Jemma Thrussell
Jemma Thrussell is a cellist, viola da gamba player, violone player and music researcher specialising in historical performance practice. She received her bachelor’s degree in Music (Performance) with First Class Honours from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 2016. She studied with British cellist Dr Daniel Yeadon. In 2017, she studied a postgraduate course with the Dutch cellist Viola de Hoog at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. In 2020, Jemma completed a Master of Music (Performance) majoring in historical cello from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, the University of Sydney.
In October 2020, Jemma began a master's degree with the renowned German viol player Hille Perl at the Hochschule für Künste Bremen. She also studied singing with Bettina Pahn as an additional main subject at the HFK. In 2023, Jemma will begin her role as a Doctoral Research Fellow of the Early Music department of the Hochschule für Künste Bremen, as a candidate of the HFK Bremen's Binational Artistic PhD Program.
She has played with various ensembles in Europe and Australia and has also participated in workshops with international ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music (UK) and Tafel Musik (Canada). She has won numerous academic prizes and awards throughout her studies.
Supervisors: Dr Susan Williams and Professor Hille Perl
EDUCATION
2012-2016: Bachelor of Music (Performance), First Class Honours Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney
Honours Thesis: From Viola da Gamba to Violoncello: A Missing Link? The History and Role of the Five-String Cello in the Eighteenth Century
2016-2020: Master of Music (Performance)
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney
Main subject: Historical Cello
Master Thesis: The Art of Chordal Cello Accompaniment: The Legacy of Johann Baptist Baumgärtner (1723-1782)
2020-2023: Master of Music, Künstlerische Ausbildung Alte Musik, Hochschule für Künste Bremen Hauptfach: Viola da Gamba
Nebenfächer: Gesang, Bettina Pahn. Cembalo, Beate Röllecke und Edoardo Bellotti.
Master Thesis: Geschichte und Praxis der Selbstbegleitung auf der Viola da Gamba
CONFERENCES
- 2017: “Interpretative editions and the ensemble performance of Corelli’s La Folia”, by JK Thrussell and Imogen Coward "Performing History", Combined Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia and the New Zealand Musicological Society. December 8-10, Conference Centre, Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, the University of Auckland.
- 2019: “The Forgotten Craft of Cello Continuo”, by JK Thrussell, Sydney Conservatorium of Music MCS Graduate Symposium. October 18, Seymour Centre, the University of Sydney.
- July 2022: “Interpretative editions and the ensemble performance of Corelli’s La Folia”, by JK Thrussell and Imogen Coward ", Sixth Performance Studies Network International Conference, Department of Music and Media, the University of Surrey, Guilford, UK.
PERFORMANCE
- performed with various renowned performers and conductors including performances with Dame Emma Kirkby, Hille Perl and Paul Agnew, and with ensembles from around Europe and Australia such as Göttinger Barockorchester, Norddeutsche Barock-Collegium, Barockorchester Hamburg, Bremer Barock Consort, Australian Baroque Brass, The Muffat Collective and performed with members of the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Pinchgut Opera Australia.
- In December 2020, performed a solo online performance titled “Einsam”, which was a live- streamed, one hour performance of solo music for the Viola da gamba and with pieces of self- accompanied sing from her Masters project. This solo project was supported by funds from the Fonds der HFK Bremen.
- September 2020, participated in the Europäisches Hanse Ensemble masterclass in Lübeck, under the tutelage of Professor Hille Perl and direction of Dr Manfred Cordes. Featured on Radio.
- In 2019 and 2022, was selected to participate at the Akademie Versailles, hosted by the Centre de Musique Baroque de Versailles in Prague, Czech.
- participated in many master classes and workshops on cello and viola da gamba, with international artists such as Fretwork (UK), Richard Egarr (UK), Bruno Cocset (France), Shunske Sato (Japan), Job te Haar (Netherlands), Mary Springfelds (USA), Catherine McIntosh (UK), Sarah Mead (USA), Marc Destrube (Canada), Andrew Lawrence King (UK), Richard Egarr (UK), Enrico Gatti (Italy), Gaetano Nasillo (Italy), Davide Monti (Italy), and Midori Seiler (Germany). She has also participated in workshops with international ensembles such as the Academy of Ancient Music (UK) and Tafel Musik (Canada).
