Tuesday, September 30, 2008

First performance a resounding success


The first concert on the Sydney Symphony's 2008 Italy Tour occurred last night in the picturesque spa town of Merano. It was standing room only with the Orchestra playing to a full house. After a two hour performance, the audience wanted more clapping for two encores.

Monday, September 29, 2008

First performance tonight: MERANO

After a 33 hour trip, we arrived in the Italian city of Bolzano late on Saturday night. It was a long journey, but the anticipation of the tour kept spirits high.

Sunday was a free day to rest and recover before the first performance on Monday. A group of musicians visited the town of Merano where we are giving the first performance (about a 30 minute drive from Bolzano) and another group travelled to the alps region about an hour drive out of Bolzano. The town of Ortisei was the first stop on this alps journey, close to the Austrian border. After a cable car ride up the mountain, we then drove on to the town of Salle (pictured) where we climbed up a mountain and saw dozens of paragliders taking off the down hill.

Today, the musicians are getting ready for the first performance. Various sectional rehearsals will start this afternoon and already there are musicians practicing in their hotel rooms.

The concert tonight is at the Teatro Kursaal in Merano where the Orchestra will be performing works by Ravel and a work by Australian composer Liza Lim titled 'The Compass' with soloists William Barton on didgeridoo and Sydney Symphony Principal Piccolo Rosamund Plummer on flutes.

Wednesday, September 24, 2008

5 days to first performance

The instruments are on their way and the musicians are packing. The Sydney Symphony departs this Friday for its 2008 Italy Tour.

The first performance is on Monday 29 September in Merano as part of the Settimane Musicali Meranesi Festival. The Festival was founded in 1986 and has now become an international meeting point for classical music. From the very beginning the festival has been set to meet the highest artistic demands. The Sydney Symphony is honoured to have been invited to begin our Italian tour as part of the 2008 Festival.

Wednesday, September 17, 2008

Countdown is on


Only 12 days to go before the first performance of the Sydney Symphony's 2008 Italy Tour. For more information, visit: www.sydneysymphony.com/italy