie Nove, in collaboration with Radio Svizzera Italiana in Lugano, Switzerland.
Lee is Composer-in-Residence at Christchurch Festival of Chamber Music, and was commissioned by Wilma Smith to compose “Resolve” - the set string quartet piece for the 2023 Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition.
Opera - ZARQA
"Zarqa Al Yamama" is an Arabic-language opera in two acts, following the grand opera tradition, with music composed by Lee Bradshaw and a libretto based on the poetry of Saudi playwright and poet Saleh Zamanan. The libretto was crafted by Bradshaw, his assistant Cathryn Burgess, and Dr. Khalid Ameen.
Commissioned by the Theatre and Performing Arts Commission on behalf of the Ministry of Culture of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the opera was produced in the Kingdom by Arabian Opera under the artistic direction of Ivan Vukčević.
"Zarqa Al Yamama" premiered on April 25th at the King Fahd Cultural Centre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking the first opera ever staged in the purpose-built facility. The production featured Dame Sarah Connolly in the titular role of Zarqa, supported by Serena Farnocchia, Amelia Wawrzon, Aleksandar Stefanoski, Paride Cataldo, and George von Bergen, with Saudi Arabian vocalists Reemaz Oqbi, Sawsan Albahiti, and Khayran Alzahrani in minor principal roles. The Czech Philharmonic Choir Brno provided the choral accompaniment, while the Dresdner Sinfoniker, conducted by Pablo Gonzalez, formed the orchestra.
The premiere season also featured a second cast, led by Thalie Knights in the role of Zarqa, and included supporting performances by Alessandra Meozzi, Dina Iskander, Thomas Faulkner, Alessandro Fantoni, and Daniel Dropulja. This alternate cast performed in two matinees, conducted by Nayer Nagui.
The production was stage directed by Daniele Finzi Pasca, with costumes designed by Giovanni Buzzi, stage and set design by Luigi Ferrigno, and video production by Roberto Vitalini.
Notably, "Zarqa Al Yamama" holds the distinction of being the first Western grand opera produced in the Kingdom and the first to be performed entirely in Arabic. The opera enjoyed a successful run, totalling 10 performances.