FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
OXFORD PHILOMUSICA
PRESENTS ITS SIXTH
INTERNATIONAL PIANO
FESTIVAL 1-8 AUGUST 2004
Festival Director Marios
Papadopoulos has gathered another stellar list of soloists and teachers for
Oxford Philomusicaıs Sixth International Piano Festival.
The Oxford Philomusica
International Piano Festival is an annual, week-long event of international
importance, providing Oxford with ³a banquet of lectures, masterclasses and
recitals.² (The Oxford Times). Students travel from as far a field as
Australia, Russia and USA and are resident in Oxford for the duration of the
Festival. Visiting pedagogues and
pianists are from the world stage, attracting audiences from far and wide
whilst providing Oxford residents with a plethora of opportunities to enjoy
their music making on a daily basis.
New to the Festival are
Dmitri Bashkirov, Bernard Robbins, Piers Lane and Gerald Roberts, all of whom
will give an evening recital and masterclass the following day.
We welcome Andrew Ball, Head
of Keyboard at the Royal College of Music, who joins his counter part from The
Royal Academy of Music, Christopher Elton,
who will be making his third visit to the Piano Festival. Welcome returns are also made by Niel Immelman and Festival President Malcolm Troup who will offer an opportunity to explore Busoniıs Six Elegies: ³Ferrucio and a Lost Early 20th Century Masterpiece.²
The young pianist is always a
popular feature of the Festival and Judith Burton, winner of the 1982 UK
Private Teacher of the Year Award joins us for the second year to nurture our
youngest students and deliver a lecture entitled ³Preparing for Performance
building security and confidence during practise.²
Founder and pianist in the
legendary Beaux Art Trio, Menahem Pressler returns for the fourth time to work
with student pianists. His classes
are renowned throughout the music world.
Mr Pressler will also give two masterclasses on Piano Trio, offering
priceless opportunities to fledgling chamber groups.
The Festival Symphony Concert
for 2004 is an all Beethoven programme, featuring the celebrated pianist John
Lill and the Oxford Philomusica orchestra under the direction of Marios
Papadopoulos. John Lill will also
give the Festivalıs final masterclass.
Marios Papadopoulos: ³I am
delighted with this yearıs Festival line-up. We seem to have found a formula which is popular with
soloists, lecturers, students and audience, so are concentrating on building on
this success to offer a unique opportunity of learning, listening and
participating. We are always
investigating new ideas for the Festival and already planning for 2005.²
Whether soloist, amateur
player, student or music lover, Oxford Philomusicaıs International Piano
Festival 2004 is offering something for everyone, in a full week dedicated to
the instrument and its music.
The Festival,
which runs from 1-8 August 2004, takes place in the heart of Oxford, one of the
UKıs most beautiful cities. A
warm, friendly atmosphere, historic venues for ³a banquet of lectures,
masterclasses and recitals² (The Times), all contribute to a stimulating and inspirational week
for all.
Participation
options range from full time participant, to full time or part time observer,
with or without accommodation. All
classes, lectures and concerts are open to the public.
For further information, pictures and interview opportunities, please contact Carole Radford: 01753 771849; 07770 543616, Carole@oxfordphil.com
Sunday 1 August 2004 8pm
Jacqueline du Pré Music Building
Tickets: £7
³Ferrucio and a Lost Early 20th Century Masterpiece.²
Malcolm Troup is the President of the Oxford Philomusica International Piano Festival. He enjoys an enviable reputation as an esteemed performer and academic. He holds many distinguished positions including that of Director of Music at the Guildhall School of Music and drama and Chairman of the Beethoven Society of Europe and of the European Council of EPTA. His lecture recitals are always regarded as a highlight of the Festival and this year Malcolm Troup offers an opportunity to explore Busoniıs Six Elegies.
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Tickets: £15
Piano Recital by Gerald
Robbins
³A pianist of authority and imagination. Versatile, secure in every respect, a spectacular technique.² -Los Angeles Times
Gerald Robbins has distinguished himself internationally as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician of poetic sensitivity and virtuosic technique. Since capturing a major prize at the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition in 1969, he has performed regularly in the worldıs major music centres throughout Europe, Japan and the United States. Mr Robbins is co-founder and pianist with the Lyric Piano Quartet, currently in residence at Queens College, CUNY. He
also teaches chamber music at Manhattan School of Music, appears regularly as a soloist with major orchestras and has made numerous recordings.
