New World Symphony at Tweed Heads
By Madeleine Murray
THE NORTHERN RIVERS SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA (NRSO) is performing two classic works on Sunday, December 8.
The first piece is Piano Concerto No 1 in E Flat Major by Franz Liszt, with soloist Jonah Patuto.
Jonah is a young Gold Coast-based pianist who has won several musical performance prizes and scholarships.
“Ever since I was 14 I’ve been dreaming of playing a piano concerto, and it’s a pretty surreal feeling now that the time has come,” Jonah told The Weekly.
“As far as piano concerti go, this one is really short and to the point, and not necessarily a grand gesture of expression like Rachmaninoff or Brahms piano concerti, for example.
“I’m super grateful and excited for the opportunity to be working with NRSO on this concerto and I think it’ll be a great watch for the audience too!”
After the intermission, the audience will be treated to Dvorak’s New World Symphony, conducted by Marco Bellasi.
Czech composer Antonin Dvorak wrote this masterpiece in 1893 while he was director of the National Conservatory of Music of America. He took inspiration from musical themes of African American spirituals.
“I picture the beginning of the symphony as Dvorak approaching the United States on the boat that brought him from Europe,” conductor Marco Bellasi told The Weekly.
“Like America, Australia has been built on immigration and the coming together of great cultures, including the indigenous culture.”
Dvorak’s New World Symphony can also be seen as an ideal picture of how we would like our future world to be.
“The young pianist Jonah Patuto who will be playing the Liszt Piano Concerto No 1, and some other very young promising members in the orchestra for this concert, remind us of the importance of mentoring the musicians of tomorrow,” Marco said.
“The NRSO and I are doing just this for the community. The late violinist, teacher, and conductor Spiros Rantos, was dedicated to nurturing developing musicians – he helped to bring us to the present great musical flowering we now have on the Gold Coast and the Northern Rivers.”
Symphonic Festival is on at 2:30pm on Sunday, December 8, at the Tweed Heads Civic Centre, Brett St, Tweed Heads. For tickets, go to nrso.com.au, or Murwillumbah Music. Tickets also at the door, if not sold out. Tea and biscuits available at intermission.