MEDIA RELEASE

 

6 May 2003

 

For Immediate Release

 

WORLD FAMOUS PIANIST PERFORMS ONE OF THE MOST POPULAR PIANO CONCERTOS WITH OXFORD PHILOMUSICA

 

Peter Donohoe has maintained his position at the top of his profession since winning the most coveted of all piano prizes: the gold in the prestigious Tchaikovsky International Piano Competition. 

 

On Friday 16 May 2003 8pm Sheldonian Theatre, Oxford he will perform one of the most popular piano concertos: Rachmaninov's 3rd, made famous by the award-winning film "Shine".

 

Tchaikovsky¹s music also features in this all-Russian concert, as the Oxford Philomusica, under the direction of its Musical Director, Marios Papadopoulos will perform Tchaikovsky's rousing 4th Symphony.

 

Concert Details:

 

RACHMANINOV    Piano Concerto No. 3 in D minor Op 30   

TCHAIKOVSKY    Symphony No. 4 in F minor Op 36

   

Peter Donohoe           piano

Marios Papadopoulos        conductor

 

Tickets £30, £24, £17, £10 plus concessions

Booking available online at: www.oxfordphil.com

Box Office: 01865 305305

 

Ends

 

 

 

For further information, pictures and interview opportunities, please contact Carole Radford: 01753 771849; 07770 543616, Carole@caroleradfordpr.com

 

 

 

 

 

Notes for Editors

 

Peter Donohoe was born in Manchester and studied at the Royal Northern College and later in Paris with Olivier Messiaen and Yvonne Loriod.  Since his unprecedented success as joint winner of the 1982 International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow, he has developed a distinguished career in Europe, the USA, the Far East and Australasia.

 

Peter Donohoe regularly performs with major orchestras such as the London Symphony, Berlin Philharmonic, Rotterdam Philharmonic, City of Birmingham Symphony, Hong Kong Philharmonic, Boston Symphony and Chicago Symphony Orchestras.  He also makes regular appearances at major festivals such as the BBC Proms, Edinburgh Festival, La Roque D¹Antheron and Schleswig Holstein Music Festival.

 

Peter Donohoe has made many fine recordings on EMI Records for which he has won awards such as the Grand Prix International du Disque Liszt and the Gramophone Concerto Award. He has also made various recordings for Chandos Records, Hyperion and Naxos.

 

 

The Oxford Philomusica was founded in 1998 and has since developed to become the most significant musical resource in Oxford.  It was launched with a concert at London¹s Barbican Centre in November 1998 and gave its Oxford debut the following February at The Sheldonian Theatre.   A television documentary, produced by the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, highlighted the Oxford Philomusica¹s mission to establish a professional symphony orchestra in the University City and was broadcast to an audience of over 400 million people world-wide.  As recognition of its work, the Oxford Philomusica was honoured at a reception at 10 Downing Street in April 2002, hosted by Cherie Blair.

 

In February 2001, Vladimir Ashkenazy, Patron of the Oxford Philomusica, appeared with the orchestra as soloist and conductor at Oxford¹s Apollo Theatre.  Internationally acclaimed soloists who have appeared with the orchestra include Steven Isserlis, Angela Hewitt, Cristina Ortiz, Oxana Yablonskaya, Maurice Hasson, Jean-Bernard Pommier, Igor Oistrakh, Charles Rose and John Lill.  The Oxford Philomusica¹s diverse range of promotions and other activities have made a considerable contribution to Oxford¹s musical life, attracting critical praise and securing a supportive audience for its work.

 

Education and community work, a central part of the orchestra¹s mission, continues to grow.  Oxford Philomusica has funded pilot projects in the Wood Farm area of Oxford and at the Oxford Hospital School.  The success of these schemes, together with close collaboration with hospital boards, has led to a proposal for Oxford Philomusica to become the resident orchestra at the John Radcliffe Hospital.

 

Beyond Oxford, the orchestra has extended its touring programme to undertake visits to Switzerland, Cyprus and Azerbaijan.  In March 2000, the Oxford Philomusica performed before a capacity audience at the prestigious Sale Gaveau, Paris, and has recently appeared to high critical acclaim at the Athens Megaron.  Its commitment to performing in London continued with a concert given at the Queen Elizabeth Hall in February 2000 with further concerts planned.

 

Marios Papadopoulos, Founder and Music Director of the Oxford Philomusica, made his London debut in 1974, since when his career as pianist and conductor has developed on the international stage. His interpretations of the Beethoven Sonatas, currently being recorded, have compared with those of Schnabel, Brendel, Barenboim and Kempff (Daily Telegraph and Classic FM Magazine Critics¹ Choice).

 

In August 1999, the Oxford Philomusica presented the first International Piano Festival to be held in Oxford, in collaboration with the European Piano Teachers Association. Described as "the most significant annual musical event in the city" (Oxford Times), the Oxford Philomusica International Piano Festival now enjoys an international reputation as a centre of learning for the musicians of tomorrow.  The festival attracts a world class line up of visiting artists of the highest calibre and widest possible breadth of musical experience and the 2003 International Piano Festival intends to build on its enviable record by offering an embarrassment of riches from the piano world. 

 

2002 saw welcome returns by such esteemed artists as Cristina Ortiz, Niel Immelman, Bryce Morrison, Maria Curcio, Marios Papadopoulos, Malcolm Troup and Malcolm Young.  Distinguished new participators included John Lill, Christopher Elton, Jack Gibbons, Martino Tirimo and Charles Rosen.  Demand for residential places exceeded previous years with students travelling from around the world in order to be part of this unique musical experience.  This year the festival runs from 3-10 August 2003. 


In October 2002, Oxford Philomusica was appointed as Orchestra in Residence to the University of Oxford.  The appointed is for an initial five-year period.  As part of the University Residency, the orchestra will continue to collaborate with the Faculty of Music on student education programmes. The highly successful Orchestral Apprenticeship Scheme, now in its fourth year, will once again provide orchestral experience to selected students.  Philomusica musicians will also offer training to individual students enrolled on the Faculty's Orchestral Studies Course. As part of its residency, Oxford Philomusica will offer, amongst other programmes, a series of masterclasses for students, conducting classes, provide coaching to students playing in the University¹s Orchestras, appoint a composer-in-residence from the Faculty of Music, work closely with the Faculty of Music to establish major conferences and colloquia. In addition, the Orchestra hopes to develop a number of pioneering schemes with other University departments using its resources of professional performing musicians to explore non-musical areas of work and research such as medical and neurological research, the psychology of music and performance and the effects of music on a child¹s ability to learn.