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Canberra Today 15°/18° | Friday, March 29, 2024 | Digital Edition | Crossword & Sudoku

Free concerts from young virtuosi

CANBERRA is more often than not home to the Australian Youth Orchestra’s annual National Music Camp and this year’s, the 63rd, is running until January 22 at the ANU School of Music.

Founded by Professor John Bishop and Ruth Alexander in 1948, this is no ordinary camp, the organisers are saying.

It’s a milieu where elitism is nothing to be ashamed of, and here, more than 215 gifted young players from all over Australia participate in professional concerts and work with top musicians, not least this year’s music director, the cellist, Howard Penny.

Serendipitously, Penny was born in Canberra, and is now a member of the faculty at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne.

Winner of the ABC Young Performers Awards, he was based for many years in Vienna, has been a longtime member of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and is a veteran lecturer in performance practice at the University Mozarteum in Salzburg.

Conductors of the orchestras formed at the camp include William Conway, Christopher Seaman and Mats Zetterqvist.

Around two tonnes of instruments will be freighted and 4838 sheets of music will be used. Best of all from the public’s perspective, from January 14 – 21 there will be free orchestral concerts.

Each year, under the leadership of Colin Cornish, who describes the orchestra as “vibrant, adventurous and inspirational”, the AYO presents over a dozen tailored programs in both training and performance for aspiring musicians, composers, arts administrators and music journalists between the ages of 14 to 30.

[box] Concert Details:
Orchestral Passions #1 & #2
Conductors – Christopher Seaman, Mats Zetterqvist, William Conway
4.30pm & 8pm January 14

Beats & Drums
Percussion Ensemble

5.30pm, January 18

Chamber Music Highlights
Intimate favourites including Borodin, Schumann and Shostakovich
8pm, January 19

New Sounds in Composition
5.30pm, January 20

Mighty Brass Ensemble
Beautiful Bach to Madcap Motown
January 20, 8pm

Orchestral Passions #3 & #4
January 21, 4.30pm & 8pm
All performances will be held at the Llewellyn Hall, ANU School of Music. For full program details visit www.ayo.com.au
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Helen Musa

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