Friday, 16 January 2009

One of the leading conductors of her generation, Australian-born Simone Young, will perform at The University of Western Australia's Winthrop Hall later this year.  Ms Young, General Manager and Music Director of the Hamburg State Opera, was previously Music Director of Opera Australia and Chief Conductor of the Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra.

In the UWA School of Music's Keyed Up! piano recital series, Ms Young will be joined by Alex Soddy in a performance of Englebert Humperdinck's four-hands piano arrangement of Richard Wagner's opera Parsifal.

The special Keyed Up! event is one of many planned by the School, whose 2009 concerts program encompasses a breadth of musical delights from the orchestral splendour of a Beethoven symphony to a piano solo by internationally acclaimed French-Canadian pianist Marc-André Hamelin; from chamber strings and winds to opera; from the magnificent tones of brass in Winthrop Hall to the latest in new composition in the Octagon Theatre.

UMS Presents 2009 , launched last night, features visiting international, national and local artists as well as School staff and students.  Proceeds from ticket sales will help develop new programs and opportunities for the School's students.

As well as two subscription series, Artistry! and Keyed Up!, the School is offering a series of special events including opera, masterclasses, free lunchtime concerts and the Discover Music Outreach Program with classes and activities for community members of all ages and musical backgrounds and abilities.

The six Artistry! concerts are a mix of orchestral and chamber music repertoire while Keyed Up! is a four-concert piano recital series supported by Zenith Music and the WA Piano Teachers' Association.

Other well-known musicians taking part in the UMS Presents 2009 program include world-renowned cellist Steven Isserlis, who will host a masterclass.

For more information, visit the website:  www.music.uwa.edu.au

Media references

Claire McGowan (Coordinator, Concerts and Outreach)  (+61 8)  6488 2054
Sally-Ann Jones (UWA Public Affairs)  (+61 8)  6488 7975  /  (+61 4) 20 790 098

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