Paris Dreams: Music of the Belle Époque & Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Music of the Belle Époque

Celebrating Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Day

After Dark at Wollongong Art Gallery

Join violinist Cedar Newman and pianist Calvin Abdiel for Paris Dreams, an evening of music inspired by the beauty, imagination and artistic spirit of France’s Belle Époque.

This special concert celebrates Antoine de Saint-Exupéry Day (31 July), honouring the pioneering aviator, writer and humanist whose beloved novella Le Petit Prince continues to inspire readers around the world. Presented in collaboration with the Alliance Française, the program will include brief readings from Saint-Exupéry’s writings alongside music that reflects the poetic and adventurous spirit of his era.

The program features works by Cécile Chaminade, Lili Boulanger, César Franck, Claude Debussy and Franz Liszt, tracing a musical journey from late Romanticism to the dawn of French modernism. Rich in lyricism, colour and imagination, these works evoke the cultural world that shaped Saint-Exupéry and his enduring vision of wonder, courage and human connection.

Recently formed as a duo, Cedar and Calvin share a passion for chamber music. Calvin, now based in Germany, is an Australian pianist of Indonesian heritage and a prizewinner in major international competitions. Cedar, from Wombarra, is currently studying on a President’s Scholarship at the Manhattan School of Music in New York.

All profits support the Emerging Artist Concert Series, helping provide paid performance opportunities for exceptional young Australian musicians. We believe this honours the spirit of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry who wrote:

"There is only one true luxury, that of human relations."