A lifelong dream, a rare 18th-century violin and a story spanning almost 250 years have inspired a powerful new chamber music/theatre work to be presented by JUTE Theatre Company for one night only as part of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s (AFCM) Community Culture Program.
Rhapsody – A Violin’s Journey Through Time, created by acclaimed violinist, playwright and artistic director Kirtley Walker-Halstead, will be performed at Bulmba-ja Arts Centre on Friday 31 July, bringing to life the extraordinary history of her treasured 1778 Sebastian Dalinger violin through music, storytelling and theatre.
For Walker-Halstead, the work began with the fulfilment of a lifelong dream.
Following the death of her husband, Bob, eight years ago, Walker-Halstead returned to her relatives’ home in the United States to grieve. While there, she noticed an announcement for the historic violin that would ultimately change the course of her creative life.
“I was so enamoured,” Walker-Halstead said. “I just had to get back to Australia as quickly as possible to see it and hopefully acquire it.”
Although Walker-Halstead knew she had found an extraordinary violin, she also understood that its true character would only reveal itself over time. Through countless hours of practice, she would discover the instrument’s unique charisma, and together, she and her Dalinger would develop the qualities that would ultimately make it her own.
“The more I practised and played in performances, the more it came to life. I could almost feel the resonance of previous owners, and embodying this deeper context piqued my interest. I was just the current caretaker in a long line of owners – past, present and future,” she said.
This passion for the instrument and curiosity about its history and owners inspired Walker-Halstead to tell this story through a unique performance of original compositions played on the historic violin itself.
Through Rhapsody, she invites audiences to consider not only the violin’s journey, but also the enduring connection between music, memory and those entrusted with carrying stories forward.
Rhapsody invites audiences to imagine the instrument as a narrator, tracing the lives, landscapes, and defining moments that have shaped its remarkable survival over nearly two and a half centuries.
“I hope people leave thinking about the stories hidden within the things we treasure, and the privilege of being their caretaker for a little while.”
Crafted in 1778 by master Tyrolean luthier Sebastian Dalinger, the violin journeyed from Europe aboard the SS Great Britain to Australia, where it was played by virtuoso violinist Franz Bauer for the grand opening of the Melbourne Theatre in the early 1800s.
The violin’s remarkable story continued through the First World War: travelling to wartime Europe and back; spending time at the Franco-Belgian border; and serving as the beloved instrument of an ambulance driver who brought it to regional Queensland, for the position of concertmaster at the Ipswich orchestra.
Walker-Halstead is joined by Cairns composer and pianist Dr Katrina Pring, whose original score for violin and piano has been created especially for the production.
JUTE Theatre Company Executive Artistic Director Chris Kohn said Rhapsody exemplified the company’s commitment to developing new Australian work in collaboration with artists and creative partners.
“When Kirtley first brought this remarkable story to JUTE, we recognised its extraordinary theatrical potential,” Mr Kohn said.
“What has emerged is much more than the history of an instrument. Rhapsody explores memory, craftsmanship, resilience and the way music can carry stories across generations.
“It’s a deeply personal work that will resonate well beyond chamber music audiences,” he said.
The work is being developed in partnership with JUTE Theatre Company through creative development and dramaturgy, with original music composed by Dr Pring, culminating in a presentation of some of the new compositions played by Walker-Halstead and Pring, and stories delivered by actors as part of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music’s Community Culture Program.