Prodigies Concerto Concert

Don’t miss an afternoon of virtuosic excellence in the Prodigies Concerto Concert at Central Coast Grammar School’s Performing Arts Centre on Sunday, September 21.

The concerto as a vehicle for virtuosic display flourished during the 19th Century, becoming increasingly complex with ambitious works.

While performances of typical concerto in the baroque era lasted about 10 minutes, those by Beethoven, for example, could last half an hour or longer.

Concertos from all ages, since their development in the late 1600s, have remained a conspicuous and important part of the repertoire for concert performances and recordings and this concert will feature soloists chosen from the Symphony Central Coast Concerto Competition.

On the program with be Circle of Fourths and the Grand March from Aida.

To celebrate the 100th concert by the University of New South Wales Orchestra, Joe Wolfe was given a simple brief: write a piece that was 4 or 5 minutes of fun, using everybody, and not taking up much rehearsal time.

The result, Circle of Fourths, was inspired by the opening notes of the choral Old Hundredth (so named because its words are from Psalm 100), and a desire to explore the melodic and harmonic possibilities of successive intervals of fourths.

In Verdi’s opera Aida, Radames leads the Egyptian army on its return following the victory over the Ethiopians.

Music that reflected triumph, victory and great joy was needed and Verdi obliged, with the succinctly named Grand March.

Emma Deed will perform Hisatada Otaka’s Flute Concerto, written in 1951 and showcasing, in particular, the middle register of the flute.

Emma is in Year 11 at Gosford High School.

Matthew Ardern will perform the third movement of Sergei Rachmaninov’s Piano Concerto no. 3.

This concerto, written in 1909, has the reputation of being one of the most technically challenging concertos in the standard classical piano repertoire.

Matthew is 24 and teaches at Terrigal.

Elana Sydenham will perform Theodoor Verhey’s Flute Concerto, composed in 1900 and admired for its many virtuosic passages and memorable tunes.

Elana is 17 and a student at Central Coast Grammar School.

The concert begins at 2.30pm.

Buy tickets at auccgs.sales.ticketsearch.com/sales/salesevent/143346