Arts & Culture
3 May, 2026
Stage great on his way to Bundanoon
Internationally acclaimed Australian actor John Bell will be just one of the big names performing in Bundanoon over the next few months as part of the ‘Tune In Bundanoon’ chamber series.
Internationally acclaimed Australian actor John Bell will be just one of the big names performing in Bundanoon over the next few months as part of the ‘Tune In Bundanoon’ chamber series.
‘Tune in Bundanoon’ has been described as “world-class artistry in an intimate village setting”.
“It is sophisticated, surprising, moving and accessible - the kind of cultural experience usually reserved for major cities,” a spokesperson said.
Bell will be performing alongside internationally acclaimed pianist Simon Tedeschi as part of the series on October 10.
Together they will present ‘Bright Star’ – a celebration of the life and work of two of Europe’s brightest stars in the 19th century – poet John Keats and composer Franz Schubert.
Bell, 85, has been a major influence on the development of Australian theatre over the past 50 years.
He is particularly well known for his work through the Bell Shakespeare Company, performing and touring his own production of William Shakespeare’s works.
He was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 1978 New Year Honours, a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 1987 Queen’s Birthday Honours and an Officer of the Order of Australia in the 2009 Australia Day Honours.
He is widely considered as one of the greats of the Australian stage.
‘Bright Star’ was devised by Bell and Tedeschi and runs for approximately 90 minutes.
Bell will read dozens of Keats’ most beloved poems including ‘Ode to a Nightingale’, ‘Ode to Autumn’, ‘Ode to a Grecian Urn’ and ‘La Belle Dame Sans Merci’ along with some shorter poems and letters – some underscored with Schubert’s music.
Tedeschi will perform some of his favourite Schubert pieces including the Fantasy sonata in G major and the Impromptus op.90.
Both will provide commentary, anecdotes, historical background and personal statements on what each piece means to them, at times exchanging in spontaneous conversation.
‘Bright Star’ will be performed at the Soldiers’ Memorial Hall in Bundanoon on Saturday, October 10.
The ‘Tune In’ series is a bold enterprise delivered by a duo of motivated artistic directors – Rosie Gallagher and Lee Dionne – with the support of the Bundanoon Community Association.
Gallagher and Dionne are also internationally acclaimed performers and ‘Tune In’ represents a leap forward in the quality of chamber music not just in the Southern Highlands but on a national level.
They have performed as soloists and chamber musicians with the foremost ensembles in New York, Boston, Toronto, and London, including debut recitals at Carnegie Hall, Jordan Hall, the Kennedy Center and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam.
In Australia, Gallagher has regularly appeared as the principal flautist of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
Dionne appears frequently as a guest musician with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and is the youngest piano lecturer on the Sydney Conservatorium faculty.
Most recently he has been performing alongside Ray Chen at the Sydney Opera House and at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall.
For the past three years, Gallagher and Dionne have been hustling on the Sydney chamber music scene, where they have founded the Hayes Collective with its chamber series at Hayes Street Studio, featuring regular appearances from principal players of major Australian orchestras alongside both Australian and international chamber soloists.
Hayes Street Studio has rapidly grown to become Sydney’s largest presenter of chamber music, hosting 20-30 nights of world class music-making in an intimate setting to sold out audiences each year.
This momentum and robust network has allowed Gallagher and Dionne to lay the groundwork for Tune in Bundanoon, which has quickly become recognised for the quality of its musicians and creativity of its adventurously curated programming.
It features a diverse range of ensembles performing both classical repertoire and the music of our time.
The season has already kicked off with performances from musicians of the ACO and SSO as well as a stunning solo recital from pianist Konstantin Shamray, the grand prize winner and winner of six prizes at the 2008 Sydney Piano Competition.
The next Tune in Bundanoon performance this coming Saturday, May 9 promises to be another unforgettable experience, featuring beloved Australian tenor Louis Hurley performing a moving cycle of songs by Ralph Vaughan Williams, alongside works by Aaron Copland, Angelica Negrón and Nino Rota.
The program also features internationally acclaimed musicians: violinist Anna Freer, pianist Lee Dionne and flautist Rosie Gallagher.
Audiences can also look forward to a spectacular line-up later in the season, including:
• Portrait Parade - A celebration of music for piano and winds led by Gallagher and
Dionne, featuring ABC Performer of the Year finalist Oliver Shermacher (clarinet),
Phoebe Xu (oboe) and Ben Hoadley (bassoon).
• Vienna Salon – Masterworks by Beethoven, Berg, Alma Mahler and Johannes Maria
Staud performed by ACO violinist Anna da Silva Chen, TSO principal cellist Jonathan
Békés and pianist Lee Dionne.
This year’s season will conclude with ‘Bright Star’.
Tickets range from $40 and are available at https://www.artsbundanoon.org.au/tuneinbundanoon
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