Robert Zielinski & His Music

Chimera Ensemble presents a matinee of traditional Irish music and Robert Zielinski's original compositions including excerpts from his Torbay Suite, inspired by the pristine nature of Western Australia remote Great Southern region.

Robert Zielinski and Manuela Centanni formed a duo in New Zealand three years ago, exploring the traditional music of Ireland and many of Robert’s original compositions.

Robert grew up in the Perth hills, learning traditional Irish music since he was eight, first with Sean Doherty and later Mick Doherty. Mick was a member of a family of traveling fiddle players, storytellers and tinsmiths from Co. Donegal. At seventeen, Robert moved to Ireland, where he spent 14 years living on the West coast. He has toured in USA, Europe and Australia. He taught for three years at the Galway School of Traditional Irish Music and in 2000 he won Ireland’s Michael Coleman Traditional Fiddle Player of the Year Award. Robert is also a violin maker and will be performing on a violin he made himself.

Italian flutist Manuela studied classical flute under the guidance of Massimo Pasi, receiving a Master with distinction at the Conservatory of Music in Bologna. Nine years ago she started playing traditional Irish music, and a few years later commissioned a wooden flute from Canadian flute maker Chris Norman. Manuela’s musical influences include Paddy Carty, Matt Molloy and Catherine McEvoy.
Robert and Manuela will be joined by cellist Melinda Forsythe. Melinda returned to Perth in 2012 after studying and performing as a soloist, orchestral and chamber musician in the UK, Europe, Ireland and Japan.  She studied at the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, completing her BMus (Hons) and her MMus. As a member of the Watahiki String Quartet, Melinda was finalist in the Granada Prize and winner of the Hirsch Prize for chamber music, as well as guest artists at the Alberni String Quartet course in Cambridge. Melinda currently performs regularly in recital and as a chamber and orchestral musician, including with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Perth Symphony Orchestra, Perth Philharmonic Orchestra, Perth Baroque Orchestra, as principal cellist with Fremantle Chamber Orchestra, and has performed as a guest chamber musician with Darlington Trio, WASO Chamber Series and many other groups.