Tickets: available here

WINTER STARS: a mid-winter violin, cello and piano recital that travels through time and space performed by Daniel Lopez, Eleanor Streatfield and Therese Milanovic on violin, cello and piano.

This concert features a new vivid and imaginative violin sonata by Australian composer, Alex Turley, amidst timeless works by Beethoven, Handel, Luise Adolpha le Beau, and Maria Theresia von Paradis.

This immersive musical experience will be delivered in a darkened concert space under fairy lights as we contemplate the stars through music. You will be lifted up by Beethoven's "Archduke" trio, experience the light of Luise Adolpha le Beau, "The Blind Enchantress” by Maria Theresia von Paradis (a contemporary of Mozart and Haydn), the pyrotechnics of Norwegian Halvorsen’s arrangement of Handel’s Passacaglia, and revel in the play of light and shadow in Alex Turley's new violin sonata. 

Repertoire

Beethoven: “Archduke” Trio Op. 97, 1st movt 
Luise Adolpha le Beau: Cello Sonata op 17, 2nd movt 
Maria Theresia von Paradis (attributed): Scilienne for cello and piano
Alex Turley: Violin Sonata (2024)
Handel/Halvorsen: Passacaglia (violin, cello)
Beethoven: “Archduke” Trio Op. 97, final movt  

This performance showcases partners in music and life, Sydney-based musicians, Daniel Lopez (violin) and Eleanor Streatfield (cello), performing with classical concert pianist Therese Milanovic.

DANIEL LOPEZ

Daniel Lopez's abilities on the violin are a result of rigorous training, curiosity, and a musical lineage which extends to Joseph Joachim and Antonin Dvořák. His combination of romantic virtuosity with contemporary technical sensibilities have led to him being one of the industry's most in-demand working violinists. Playing violin from the age of 3, his technique and musicality was shaped by wonderful teachers including Wendy Galloway, Spiros Rantos, Goetz Richter, and Alex Todicescu, In 2007, he won a full scholarship to further his studies in Tasmania with Edwin Paling, where he additionally had lessons with Jun-Yi Ma and performed in masterclasses with Jan Sedivka, Dmitry Sitkovetsky, Ning Feng, Jennifer Pike, and Antje Weithaas.

In 2008, he won the D&MV Scholarship to study in London with Gyorgy Pauk (Royal Academy of Music) and David Takeno (Guildhall School of Music and Drama). Since returning to Australia in 2012, he has worked on a freelance basis with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Opera Australia Orchestra, and Orchestra Victoria.
 
He has performed in numerous musical theatre productions including Miss Saigon, My Fair Lady, Hamilton, Beauty & The Beast, West Side Story, Dear Evan Hansen, Guys & Dolls, Annie, Book of Mormon, Phantom of The Opera, and Anastasia. Throughout 2026, he is performing with "Heathers" on their Australia and NZ tour. 

Daniel currently resides in Sydney where he enjoys a busy and varied freelance career. Together with his wife, Eleanor Streatfeild, he co-founded Rue Arts, a cultural agency which operates the Australian Session Orchestra, Sanctuary String Quartet, and 211 Coffee. He plays a violin made for him in 2018 by Adele Beardsmore. 

ELEANOUR STREATFIELD

Eleanor Streatfield is the principal cellist and co-director of the Australian Session Orchestra. She has spent the last 20 years working across Australia alongside some of the best musicians that the country, or even the world, has to offer. From classical establishment to session settings where broader styles and skills are required, Eleanor has built up a wealth of experience.

Eleanor's cello studies began in Ethiopia where her family lived until 1994, but soon after moving back to Australia, she began lessons with Anthea Scott-Mitchell at the Newcastle Conservatorium. On a cello scholarship from the age of 13, Eleanor also had the privilege of taking part in Hunter Strings, a youth orchestra initiative that put her on the path to a Bachelor of Music in Performance and 8 years of Australian Youth Orchestra programs, including tours to China and Europe.

Teaching music has been a steady feature of Eleanor's professional life. In addition to the personal value of reflecting on how to distil useful information for students in their creative practice, she has found value in contributing to her students' moments of development. Paying music forward in gratitude to the teachers of her youth.

Eleanor now frequently performs with the Opera Australia Orchestra, making as much time as possible for chamber music. She also records regularly for film and television Trackdown Studios. 

THERESE MILANOVIC

Therese is a gifted concert pianist, an advocate of musicians' health and female musicians, educator, concert producer and collaborator. She has performed with Topology since 2009, including shows in the Netherlands, NYC, Belgium, and Indonesia, national tours and festivals.

Chamber music is close to Therese's heart, delivering opportunities to connect audiences to lesser-known musical repertoire, in particular new music and music by women. She is a co-founder and Principal Artist of Muses Trio which has celebrated music composed and performed by women since 2013, and resulted in recordings for ABC Classics, and the APRA AMCOS Luminary Award in 2025 in recognition of Muses’ contribution to the cultural life of Queensland.

Therese holds a PhD in musicians’ injury prevention and rehabilitation, was the first Australian to become a Taubman Instructor (2009), and is the most experienced Taubman teacher in Australia. She has attained Master level training from, and is a current Associate Faculty member with, the Golandsky Institute (USA), working with Edna Golandsky and John Bloomfield. Therese continues to teach the Taubman method to students and music teachers in Australia and internationally and has been a keynote speaker for numerous national conferences including APPCA and ANZCA. 

This year, Therese has established a new business "Therese Milanovic Presents" as a pathway to develop new performance opportunities for local and interstate performers, working in collaboration with Plant Empire in Brisbane. In her free time, Therese spends her time attempting (unsuccessfully) to sneak vegetables into her son’s meals and trying to prevent Lego injuries at home. 

Cost

Tickets for this performance are $30–40. Doors open at 6pm. A cash bar will be available for socialising amongst the plants. Free parking.

Tickets

You'll receive confirmation of your ticket order by email or sms (whichever one you used with your order). We'll have a ticket list at the door when you arrive to help you save the trees and the hassle of printing your ticket.

Location

Plant Empire has moved! This concert will be held at our new premises in Tennyson, Brisbane: 15/55 Lofter St, Tennyson Q 4105. The site has easy access to free on-street parking and is an easy 10-minute walk from Yeerongpilly train station and restaurants at Yeerongpilly Green.

Accessibility

Concerts in our new premises have unallocated ground floor seating that are all level without any steps, while mezzanine seating with obstructed views is accessible via a staircase with 22 steps and 1–2 landings. The site has one wheelchair parking spot, and visitors are encouraged to use on-street parking to leave other on-site parking available for people with mobility issues.

Reminders

You have full control over how (and how often) you receive reminders for our events. You will receive one email confirmation from us when you purchase your ticket; but we won't send any further email reminders, so please ensure that you have the concert details in your diary. You can also use the "add to calendar" function in our events calendar to add the concert to your digital calendar and customise your reminder preferences.

Cancellation Policy

Please choose carefully before purchasing your tickets for this concert as we do not offer refunds on event bookings. 

Program Changes

Please note that the program for this concert is subject to change.

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