A champion of neglected romantic repertoire this eveningıs
concert takes us chronologically from Beethoven to Brahms, Debussy and de Falla
then back to Chopin, undoubtedly one of the greatest of all composers of
Romantic music.
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Tuesday 3 August 2004 8pm
Holywell Music Room
Tickets:
£15
Piano Recital by Bernard
Robbins
Bernard Roberts has long been acknowledged as one of Britain's leading pianists. This is his first visit to the Oxford Philomusica Piano Festival.
His international career takes him throughout Europe, America and the Far East and he has given masterclasses at many leading festivals including the Van Cliburn Piano Institute in Fort Worth Texas.
In addition to his recital work Bernard Roberts often
appears as concerto soloist with leading orchestras here and abroad. He is well
known to Radio 3 listeners and he has been the subject of a 40-minute
television documentary made for BBC2 by the director Mischa Scorer.
His repertoire ranges from the early classics to the great
works of the 20th century. His
profound Beethoven interpretations have received particular acclaim and in this
eveningıs recital Mr Roberts will perform Beethoven's Thirty-Three Variations
on a Waltz by Diabelli. His
longest and most complex piece for piano, it is regarded as one of the
monumental achievements of Beethovenıs last period. The recital begins with Debussyıs Preludes Book II.
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Wednesday 4 August 2004 8pm
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Tickets:
£15
Piano Recital by Dmitry
Bashkirov
Russian-born pianist Dmitry
Bashkirov first achieved international fame in 1955 when he received the
"Grand Prix" at the Marguerite Long Competition in Paris. He studied
in Tiflis with Anastasia Wirssaladze, and in Moscow with Russian pianist,
pedagogue, writer and composer Alexander Goldenweiser, a contemporary of
Rachmaninov and Scriabin, and a friend of Leo Tolstoy.
He has played with numerous
orchestras including the Chicago Symphony, the Cleveland Orchestra, the San
Francisco Symphony and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra and the Israel
Philharmonic with some of the worldıs greatest conductors including Sir John
Barbirolli, Daniel Barenboim, Zubin Mehta and Vladimir Ashkenazy Patron of
Oxford Philomusica.
This is Mr Bashkirovıs first visit to the Festival, a
year after a highly successful visit by one of his former pupils, Dmitri
Alexeev. This eveningıs recital
showcases works of varying periods, from Mozart, Haydn, Beethoven, Chopin,
Schubert-Lizst and Debussy.
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Thursday 5 August 2004 8pm
University Church of St Mary the Virgin
Tickets:
£15
Piano Recital by Piers Lane
"No praise could be
high enough for Piers Lane whose playing throughout is of a superb musical
intelligence, sensitivity, and scintillating brilliance."
Bryce Morrison, Gramophone
London-born pianist Piers Lane grew up in Brisbane and holds dual Anglo-Australian
nationality. He has performed in
over 40 countries and his wide-ranging repertoire of some 60 concertos has led
to engagements with many great orchestras, including the London Philharmonic;
Philharmonic; Royal Philharmonic and Halle as well as leading orchestras from
around the world.
Piers Lane holds an extensive and much admired
discography. His recording
of Scriabinı s Preludes was awarded full marks by Classics Today, reporting: ³Lane's
flawless fingers and inspired brain are totally attuned to Scriabin's
hyper-expressive sound worldBravo.² This eveningıs recital will include 10 of these Preludes as
well as a selection of Chopinıs Nocturnes, Etudes and Waltzes plus
Rachmaninoffıs Variations on a Theme of Chopin.
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Friday 2 August 2004 8pm
Jacqueline du Pré Music Building
Tickets:
£5
Always one of the highlights of the Festival, this is a concert showcasing tomorrowıs future stars. Students from around the world have an opportunity to put into practise the teachings they have enjoyed throughout their stay with the Festival. Non competitive, but with the excitement and atmosphere of an international piano competition, students listen to and are inspired by one another, making each performance unique and very varied.
