PERIOD INSTRUMENT SPECIALIST SIMON RICKARD

The Australian Boys Choral Institute are thrilled to perform 'Requiem for an Empress' alongside Simon Rickard for two historically informed performances at St. Patrick’s Cathedral Ballarat on May 15, and at Sacred Heart Church, Carlton on May 16 2001.

One of Australia's leading period instrumentalists, Simon will play the dulcian in this performance. Also known as the dulzian (German), dulciana (Italian), bajón (Spanish) and curtal (English), this instrument is the predecessor to the modern bassoon.

Simon Rickard studied modern bassoon with Richard McIntyre at the Australian National University School of Music in Canberra. He graduated with a Bachelor of Music (Hons I) in 1993, winning the ANU University Medal for his outstanding undergraduate work and the Friends of the Canberra School of Music Prize for best graduating student.

In 1993 Simon moved to the Netherlands where he undertook postgraduate study in historical bassoons with Donna Agrell at the Koninklijk Conservatorium (Royal Conservatorium) at the Hague. He graduated with the early music Certificaat followed by two years of the Vrije Studierichting course. During his studies Simon was lucky enough to take lessons not only from Donna Agrell but with luminaries such as Ku Ebbinge, Alfredo Bernardini, Barthold Kuijken, Jacques Ogg, Kate Clarke, Bruce Dickey, Charles Toet and Tini Mathot. He participated in student projects with Sigiswald Kuijken, Lucy van Dael, William Christie, Paul Dombrecht and Bruce Dickey. Parallel to his musical studies, Simon studied baroque dance with Carol Pharo and Frank Perenboom in the Netherlands and Barbara Segal in London.

Simon has performed, toured and recorded with international period instrument ensembles including the Gabrieli Consort and Players, Les Arts Florissants and Florilegium. In Australia he played principal bassoon with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra for 11 years (1992-2003). He has appeared as guest principal bassoon with the Australian Chamber Orchestra (Mozart’s Mitridate, 2001), Opera Australia and Victorian Opera for their forays into period instruments.

More recently Simon has enjoyed playing with many of the newer ensembles in Australia’s burgeoning early music scene. He plays and records with the Orchestra of the Antipodes, Melbourne-based renaissance groups Consort Eclectus and La Compañia, the Ironwood Ensemble, Latitude 37, Camerata Antica, the Australian Haydn Ensemble, and the Peninsula Summer Music Festival. Simon is very proud to have played principal bassoon for Pinchgut Opera since its inception.

Simon has spent many years painstakingly researching and reconstructing early bassoon reeds and has played on them exclusively since 1998. You can learn more about his collection of Renaissance, Baroque and Classical instruments here.

Simon also pursues a concurrent career in gardening. He runs his own garden design and communication consultancy, and is often seen on ABC TV's Gardening Australia. Formerly the head gardener of the Diggers Club, he has presented lectures and workshops for bodies including the Stephanie Alexander Kitchen Garden Foundation and the Australian Landscape Conference, leads international tours for Botanica World Discoveries, and is the author of several gardening books.