The Accompanists’ Guild of SA Inc.

Adelaide: 25 June 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Each July, the Accompanists’ Guild of South Australia presents a program of events celebrating the art of the Accompanist. The Festival includes concerts, master-classes and Australia’s most significant prize for piano accompanying, The Geoffrey Parsons Award.

Guild Founder and Secretary, Diana Harris says, “This Festival continues to give Accompanists the recognition they deserve. For one week only they are top of the bill. Where else in the world would the pianist at the piano be named ahead of the singer or instrumentalist in front of the piano?”

This year, the major drawcard is the musician in residence, French pianist, Jean Paul Sévilla, piano soloist and chamber musician of acclaim, internationally recognized pedadgogue and the formative teacher of the internationally acclaimed soloist, Angela Hewitt.

Sévilla’s Residency includes: a Recital of César Franck & Ravel with Canadian compatriot and Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Concertmaster, Terence Tam, (Wednesday, 11 July at 1.10pm), two masterclasses (Mon7 at 7pm and Wed 11 at 4pm) and chairing the Jury for the Geoffrey Parsons Award (Thurs 12 at 7pm).

He will also perform a solo recital for Recitals Australia (Fri 13 at 6.30pm).

The Guild’s emphasis on education and professional development are in strong focus in the Festival with performances by Primary, Secondary and Tertiary student accompanists in the Wednesday lunch time concerts in Pilgrim Church (July 11 & 18). Secondary Students from the Young Accompanists’ Showcase will join their professional soloists on Tuesday 11 at 12.10 in the “curtain raiser” to the Sévilla/Tam recital.

The Geoffrey Parsons Award, with prizes worth $2,500, has become Australia’s much sought after prize for the Accompanist. The Guild is immensely pleased to acknowledge the impact this Award has had on the careers of some of our nation’s leading and emerging accompanists & ensemble pianists. The Parsons Award Final (Thurs 12 at 7.00pm) will highlight 3 accompanists. Each will perform a program including a set work with ASO violist, Cecily Satchell, plus repertoire of their own choice. The Award winner will receive $2000.

Click Here for list of events in the Festival of Accompanists

Click here to download thee AGSA Festival of Accompanists media release, including a detailed list of events and performers

For further information, recordings, pics & interviews, please contact: Christopher Wainwright, Publicist 0438 829 728, e-mail: cmwain@gmail.com

The Festival of Accompanists is supported by:
Recitals Australia, Alliance Française & The University of Adelaide

Major Sponsor of the Festival of Accompanists:

58 Gawler Place Adelaide SA 5000
ph (08) 8223 5533 Fax (08) 8224 0126

Adelaide: 20 June 2007
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

In recent years pianist, Anthony Hunt, has made a name for himself as one of Adelaide’s leading repetiteurs, conductors and vocal accompanists. He has worked regularly with the State Opera of South Australia most recently as repetiteur for Mark Adamo’s Little Women. Last year Anthony and his wife, soprano, Jessica Dean, travelled to Germany to study with the Accompanists’ Guild’s International Patron, Phillip Moll.

On Saturday 30 June at 7.30pm, in the Cynthia Poulton Hall, Anthony Hunt will present the 21st Geoffrey Parsons Award Winner’s recital in association with two of Adelaide’s fine young string players, violinist/violist, Imants Larsens and cellist, Gemma Phillips. This will be one of the rare occasions when Anthony is not accompanying a singer from the piano or the organ.

The Geoffrey Parsons Award for excellence in accompanying and ensemble performance is offered annually by the Accompanists’ Guild in memory of the great international accompanist, the Australian pianist, Geoffrey Parsons.

Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s Founder and Secretary, Diana Harris says, “Anthony gave a memorable performance with Jessica in the 2006 Geoffrey Parsons Award Final. Their sympathetic ensemble was extraordinary. I have no doubt their work with Phillip Moll was a major contribution to the success of their collaboration. Anthony was indeed a worthy winner of the Geoffrey Parsons Award.”

Anthony’s program on June 30th includes two challenging works from the string repertoire, Schubert’s Arpeggione Sonata (Imants Larsens on viola) and Brahms’ dramatic and lyrical Piano Trio no 1 in B major, Op. 8. (Imants Larsens, violin and Gemma Phillips, cello)

This recital will be one of the last Anthony gives in Adelaide before he and Jessica leave to take up post-graduate scholarships in Accompaniment and Opera at the Royal Academy of Music, London.

ENDS

For further information, recordings, pics & interviews, please contact: Christopher Wainwright, Publicist 0438 829 728, e-mail: cmwain@gmail.com

PROGRAMME

SCHUBERT Sonata in A Major ‘Arpeggione’
Allegro moderato
Adagio
Allegretto

BRAHMS Piano Trio in B Major Op. 8
Allegro con brio
Scherzo: Allegro molto
Adagio
Allegro

Click here to download the flyer.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
French pianist, Jean-Paul Sévilla is visiting Adelaide as the official pianist in residence for the Accompanists’ Guild’s 2007 Festival of Accompanists.

Sévilla is one of the world’s finest pianists, both as a soloist and a chamber musician. Berlin’s Die Neue Zeitung wrote of him “The blood of the true virtuoso runs through his veins, propelled by technique and temperament.” and New York’s New York Times wrote, “ Sévilla seemed to have everything – from technique to temperament – that would go into the making of a musical interpreter of the first rank…”

As a teacher he is equally distinguished. What better endorsement could he receive than the endorsement of one of the current stars of the keyboard firmament - Angela Hewitt - who said … “I consider it one of the most fortunate things in my life that Jean-Paul Sévilla came to teach in Ottawa…….He was a true “presence” in his students’ lives…”

The Accompanists’ Guild was quick to seize the opportunity to invite Jean-Paul to Adelaide when it learned that the 2007 Australian Piano Pedagogy Conference had invited him to Canberra. The Guild is joined by Recitals Australia and the Elder Conservatorium in making Jean-Paul’s visit possible. There is also support from Alliance Française and the Cornell Chapter of the Alumni of the University of Adelaide.

During his five short days in Adelaide, Sévilla will perform a recital with the violinist Terence Tam, Concertmaster of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, conduct two master-classes, lead the jury in the 2007 Geoffrey Parsons Award and perform a solo recital for Recitals Australia.

Accompanists’ Guild Secretary and Founder, Diana Harris says, “We are incredibly fortunate that Sévilla is able to come to Adelaide and share his expertise with our members and emerging accompanists. It is rare that we can bring a musician of this calibre to Adelaide. In this respect we are indebted to Allans Music for their support. ”

There is quite a Canadian connection in Jean Paul’s residency. The brilliant Terence Tam is Canadian and has played violin and piano since childhood. His tertiary studies included a double major in both instruments. Jean-Paul is also a Canadian citizen. It is not so surprising that Terence once played piano in a Sévilla master class. Now they will meet again in concert in far off Adelaide.

Join the Guild in making this fine musician welcome to Adelaide. If past residencies are anything to go by, this is going to be one very amazing week!

ENDS

For further information, recordings, pics & interviews, please contact: Christopher Wainwright, Publicist 0438 829 728, e-mail:cmwain@gmail.com

To download a brochure detailing Mr Sevilla’s engangements, click here