Two Virtuosi Extraordinaires Play MUSIC BY THE SEA

Music by the Sea presents Ambre Hammond on the piano and Ian Cooper on the violin - a vivacious blend of Classical, Gypsy and Jazz music at Sandgate Town Hall on Saturday 1st October, 7:30pm. Each a virtuoso in their own right, violinist, Ian Cooper and pianist, Ambre Hammond began learning their instruments before they started school. Classical, Tango, Gypsy, Irish, Country, Swing and the Blues, all delivered with their trade-mark wit and enthusiasm. Be amazed and entertained as these two instrumental geniuses try to out-do each other. Ian Cooper and Ambre Hammond are not just a concert, they're an experience.

Ian is Australia's most exciting virtuoso violinist and his high-energy and humorous performances draw on musical styles from Classical, Gypsy, Jazz, Irish, Tango and the Blues.
He has appeared in Australia and overseas, both live and on recordings with artists as diverse as Australian Jazz trumpeter James Morrison, George Benson, John Farnham, Marcia Hines, Tommy Emmanuel, Mary Schneider, Barry White, Andrea Bocelli, David Helfgott, Neil Sedaka, and Olivia Newton-John.
In August 2015 Ian was the guest artist of guitarist Tommy Emmanuel for his Australian tour and joined him on stage at the Sydney Opera House, Melbourne and Brisbane Concert Halls.
After meeting the famEd French violinist Stéphane Grappelli Ian swung his attention towards Jazz, and his fiery approach to The Devil's Instrument became reminiscent of the 1930's Quintet of the Hot Club of France. A result of touring and endeavouring to perform with locals wherever he travels, Ian has added Gypsy and Irish music to his exciting repertoire. Never forgetting his love of Classical music, Ian still continues to perform concerts as a soloist with orchestras. Ian has released 10 CDs, the latest being "Just Passing Through" with Australian Guitarist Tommy Emmanuel
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Among his many live performance accolades, Ian Cooper has received 5 Golden Fiddle Awards, 2 MO Awards, 3 ACE Awards, and has been honoured with a platinum ARIA Award.

Ambre began piano studies at the age of 3 and gave her first public concert at age 5.
In 1989, at age 11, Ambre achieved a World Record, which she still holds, when she received the Associate and Licentiate Diplomas of music in the same year.
At 16 she received the First Prize in her first International Music Competition held in Argentina, South America.
Ambre has performed both solo and with Orchestra throughout Switzerland, England, Italy, Spain, Poland, North and South America, New Zealand and China.
Ambre performs not only the great classics but showed a flair for jazz and blues by combining talents with James Morrison in a series of concerts displaying a fusion of musical styles.
One of these performances was with the Auckland Philharmonic Orchestra in New Zealand at which she delighted audiences playing the magical Rachmaninoff 2nd piano concerto as well as teaming up with James Morrison for some blues and other jazz standards.
In 2006 Renowned Hollywood film writer and composer Lalo Schifrin was commissioned to write a unique Double Concerto for Jazz Trumpet, Classical Piano and Symphony Orchestra especially for Ambre and James Morrison. The World Premiere performance was held in Sydney at the Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Schifrin Conducting in July 2007 to great acclaim from both critics and public alike.

"Flawless technique, beautiful sound, exquisite repertoire... all these are in abundance on this recording but they are not why one listens to this music time and time again. The reason you'll immerse yourself in these sublime sounds more than once is the passion that Ambre brings to everything she does."

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