The Australian Youth Orchestra National Music Camp 2012

Transcription

1 M E D I A R E L E A S E 29 November 2011 For Immediate Release National Music Camp 2012 Young Maestros Turn Up the Heat with a Series of Summer Concerts One of Australia s key cultural events, s National Music Camp, is again set to transform the lives of young musicians and audiences alike. This world class event is kicking off in less than six weeks with a program incorporating eight summer concerts, across 16 days, in Canberra from 7 January to 22 January Over 250 participants from all over Australia will descend on Canberra to take part in the AYO National Music Camp. Stellar performances will range from the sublime beauty of Barber s Adagio to a blast of Motown madness, each offering audiences a chance to experience the brilliance and passion of these young classical musicians. The AYO National Music Camp is widely recognized as a critical step in their musical and professional development. Inspired by musical leaders of international standing, the AYO National Music Camp will provide an unrivalled learning experience, said Colin Cornish, CEO,. The AYO National Music Camp reflects the AYO s vibrant, adventurous and inspirational spirit and we invite audiences of all ages to come and enjoy the results, Cornish added. Each year, under Cornish s celebrated leadership, the AYO presents over a dozen tailored programs in both training and performance for aspiring musicians, composers, arts administrators and music journalists. The training pathway and inspired programming has been created to stimulate minds and nurture the musical development of our finest emerging talents across metropolitan regional Australia. This program offers unmatched vitality and energy to students between the ages of 14 to 30. The AYO National Music Camp is the highlight of the AYO Events Calendar and at its heart is the Orchestral Program. For two weeks the general public will be given the incredible opportunity to hear thrilling repertoire and attend memorable performances of outstanding orchestral music. Inspirational direction is provided by renowned local and international tutors including the acclaimed Music Director, Howard Penny (ACT) and Conductors William Conway (Glasgow) and Christopher Seaman (New York).

2 Concert Details: Orchestral Passions #1 & #2 Conductors Christopher Seaman, Mats Zetterqvist, William Conway 14 January 4.30pm & Beats & Drums Percussion Ensemble 18 January 5.30pm Chamber Music Highlights Intimate favourites including Borodin, Schumann and Shostakovich 19 January New Sounds in Composition 5.30pm Mighty Brass Ensemble Beautiful Bach to Madcap Motown Orchestral Passions #3 & #4 21 January 4.30pm & The AYO is proud to offer FREE ADMISSION to this exceptional concert series DON T MISS OUT! Performances will be held at the Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music, Australian National University, Canberra. For full program details visit ENDS Media Information, images and interviews: Sally Quinn Publicist SallyQuinn@ayo.com.au

3 B A C K G R O U N D E R National Music Camp 2012 (AYO) is one of the world s most prestigious and innovative training organisations for young pre-professional musicians. The training pathway has been created to nurture the musical development of Australia s finest young instrumentalists across metropolitan and regional Australia: from the emerging, gifted, school-aged student, to those on the verge of a professional career. The AYO presents over a dozen tailored training and performance programs each year for aspiring musicians, composers, arts administrators and music journalists. The AYO occupies a special place in the musical culture of Australia, where one generation of brilliant musicians inspires the next, where aspiring musicians get a taste of life as professional musicians, and where like-minded individuals from all over the country gather for intense periods to learn from each other, study and perform. Each year the AYO continues to grow, offering opportunities to some 300 talented musicians between the ages of 12 to 28, who are handpicked in rigorous national auditions, across metropolitan and regional Australia. On the world stage, the AYO has established itself as a cultural ambassador for Australia on twenty-one international tours since its first in This landmark tour established the international reputation of the AYO, and led to engagements at major festivals across Europe for several decades to come. Today, countless AYO alumni are members of some of the finest professional orchestras worldwide. When Professor John Bishop OBE and Ruth Alexander convened the first National Music camp in 1948, they created an institution that would fire the imaginations of over 12,000 young Australian musicians, see its orchestras tour the globe and instill in its participants a love of music and a dedication to the highest standards of performance In its 63 rd year, the highly acclaimed AYO National Music Camp is a transforming experience for any young musician. The best young players from all over Australia are given the opportunity to participate in a series of compelling concerts, be inspired by musical leaders of international standing, and perform music that is thrilling and deeply rewarding. The Music Director for 2012 is internationally acclaimed, Howard Penny. Born in Canberra, Penny was based in Vienna for many years and is now a member of the Resident Faculty at the Australian National Academy of Music

4 in Melbourne. Winner of the ABC Young Performers Awards, he has been a member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe for over 20 years, working with the world s leading conductors and soloists. A long-standing lecturer in performance practice at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg, he is a frequent chamber music guest at prestigious European festivals. The AYO National Music Camp is thrilled to announce internationally acclaimed, William Conway, Christopher Seaman and Mats Zetterqvist as the conductors for Born in Glasgow, Scotland, William Conway is well known as a conductor and cellist. His conducting engagements include the English Sinfonia, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, American Phoenix Symphony Orchestra and Cairo Symphony Orchestra. British conductor Christopher Seaman is noted for his inspiring and authoritative music-making. He is in his thirteenth season as Music Director of the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conducts orchestras in San Francisco, Pittsburgh, Detroit, Houston, St Louis, Utah and Minnesota. In Europe, Seaman regularly appears with orchestras in Rotterdam, Prague, Bergen, Czech Republic and Brno, Warsaw and Porto. Mats Zetterqvist has been the Guest Leader of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe since 1994 and a permanent member since He is Professor of Chamber Music at Edsberg High School of Music in Stockholm and has conducted a variety of chamber and symphony orchestras. Concert Details: Orchestral Passions #1 & #2 14 January 4.30pm & Orchestral Passions #3 & #4 21 January 4.30pm & Performing a vast array of music from CPE Bach and Elgar to Stravinsky and the famous Shostakovich, under the batons of highly regarded conductors, the Orchestral Passions Concerts will be nothing other than spectacular! Conductors Christopher Seaman, Mats Zetterqvist, William Conway Beats & Drums 18 January 5.30pm This tailored concert shines the light on the exceptional talents of these young percussionists, who at times may be overshadowed in a symphonic setting. Beats and Drums provides a unique opportunity to hear this very special instrumental section this performance is sure to bring the house down! Percussion Ensemble Chamber Music Highlights 19 January Chamber Music Highlights is an intimate performance that allows audiences to connect with the musicians on a smaller scale than that of the symphonic setting. The concert explores a variety of great works in the chamber music repertoire for both the standard and the more unusual forms of chamber ensembles. Full of passion and excitement, with the attainment of and dedication to the highest standards of performance in chamber music, this concert will impress and delight audiences. New Sounds in Composition

5 5.30pm New Sounds in Composition provides the rare opportunity for audiences to hear amazing new music fresh from the composer s mind as well as their inspiration for and thoughts on the piece. The creation of new classical music is alive and well in Australia making this concert a must-see. Mighty Brass Ensemble Beautiful Bach to Madcap Motown The power and magnificence of a great brass ensemble never ceases to thrill audiences and the Mighty Brass Ensemble is sure to demonstrate the manner in which these young musicians have beautifully mastered their instruments. The AYO is proud to offer FREE ADMISSION to this exceptional concert series. Performances will be held at the Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music, Australian National University, Canberra. For full program details visit

6 Q U I R K Y S T A T I S T I C S National Music Camp ,328 meals will be served 27 tutors 3 international conductors 16 different types of instruments 297 rooms for accommodation 2 tonnes of instruments to be freighted to Canberra