A graduate of our own school of music, Smiles was former principal cello with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and frequent guest principal with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

He is presently cellist with Australia Ensemble and the Goldner String Quartet and has worked with everyone from Paul Grabowsky to Vladimir Ashkenazy.

Smiles and his 1827 Lorenzo Ventapane cello will be here next week with Selby & Friends, violinist, Sophie Rowell, and pianist/artistic director, Kathryn Selby, to perform a program called “Friends and Admirers”, which pays tribute to an era where great composers could also get on together.

The friendship of Mendelssohn, Gade and Chopin, will be celebrated in the form of two trios “rich with melody and sparkle” and two instrumental works, with the addition of Stravinsky’s Suite Italienne.

For readers who have not attended a Selby & Friends concert before at the NGA’s theatre, the trademark is communication with the audience from the stage by all artists, allowing those in attendance to get to know the performers and hear their thoughts on the music.

Smiles is especially looking forward to performing Chopin’s “Sonata for cello and piano”, Op.65, and says: “This is Chopin’s last major work, which he and the cellist Franchomme, for whom it was written, performed in the composer’s last ever public concert. It is also one of only a handful of works he wrote for anything apart from piano. The slow movement is beautifully simple and simply beautiful.”

James O. Fairfax Theatre, NGA, 7:30 pm, May 7. Accompanied children 12 and under admitted free. Bookings to (02) 9969 7039 or (02) 9405 5532.