Musicians Head To APO Summer School

Musicians Head To APO Summer School

Seventy budding musicians from around New Zealand are in Auckland this week for the Lion Foundation APO Orchestral Summer School.

The intensive music school, which began on Wednesday 19 January, involves more than 70 musicians aged eight to over 50 years from as far afield as Christchurch and Oamaru, performing in two orchestras for four days. It culminates in a finale concert on Sunday 23 January.

Three soloists feature at the summer school – British oboe player Gordon Hunt , APO Young Achiever Thomas Hutchinson (oboe) and 2009 Ronnish Piano Competition winner Lawrence Wong. The finale concert features Gordon and Thomas performing the Albinoni double oboe concerto and the world premiere of Edwin Carr’s oboe concerto which has previously only been performed with piano.

Parnell’s Thomas Hutchinson was the winner of the Australasian Double Oboe Competition in 2010 and has recently been accepted into the Australian National Academy of Music.

Gordon Hunt is one of the world’s leading oboe players and plays with many acclaimed orchestras and ensembles around the world. He was Principal Oboe with London’s Philharmonia Orchestra and was guest principal with the Berlin Philharmonic.

The APO Summer School features two orchestras – the Fellowship Orchestra for grade six students and above, and the Junior Orchestra for Grade 3-6 players.

Australian conductor Tom Woods leads the Fellowship Orchestra and students are each paired with an APO musician.

The Junior Orchestra is new for 2011 and is led by APO Deputy Concertmaster Miranda Adams. It aims to train younger musicians up to start their journey of orchestral playing and 12 APO musicians play with the orchestra and provide mentoring.

Both orchestras will perform in the Finale Concert on Sunday 23 January with the programme featuring the Fellowship Orchestra performing the Carr premiere as well as Rossini’s William Tell Overture, Rachmaninov’s symphonic poem The Isle of the Dead; and the Junior Orchestra performs Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, Albinoni’s double oboe concerto and Beethoven’s second piano concerto.

The Lion Foundation APO Orchestral Summer School Finale Concert takes place on Sunday 23 January at 11am at St Cuthber’s College, Epsom in Auckland and will include performances by both orchestras. Tickets are $40 adults, $35 senior and $20 for students/children and include lunch. Book tickets by phoning (09) 623 1052 or online at www.apo.co.nz

ENDS

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