River Of Lilacs - John L'Estrange & Joanna Li in Recital
About the event
Join Sydney tenor John L’Estrange and collaborative pianist Joanna Li for an intimate recital at the Royal Automobile Club of Australia, exploring the rich and evocative traditions of British and American art song. River of Lilacs brings together music by George Butterworth, Benjamin Britten, Landon Ronald, Stephen Foster and Ned Rorem, tracing a journey through landscapes of longing, nature, memory and love. Presented by the RACA Arts & Culture Community Group as part of its Aperitivo Recital Series, the evening offers a chance to experience some of the most distinctive voices of the British and American song traditions in the elegant surrounds of RACA’s Members Bar. Guests are invited to enjoy a complementary glass of bubble upon arrival, with the bar open from 5pm for pre-recital refreshments and the Harbourside Restaurant available for post-recital dining. ABOUT THE MUSICIANS: John L'Estrange An accomplished recitalist, John has has presented solo recitals at the Museum of Contemporary Art Australia, the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the Consulate of France in Sydney, and the Royal Automobile Club of Australia. In 2023, he performed in concert with Dr. Graham Johnson OBE. A graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, John holds a Bachelor of Music ( Performance) and studies with Maree Ryan AM. He has been recognised on the University of Sydney Dean's List of Excellence in Academic Performance. John has also recorded for major film productions, with credits including Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes (2024), Send Help (2026), and War Machine (2026). His awards include Second Prize in the 2023 Great Composers International Competition ( Debussy Performance) and the Ronald Dowd Memorial Prize for Male Voice from the Sydney Eisteddfod Joanna Li Joanna Li is an Australian pianist who was originally from Beijing, China. She holds a Bachelor of Music ( Performance) and Master of Music (Collaborative Piano) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney. In 2022, Li was the recipient of the Kathleen and Allison Short Scholarship from University of Sydney. In 2023, Joanna was awarded a travel scholarship to the San Francisco Conservatory of Music. In 2024, she was awarded the Geoffrey Parsons Australian Scholarship to attend the Collaborative Piano Institute (CPI ) in Louisiana, USA. Joanna began her musical journey at the age of 4 with her grandmother who was an opera singer. During her studies in China, she joined a number of nation-wide piano competitions including CCTV piano competition. After she migrated to Australia in 2008, she started learning Suzuki method. In July 2016, Joanna visited Matsumoto, Japan for the celebration of the Suzuki methods 70th anniversary of establishment.
