ANU School of Music Premier Concert # 1 _ΡΠ 30 March

In 2010, the ANU School of Music will again offer audiences in the ACT and surrounds a special opportunity to enjoy a series of world class concerts. A new initiative in 2010 is the launch of the School’s Premier Series in which a special selection of concerts has been chosen to showcase the work of the School’s own acclaimed performance staff, elite student performers, and featured guest artists.

What better way to start this series than with a jazz double bill featuring the Mike Price Trio and Vertical on Wednesday 30 May at the Llewyllen Hall. Mike Price, Head of one of Australia’s leading jazz departments here at the ANU School of Music, will be joined by renowned Canberra jazz musicians and fellow lecturers at the School of Music, Eric C. Ajaye and Col Hoorweg.

Maintaining the jazz theme, the second Premier concert (Wednesday 5 May) is indeed something quite special bringing together two of the world’s great mallet players, Dave Samuels and Anders Astrand, along with the ANU School of Music’s own mallet virtuoso Gary France, DRUMatiX Percussion group, and the ANU jazz department. This promises to be a spectacular gathering of talent not to be missed.

The third Premier concert (Sunday 8 August) maintains the musical momentum with a showcase concert by the renowned flute and guitar duo of Virginia Taylor and Timothy Kain.  This long standing and successful duo, resident at the School of Music, has done much to enrich the repertoire for this ensemble commissioning a series of significant new works from leading Australian composers.

The final concert (Thursday 16 September) in the Premier Series will highlight our celebrated vocal department in a concert of music commemorating the 200th anniversary of the birth of Robert Schumann. Featured artists will include soprano Louise Page, mezzo-soprano Christina Wilson, baritone Stephen Bennett, along with pianist and Head of the voice area, Alan Hicks, and special guest pianist, Philippa Candy.

If this new Series has whet your musical appetite, go to the ANU School of Music website for a full listing of the School’s extensive concert program for 2010 which also includes an alumni concert, a special concert celebrating the music and life of Larry Sitsky, and a concert of Ginestera’s music in association with the Embassy of the Argentine Republic. The Friends of the School of Music will again be supporting a series of concerts presented in partnership with the Austrian Embassy with whom the School has built a most rewarding and creative relationship. There will also be the opportunity to hear new works by some of our emerging young artists when the School’s composition department presents Soundproof … and the list goes on.

I hope you have the opportunity to join us at the ANU School of Music to enjoy these wonderful performances by some of Canberra’s most acclaimed and talented musicians.