WASO | Sounds of Splendour
Pre-show Artist Talk from 4 pm
A NOTE FROM BREC’S CREATIVE LEARNING COORDINATOR
Discover the splendour of Baroque music with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Featuring magnificent works by Bach, Handel, Lully, Rameau and Geminiani, this regal concert brings the elegance, drama and energy of 17th and 18th-century Europe to life. Students will experience the rich sounds of live orchestral music, discover how composers used melody, rhythm and musical expression to entertain and impress, and explore the fascinating connections between music, history and culture.
CLASSICAL MUSIC
FOR SCHOOL YEARS 7 – 12
CURRICULUM LINKS
Learning Areas: The Arts – Music (Making and Responding); Humanities and Social Sciences – History.
General Capabilities: Critical and Creative Thinking; Literacy; Intercultural Understanding.
Sounds of Splendour
Music for celebrating
Immerse yourself in the grandeur of Louis XIV’s France and the royal pageantry of Georgian England in a program of Baroque masterworks.
Lully’s Le Bourgeois gentilhomme is full of rhythmic energy, while Handel’s Water Music brings together irresistible melodies with radiant orchestral colour. Shaun Lee-Chen brings his exuberant virtuosity to Geminiani’s La Folia and is joined by his sister, WASO Assistant Concertmaster Semra Lee, in Bach’s charming Double Violin Concerto.
PROGRAM
Jean-Baptiste LULLY Le Bourgeois gentilhomme – Suite
George Frideric HANDEL Water Music – Suite No.2 (Selections)
Francesco GEMINIANI Concerto Grosso in D minor La Folia
Jean-Philippe RAMEAU Naïs: Overture
Johann Sebastian BACH Concerto in D minor for Two Violins
George Frideric HANDEL Water Music – Suite No.1 (Selections)
Shaun Lee-Chen violin/director
Semra Lee violin
Semra Lee
Assistant Concertmaster
Semra joined WASO in 2003.
Semra was born in Malaysia and commenced violin lessons aged three with her mother, Hooi Tong Lee. She gained her Bachelor of Music degree at the WA Conservatorium of Music, studying with Pal Eder. Semra also holds a Postgraduate Diploma from the Sweelinck Conservatorium, studying with Istvan Parkanyi.
She undertook string quartet studies with the Halcyon String Quartet at the Australian National Academy of Music and at the Banff Centre for the Arts, Canada. Tutors included Hatto Beyerle, the Arditti Quartet and David Takeno.
Semra’s chair is supported by MACA through the Duet program.
Shaun Lee-Chen
Violin
Shaun Lee-Chen is one of Australia’s most exciting violinists, celebrated for his energy, versatility and flair across both period and modern instruments. He’s the long-standing Concertmaster of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, where his spirited playing and deep musical knowledge help shape the ensemble’s unique sound.
Shaun’s musical reach spans across the country. He’s appeared as a soloist and guest principal with major orchestras including the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO), Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Orchestra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He’s equally at home leading a Baroque ensemble or stepping into a modern symphonic setting.
WASO’s Regional Tours are supported by MM Electrical Merchandising and the Western Australian Government.
BREC’s Creative Learning program is proudly supported by donors to our 2026 Annual Giving Campaign.
ENQUIRIES & BOOKINGS
Bring your students to BREC for the best excursion you’ll have this year.
Book your school group now via the form below or contact the our team for more information.
Contact the BREC Education Office
T: 1300 661 272
E: education@bunburyentertainment.com
* Please note that BREC’s Creative Learning Program is subject to change.