Claire Cowan - Stark first movement

Claire Cowan Composer's violin concerto 'Stark' was inspired by, "the iconic queer NZ dancer, Freda Stark, made famous in the 1930s as being a prosecution witness in the trials of Eric Mareo, after her lover, Thelma Mareo was allegedly murdered with a glass of poisoned milk. Later, in WWII, Freda became a famed exotic dancer in the Civic Theatre’s Wintergarden cabaret nightclub, where she performed in gold body paint, earning her the title ‘Fever of the Fleet.’"

Amalia Hall reprises the solo violin part for this performance of the opening movement of ‘Stark’ (she premiered the work with Orchestra Wellington in 2016, as seen in an earlier Resound film). Tianyi Lu conducts the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra at the Auckland Town Hall.

Audio recorded by RNZ Concert.
Film funded by NZ On Air.