An enormously enjoyable evening the studentıs recital offers performances encompassing a wide range of music by students from around the world.
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Tickets:
£30, £24, £17, £10
Oxford Philomusica
Orchestra
Beethoven Piano
Concerto No 5 Op 73 ³Emperor²
A child prodigy, British pianist
John Lill shot to international stardom when he won the most coveted piano
prize in the world, the International Tchaikovsky Competition in Moscow. The
prize immediately led to engagements with major international orchestras and
highly sought after conductors such as Sir John Barbirolli, Eugene Jochum,
Seiji Ozawa and performances with leading orchestras around the world.
John Lillıs vast repertoire not
only includes more than sixty concertos but also extremely wide-ranging solo
works. His recitals and concerto performances have been acclaimed in more than
forty countries and he is recognised as one of the worldıs leading interpreters
of Beethoven.
One of the most well known and
loved of British artists, John Lill is making a welcome return to the Piano
Festival and this evening joins Marios Papadopoulos and the Oxford Philomusica
Symphony Orchestra for a double Beethoven programme. Papadopoulos, also acknowledged as a great Beethoven
interpreter conducts the orchestra for two of his greatest and most loved
works: the Emperor Piano Concerto and the Pastoral Symphony. Together, John Lill, Marios
Papadopoulos and the Oxford Philomusica Orchestra will surely provide a fitting
climax to a weeklong celebration of the piano.
Book online at www.oxfordphil.com.
Box office: 01865 305305
THE OXFORD PHILOMUSICA AT
THE ATHENS FESTIVAL 2004
Oxford Philomusica is delighted to
have been invited to participate in the prestigious Athens Festival in July
2004, a few weeks prior to the Olympic Games.
The performance will take place in
the stunning, open-air ancient theatre of Herodes Atticus, which is situated
just below the Parthenon in Athens.
100 musicians from the orchestra
will travel from England and will perform, amongst other works, Mahlerıs 1st
Symphony.
Oxford Philomusica is honoured to
have been afforded this opportunity to perform alongside some of the Worldıs
leading orchestras an invitation procured following its very successful
concerts at the Athens Megaron in November 2002.
THE OXFORD PHILOMUSICA
1. 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 Londonıs 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 Philomusicaıs 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 Oxfordıs Apollo Theatre and again on 12 May 2003, for a
performance at St Jamesıs Palace in the presence of HRH Prince Phillip, Duke
of Edinburgh. The concert was held in aid of the Princeıs own charity: The
Outward Bound Trust. 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, John Lill, Chloe Hanslip and Peter Donohoe. The Oxford Philomusicaıs diverse range
of promotions and other activities have made a considerable contribution to
Oxfordıs musical life, attracting critical praise and securing a supportive
audience for its work.
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 in November 2002 received high critical acclaim following its
appearance 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.
2. 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.
Visiting artists reads as a Whoıs Who in the Piano World and includes: Cristina Ortiz, Maria Curcio, John Lill, Jack Gibbons, Martino Tirimo, Dmitry Bashkirov, Dmitry Alexeev, Piers Lane and Menahem Pressler. Selection is by audition for residential places as Participants and in 2004 demand exceeded the number of available places 3 weeks before the closing date. Next Festival dates: 24-31 July 2005.
3. Education and Community work, a central part of the orchestraıs 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.
4. 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 Kempf (Daily
Telegraph and Classic FM Magazine Criticsı Choice).
5.
In October 2002, Oxford
Philomusica was appointed Orchestra in Residence at the University of Oxford. This unique
appointment is for an initial five-year period and offers a wider reaching
programme of mutual benefit to the University and orchestra. As part of the
University Residency, Oxford Philomusica will continue to collaborate with the
Faculty of Music on its student education programmes and to establish major
conferences and colloquia . The
highly successful Orchestral Apprenticeship Scheme, now in its fifth year, will
continue to provide orchestral experience and coaching to selected
students. Also available are
conducting classes, masterclasses and individual training given by Oxford
Philomusica musicians.
6.
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
childıs ability to learn.
Ends