Leo McFadden is
a unique and compelling performer, drawing on a diverse range of musical styles and
bringing these together in his own compositions. Over the past seven years, Leo has also
been active in music education, teaching guitar and coaching numerous ensembles at several
Brisbane schools.
A
performance graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium, Leo spent three years studying
classical guitar under the tutorage of Julian Byzantine before dividing his time between
classical and jazz styles in his fourth year with the additional teaching expertise of
Jamie Clark. Leo has had extensive performance experience including master classes for
Carlos Bonell (Head of Guitar, Royal College, London); John Mills (Head of Guitar, Welsh
College of Music and Drama); Gareth Koch (Head of Plucked Strings, Newcastle
Conservatorium); and Maximo Diego Pujol (leading composer/exponent of the Argentinean
Tango).
In 2004,
Leo was invited back to the conservatorium to perform in a special 75th
birthday concert for Peter Sculthorpe in which he played “From Kakadu,” one of
the composer’s works for solo guitar.
Other highlights
for Leo include a Tour to Indonesia with Simone de Haan and the Conservatorium Trombone
ensemble, where he performed and gave classes; The Australian Premiere of John Adams’
“Gnarly Buttons” which featured the talent of Paul Dean on clarinet; Two
concerts at the Brisbane powerhouse, entitled “Some Good Stories” these concerts
(conceived and directed by Leo’s sister, Clare McFadden) combined a solo guitar
recital (with special guests, Warwick Adeney, Violin; and Barnaby Ralph, Recorder) and
site specific theatre; A series of concerts with vocalist Kristin Berardi at the Metro
Arts Centre, entitled “Music That Moved Us,” which included guests, John Rodgers
and Joel Gregory- These performances led to the production of a CD recorded by the same
group, which was released last June. Leo is a regular performer in the Chamber Music
Queensland concert series where he has premiered works written for him by composers such
as Betty Beath and Mastaneh Nazarian.
Leo is
currently completing his Master’s degree in Contemporary Improvisation at Boston’s
prestigious New England Conservatory. Selected as one of seven (worldwide) to participate
in the program, Leo has received in-depth instruction from some of the world’s most
renowned performers, theorists and musicologists. Leo received fellowships from the
Brisbane City Council (Lord Mayor’s Young and Emerging Artist Fellowship) and the Ian
Potter Cultural Trust to assist him in meeting the financial costs associated with these
studies.