REVIEWS
- An excerpt from a review from the Oxford University associated publication, “Criticks,” which is part of the journal for the British Society of Eighteenth-Century Studies: -
“...Geminiani’s 'La Folia', introduced to the audience as the 'cello killer' for its fiendishly difficult violoncello part, came next. Dr. Coward - who neglected to mention that this work could also be considered a 'violin killer' - was nothing less than a master at play as the solo first violin, together with the solo second violin Taliésin Coward and solo cellist Jemma Thrussell, who all delivered with effortless flair. Thrussell performed impressively, executing dazzling and (as promised) difficult passages with panache. Added to this was the delight that shone through in her playing, not only in this work, but also in her performance of the slow movement from Porpora’s Cello Concerto in G, which highlighted her constant superb tone quality....”
AWARDS, PRIZES AND SCHOLARSHIPS
➢ 2010: Excellence in Music Award from the Australian International
Conservatorium, presented by Burwood Girls High School
➢ 2011: Harbour Music Prize for Composition from Burwood Girls High School
➢ 2011: Talent Development Scholarship from the University of Western Sydney
➢ 2013: The William and Marie Souter Encouragement Award from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
➢ 2016-2019: Corinna D’Hage Mayer String Scholarship from the Sydney
Conservatorium of Music
➢ 2016: Charles Herbert Currey Memorial Scholarship from the University of
Sydney
➢ 2020: Albert Scholarship from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music
➢ 2021: Grant from the Deutsche Orchester-Stiftung, DAAD Stipendium, Solo online concert supported by Fonds der HFK Bremen.
Interpretative editions and the ensemble performance of Corelli’s La Folia.
by Imogen Coward and JK Thrussell
"Performing History" 2017 Combined Conference of the Musicological Society of Australia and the New Zealand Musicological Society. December 8-10, Conference Centre, Faculty of Creative Arts and Industries, the University of Auckland , 2017, 2017
Published by the University of Sydney
By Jemma K. Thrussell
This Master's thesis investigates and evaluates the use of the practice of chordal cello accompaniment, as demonstrated in the works of Johann Baptist Baumgärtner (1723-1782). It appears that Baumgärtner’s method, Instructions de musique théorique et pratique à l’usage du violoncello, was one of the first works to try to standardise the rapid evolution of cello technique, especially concerning chordal realisation; however the purpose of this study is to question whether his other lesser known compositions, particularly his collection of duets for two cellos, Extrait des Airs François de plusieurs Operas qui ont été representées could contribute further evidence of this practice. The results of the study indicate that Baumgärtner’s compositions for the cello provide further evidence of the chordal accompaniment practices described in his method and his Extrait are an exceptional example. The analysis of the Extrait conducted as a part of this study suggest that these arrangements are explicitly notated examples of the practice and therefore establish the Extrait as rare and invaluable documentation of what otherwise appears to have been a predominantly improvised practice. Ultimately, this study demonstrates that Baumgärtner’s works are of vital importance to furthering our understanding of chordal cello practice and highlight a distinct lack of understanding concerning the significance of his output.
Diese Dissertation befasst sich mit der weniger bekannten Praxis der Selbstbegleitung auf der Viola da Gamba, wobei der Schwerpunkt auf der Praxis liegt, wie sie im Italien des 16. und 17. Jahrhunderts angewandt wurde, insbesondere auf der Grundlage der in Sylvestro Ganassis Traktat Regola Rubertina (1542) gezeigten Techniken und Beispiele sowie anekdotischer Dokumentation von zeitgenössischen Interpreten dieser Praxis, wie Tarquinia Molza (1542–1617). Diese Arbeit befasst sich auch mit der Frage, wie diese Praktiken in die heutige Zeit integriert werden können,aber auch wie diese Techniken an die Musik anderer Nationalitäten angepasst werden können. Nämlich die englische Lautenmusik des 17. Jahrhunderts, die durch das Transalpina-Phänomenstark vom italienischen Stil und den Madrigalen beeinflusst wurde. Dieser wissenschaftliche Diskurs enthält außerdem fünf praktische Musikbeispiele von Bearbeitungen italienischer Madrigale und Lieder sowie englischer Lautenlieder, die dem Leser zeigen, wie er Ganassis Informationen zur Selbstbegleitung in einem klaren, modern notierten Format umsetzen kann. Diese Arbeit zeigt eine bedeutende Wissenslücke in Bezug auf die Praxis des selbstbegleiteten Gesangs auf der Viola da Gamba auf und liefert weitere theoretische und praktische Beispiele, die zu einem besseren Verständnis dieser Praxis beitragen. Ziel dieses Projekts ist es, die Bedeutung dieser Praxis aufzuzeigen und anhand von Beispielen zu verdeutlichen, warum Interpreten, die sich auf eine historisch informierte Aufführungspraxis konzentrieren, von der Integration von Komponenten dieser historischen Praxis in ihre historische informierte Aufführungspraxis sehr profitieren würden.
(Foto: Rui N. Namagoa)