MEDIA RELEASE: 2007 Geoffrey Parsons Award Finalists Announced
Adelaide: 11 July 2007 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE The Final of The Accompanists’ Guild of SA’s 23rd Geoffrey Parsons Award, named in honour of Australia’s accompanist par excellence for singers, such as Elizabeth Schwarzkopf, Victoria de los Angeles and Olaf Bär, takes place this Thursday evening, July 12th, at 7pm in the Hartley Concert Room at The University of Adelaide. On Monday and Tuesday, six pianists completed the Stage One auditions performing prepared works with their chosen associates, sight reading and an unrehearsed reading of the set work, Schumann’s Märchenbilder No. 1, Nicht schnell with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra violist, Cecily Satchell. The audition panel of noted musicians, Stephen Whittington, Leonie Hempton and Cecily Satchell judged the performances in terms of interpretation, style, technique, presentation and ensemble skills. Guild Founder and Secretary, Diana Harris said of the competition, “The Finalists in the Parsons Award must exhibit the major requisites of the professional…
MEDIA RELEASE: The Festival of Accompanists returns in July with a rich array of chamber music
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,…
MEDIA RELEASE: 2006 Geoffrey Parsons Award Winner’s Recital, Pianist Anthony Hunt “Without a Song.”
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…
MEDIA RELEASE: French Pianist, Jean-Paul Sévilla, in residence for the 2007 Festival of Accompanists
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…