Violin virtuoso for all-Beethoven programme

12 May 2005

Violin virtuoso for all-Beethoven programme

Salvatore Accardo is regarded as Italy's foremost violinist of the post World War II era. This esteemed master of the violin comes to New Zealand in June to perform in an all-Beethoven programme with the Auckland Philharmonia on Thursday 2 June, and from Friday 3 to Saturday 11 June, he is a juror for the Michael Hill International Violin Competition in Queenstown and Auckland.

In concert with the Auckland Philharmonia, Salvatore Accardo, who is in the privileged position of having to choose which one of his two much coveted Stradivarius violins he will play, performs Beethoven's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra, a work that most people would agree is classical music's greatest violin concerto. Under conductor Giancarlo Guerrero, the concert also features Beethoven's Symphony No.2 and the well known Egmont Overture.

Salvatore Accardo gave his first professional recital in 1954 at the age of 13, in a programme that included Paganini's Capricci. Two years later, Accardo won the Geneva Competition and in 1958 he became the first prize winner of the Paganini Competition in Genoa. His vast repertoire ranges from pre-Bach to post-Berg; such composers as Sciarrino, Donatoni, Piston, Piazzolla and Xenakis have written works for him.

In addition to playing with the world's leading orchestras and conductors, Salvatore Accardo performs in recital and is particularly devoted to chamber music. In 1992 he founded the Accardo Quartet and in 1986, together with Giuranna, Filippini and Petracchi, he founded the Walter Stauffer Academy in Cremona. The holder of numerous prestigious awards, Accardo was honoured with the "Una Vita per la Musica" Award in 2001.

Accardo is the owner of two Stradivarius violins: the Hart ex Francescatti 1727 and the Firebird ex Saint-Exupéry 1718.

Auckland Philharmonia Vero Premier Series + 5 Aotea Centre concerts
Concert 6 - presented by Glenfiddich
Thursday 2 June - 8pm, Aotea Centre

Adult tickets from $23; concessions available (service fees apply). Phone the Ticketek Orchestra Hotline on 307 5139.

The Auckland Philharmonia receives major funding from Creative New Zealand and a major grant from Auckland City.

ENDS

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