Suites & Songs - Josephine Vains (solo cello) + Jack Stacey (organ)
Date
Tuesday 13th January, 2.00PM
Venue
St Paul’s Anglican Church, 5 Humffray St South, Bakery Hill 3350
Duration
60 minutes
Cellist Josephine Vains performs repertoire on two cellos spanning three centuries, in this immersive concert celebrating the beauty and versatility of the cello. From Bach and Gabrielli to Britten, Ross Edwards and Pablo Casals, audiences can revel in the warmth and human qualities of the cello’s unique voice. For this performance Josephine will perform on baroque and modern cellos, including John Devereux cello made in Fitzroy in 1864, the first cello made in Australia.
This concert will commence with an organ solo on St Paul’s heritage 19th-century J.W. Walker organ, performed by Jack Stacey.
This concert will commence with an organ solo on St Paul’s heritage 19th-century J.W. Walker organ, performed by Jack Stacey.
Artists
Josephine Vains – Cello
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Josephine Vains is a versatile and engaging performer, heard regularly in concert around Australia and overseas as a cellist and chamber musician. She has worked with myriad artists on diverse projects including piano trio / quartet / quintet, string quartet, opera, baroque ensembles, contemporary and electronic music, and Argentine tango music. She is a passionate educator, currently training the next generation of musicians at Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School and the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne. She is a regular tutor for Melbourne and Australian Youth Orchestra, Mt. Buller Chamber Music, Clunes Music, Pettman Academy (NZ) and for iartschool (China). Currently, Josephine can be heard performing in Australia on modern and period instruments with Firebird Trio, Accademia Arcadia, Genesis Baroque, Gryphon Baryton Trio, CellOZ, and with Ensemble Old and New (EON) amongst others.
Jack Stacey – Organ
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Jack was diagnosed as an autistic music savant when he was four years old. He relied heavily on music as his primary means of communication and expression. It enhanced his understanding of the world around him as he expressed himself through his music. At an early age, it was clear that he was gifted.
In 2008, Jack, with his family, travelled to London for six weeks to receive specialised music tuition from Prof. Adam Ockelford of Roehampton University, a renowned researcher in musical savants.
Jack was among the final prize winners in the Australian Children’s Music Foundation Song Writing Competition and performed his original orchestral composition ‘The Night’s Lullaby’ with the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra in 2010. He also participated in consecutive APRA Tropscore competitions and was one of four finalists in the Tropscore Jr. competition in 2013.
Jack completed his VCE Music studies and performed at the Top Class Sounds Concert in 2017. He was honoured to receive the Margaret Schofield Scholarship for Composition for his original piece: “Nightfall’s Lament”. He completed his Bachelor of Music in 2020 at the University of New England, Armidale, with high academic achievements. He was awarded the Cecil Hill Prize and successfully received the Jean M Oxley Memorial Scholarship to contribute funds for his BMus Honours project. He completed his Honours Year in 2021 and then completed his Master of Arts, majoring in Music in 2023, with an RRES Scholarship and Vice Chancellor's Scholar Award.
As of 2023, Jack is currently the pipe organist at St Paul's Anglican Church, Bakery Hill, Victoria, Australia. He continues to study with Dr Mikhail Solovei in Melbourne for Classical Piano repertoire and Pipe Organ with Leigh Askew in Ballarat. He is also studying for his Doctor of Philosophy (in Creative Practice) with UNE as of November 2025.
In 2008, Jack, with his family, travelled to London for six weeks to receive specialised music tuition from Prof. Adam Ockelford of Roehampton University, a renowned researcher in musical savants.
Jack was among the final prize winners in the Australian Children’s Music Foundation Song Writing Competition and performed his original orchestral composition ‘The Night’s Lullaby’ with the Ballarat Symphony Orchestra in 2010. He also participated in consecutive APRA Tropscore competitions and was one of four finalists in the Tropscore Jr. competition in 2013.
Jack completed his VCE Music studies and performed at the Top Class Sounds Concert in 2017. He was honoured to receive the Margaret Schofield Scholarship for Composition for his original piece: “Nightfall’s Lament”. He completed his Bachelor of Music in 2020 at the University of New England, Armidale, with high academic achievements. He was awarded the Cecil Hill Prize and successfully received the Jean M Oxley Memorial Scholarship to contribute funds for his BMus Honours project. He completed his Honours Year in 2021 and then completed his Master of Arts, majoring in Music in 2023, with an RRES Scholarship and Vice Chancellor's Scholar Award.
As of 2023, Jack is currently the pipe organist at St Paul's Anglican Church, Bakery Hill, Victoria, Australia. He continues to study with Dr Mikhail Solovei in Melbourne for Classical Piano repertoire and Pipe Organ with Leigh Askew in Ballarat. He is also studying for his Doctor of Philosophy (in Creative Practice) with UNE as of November 2025.
