Greg Dikmans
Greg Dikmans founded the Elysium Ensemble in 1985 to bring together musicians with an affinity for the music of the Baroque and Classical periods.
Greg is internationally recognised as a performer of 18th-century flutes (traverso) and practitioner of historical performance practices. His playing has been highly praised in reviews of his concerts and recordings.
Through his teaching at the Early Music Studio (Melbourne Conservatorium of Music) and other tertiary institutions, and his collaborations with various ensembles and artists, Greg has made a lasting impact on the Early Music scene in Australia and internationally.
After earning his Bachelor of Music from the University of Sydney in 1978, Greg pursued postgraduate studies in Belgium and The Netherlands from 1983-84, with the assistance of a Churchill Fellowship and an Australia Council grant.
In 1984 he was awarded the Diploma in Baroque Flute (First Prize) by the Royal Conservatorium in Brussels where his teacher was Barthold Kuijken.
Some of Greg’s traversi
Research
Influenced by prominent Dutch and Belgian musicians such as Barthold Kuijken (flute), Sigiswald Kuijken (violin), and Gustav Leonhardt (harpsichord), Greg’s approach to performance balances rigorous scholarship with refined and unpretentious musicianship.
Greg’s research has focused on the performance practice of 18th-century French flute music (the subject of his MA thesis). He has also made an in-depth study of the relationship of rhetoric to all aspects of performance practice.
In recent years Greg has focused on a reappraisal of the important treatise on performance practice by Johann Joachim Quantz published in 1752.
Greg recording Quantz Flute Concertos using his Quantz flute (2019)
Recordings
Greg has worked closely with Lucinda Moon (violin) on the rich and varied genre of the 18th-century duet, exploring the theme of Dialogue: The Art of Elegant Conversation. This has resulted in 3 CDs:
- Johann Joachim Quantz: Sei Duetti (2014)
- Jospeh Bodin de Boismortier: Six Sonates (2016)
- Georg Philipp Telemann: Melodious Canons & Fantasias (2018).
In 2019 Greg and the Elysium Ensemble released a recording of Johann Joachim Quantz: Flute Concertos.
Early Music Review described Greg’s playing as:
‘Exemplary … intelligent and deeply moving.’
Gramophone gave the Quantz flute concertos high praise:
‘It’s true that there’s not a lot of recorded competition when it comes to this repertoire, but even if there were I’d wager this would still sit near the top.’
Other Ensembles & Recordings
In addition to working as a guest artist and soloist with many Australian ensembles and visiting musicians, Greg has been a member of several other ensembles.
Camerata Classica (2000)
An ensemble created to record the Six Fortepiano Trios (Op. 13) by Johann August Just (c.1750 - 1791). Three of the trios are scored for fortepiano with flute and cello.
Just for Pleasure
Walsingham Classics WAL 80422 (2000)
Breath of Creation:
Flutes of Two Worlds (1994–1997)
A collaboration with Anne Norman (shakuhachi).
An intercourse between two traditions of flute music—European and Japanese—comprising: Traditional folk melodies from Japan, Ireland and England. European art music (Bach, Couperin, van Eyck and Vivaldi). Zen meditations. 20th-century compositions (Hans-Martin Linde, Dikmans and Norman). Collaborative improvisations.
Breath of Creation CD
Move Records MD 3163 (1995)
Early Music Duo (1980–1982)
A collaboration with Max Hynam (lute). Presented concert programs, workshops, and educational programs throughout Australia and SE Asia for Musica Viva Australia.
Early Music Duo LP
Arika Records AR 005 (1982)
Florid Italian instrumental music 1506–1630
Early Music Duo LP
Arika Records AR 001 (1981)
Instrumental music from the 14th—18th centuries.
Fontegara (1978–1980)
A collaboration with Robert Clancy (lutes). Formed after leaving university to pursue their mutual interest in music from the Middle Ages to the 18th century.
The Renaissance Players (1973–1977)
A pioneer Australian early music ensemble directed by Winsome Evans in which Greg performed as a multi-instrumentalist on a variety of flutes, recorders, crumhorns, plucked strings and percussion.
The Renaissance Players LP
Cherry Pie Records CPF 1033 (1977)
The Renaissance Players LP
Viking Records VP 475 (1976)
Related Links
- Lucinda Moon
- Elysium Ensemble
- Oxford Companion to Australian Music