Canberra Symphony 2014 launch

Triumphal year planned for orchestra
Helen Musa, City News, August 29, 2013

THE artistic director of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Nicholas Milton, dashed into town today after conducting John Bell’s production of “Tosca” at the Opera house, to unveil the orchestra’s 2014 season.

Artistic director and conductor Nicholas Milton Milton told the assembled gathering of sponsors, orchestra members, diplomats and politicians that with works from Mahler, Richard Strauss, Tchaikovsky, Stravinsky, Liszt, and Beethoven, the season would be sure to garner growing audiences for an orchestra of which he said he was very proud.

Newish chairman of the orchestra board, Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston, told those present of his long-standing love of music and how he had been enticed onto the board of the CSO by the late Chris Peters.

At breakneck speed, Milton delivered the details of the program.

The 2014 Shell Prom Concert, “Triumph” will open the season in the grounds of Government House. Also  supported by the Embassy of France, the concert will feature favourites from Ravel, Debussy, Saint-Saëns, Offenbach and more, with  Timothy Sexton holding the baton.

The first concert of the Llewellyn concert series, “Prélude,” conducted by Tom Woods, will open with Mussorsky’s “Night on Bald Mountain” before the CSO’s concertmaster, Barbara Jane Gilby, performs Mozart’s “Turkish” violin concertos. The concert will also feature the Canberra premiere of Australian composer Elena Kats-Chernin’s “Re-Collecting ASTORoids” and Liszt’s “Les Préludes,”  part of Milton’s commitment to perform Australian made works.

Pianist Clemens Leske, joins the CSO and Milton for the second concert of the Llewellyn series, “Mahler”. Leske will perform Beethoven’s “Fourth Piano Concerto”, and the evening will conclude with “Mahler’s Symphony No. 1”.

In July, Italian music will feature at the ACTEW Grand Gala,  “Verdi” which is also supported by the Embassy of Italy. Two of Australia’s favourite opera stars, Antoinette Halloran and Argentine born José Carbó, will be joined by the Canberra Choral Society as they sing Verdi’s best loved arias, ensembles, overtures and choruses.

August sees the third instalment of the Llewellyn Series,  “Firebird” in which the  featured soloist, David Elton returns for the virtuosic “Trumpet Concerto” by Australian composer, Richard Mills. The evening also features Stravinsky’s “Firebird” before concluding with Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony.

During Floriade, the CSO will combine with the RMC Band to present a Saturday afternoon family matinee, “Hollywood!” featuring music from Hollywood favourites such as “Star Wars”, “Superman”, and “Gladiator.”

Canberra Symphony Orchestra 2014 Season, for more details visit cso.org.au