Miechel, Philip

PHILIP MIECHEL was born 8th March 1941 into a musical family.

He began learning the saxophone then changed to clarinet, and after studies at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium joined the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and won the ABC Instrumental and Vocal Competition in 1963.

He became principal clarinet in the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 1964 and studied with Jost Michaels at Detmold, West Germany, on a Churchill Fellowship in 1967.

The Victorian schoolboy saxophonist (below) is studying for his Leaving Certificate at Box Hill High School. One of his subjects is music and he is learning the clarinet as well as the saxophone. He usually plays light classics and his ambition is to become a concert artist. He has appeared as guest artist with the Australian Boys’ Choir in Sydney, Brisbane and Hobart.

ABC Weekly Vol. 19 No. 30 (27 July 1957)

Australian Clarinet and Saxophone, Volume 2, Number 4 December 1999, p. 7-8

1976

Some of the musicians who have been awarded Churchill fellowships and who will take part in a concert at the Canberra School of Music tonight to mark the 10^th anniversary of the Churchill Trust, at the school yesterday. From left: Victor Grieve, Kerry Smith, Jack Harrison, Rhonda Vickers, Ailsa McCristal, Pamela Bryce, Sylvia Wade, Ronal Jackson and Phillip Miechel. The concert, which will be broadcast by the ABC, will include works by Dvorak, Ravel, Mozart, Thomas, Weber and Byrd. The program has been chosen by the trust’s musical advisor, Sir Bernard Heinze.

The Canberra Times Tuesday September 28 1976 page 4

A light interlude of mixed Australian talent

8.15pm Tuesday 28^th September 1976

As part of the opening festival of the new School of Music building, and to celebrate at the same time the 10^th anniversary of the Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, a special concert on Tuesday night brought 11 former Churchill fellows from all parts of Australia to appear in a concert of great variety and interest. With so many individual artists each presenting one or two short items, it was not the sort of concert which could or should be reviewed in depth. But it did make a very pleasant evening which demonstrated the talents of some of the Australian performers who have received fellowships over the past 10 years. The program ranged from early harpsichord music played by Rhonda Vickers to Donald Hollier playing his own “Sonatina for Piano”, as wider contrast as any program could offer. Two violinists were featured, Kerry Smith in pieces by Bloch and Wieniaski, and Pamela Bryce who played Ravel’s “Tzigane”.

Two clarinets were also included, Phillip Miechel playing two movements from the “Grand Duo Concertante” for clarinet and piano by Weber, and Jack Harrison with a very attractive “Sonatina for clarinet and pian”o by the contemporary Polish composer Antoni Szalowski. The other instrumentalists were French hornist Victor Grieve and cellist Christian Wojtowicz, the latter making a welcome return to Canberra having taught from 1971 to 1973 at the School of Music. Finally, there were a brace of singers, mezzo Sylvia Wade and baritone Ronal Jackson. The accompanists were Ailsa McCristal and Rhonda Vickers.

The Canberra Times Thursday September 30 1976 page 23

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