Bangalow Music Festival – 17–19 August 2012
Bangalow will vibrate to the incredible sounds of the annual Bangalow Music Festival this weekend when the event celebrates its 11th year.
‘It’s the start of our second decade!’ said creative director, Tania Frazer. ‘We have a focus this year on Australian international stars, many of whom will be performing for their first time at Bangalow – Katie Noonan, Alison Mitchell, Lyndon Watts, Timothy Young and the Streeton Trio, as well as the incredible stars Lisa Gasteen and extraordinary violin virtuoso, Ilea Konovalov. We can’t wait for a journey around the world over three days, with the music of France, Germany, Italy, Russia, America and Australia, and take the audiences with us! Our programs are exclusive to our festival and audiences appreciate that they are witnessing nine unique events performed by world-class artists.’
Featured musician Ilea Konovalov was born in the former USSR and at the extraordinarily early age of 20 was appointed principal concertmaster of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra by Maestro Zubin Mehta. Since that time he has appeared worldwide, both as a concertmaster and as a soloist, including with the Kirov Orchestra and the London Symphony Orchestra under Valery Gergiev, Zubin Mehta and Riccardo Mute. It was back in 2003 that the impeccable talents of violinist Ilea Konovalov first floored audiences at the Bangalow Music Festival, so it is no surprise that his appearance at this year’s festival is highly anticipated. Ilea will be performing on his 1735 Stradivarius violin. Considered one of the best Strads in the world, it was played by famous Belgian violinist/composer Eugène Ysaÿe, who premiered Chausson’s famous Poeme for Violin and Orchestra on it. The instrument later went to violin virtuoso Henryk Szeryng, and was then donated to the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra. Itzhak Perlman once offered to trade violins with Ilya, believing Ilya’s Strad to be superior to his own. Ilya declined the offer. He can be heard at the Bangalow A&I Hall as part of the music festival on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
Full program and ticket purchase available at www.southernxsoloists.com.au, 07 3842 9468.
