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Community concert displays regional talent

Internationally acclaimed Australian composer, George Dreyfus, will lead a community concert involving more than 160 local musicians at Kernot Hall, Morwell on Sunday 25 July.

By Latrobe Shire Council - 12th July 2004 - Back to News

The concert is a joint Latrobe City and Baw Baw Shire event designed to celebrate Australian music and aimed at enriching Gippsland’s music sector.

Latrobe City’s Arts Innovation Facilitator, Lynette Raven, said that six well-known Gippsland ensembles will perform together for the concert.

"The Francis and Latrobe Orchestras, Traralgon City Band, Morwell Citizens Band, Warragul Municipal Band and the Latrobe City Youth Band will all participate in the event, which has been met with unanimous support from all of the musicians, orchestra leaders and bandmasters. The six ensembles have already participated in a music workshop with George Dreyfus earlier this year, which was held in preparation for the upcoming concert, and are looking forward to working with him again at the end of the month," Ms Raven said.

George Dreyfus was born in Germany in 1928 and he came to Australia in 1939. After studying at the University of Melbourne’s Conservatorium of Music he commenced his professional musical career as a bassoon player with the orchestra of Her Majesty’s Theatre. In 1953 he joined the ABC’s Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, working under international conductors on the international stage, and in 1964 he began freelance composing, supporting himself by writing film music scores, choral and chamber music. Mr Dreyfus’ public notoriety as a composer was transformed in 1974 when his theme music for the ABC television series ‘Rush’ became a best-seller. Since then he has won a variety of awards and in 1992 he was presented with an Order of Australia.

Latrobe City Mayor, Councillor Darrell White, said that providing local musicians with the opportunity to perform with world class composer George Dreyfus will help Gippsland’s rich music sector continue to develop and grow.

"Participation in music programs is encouraged, and has been embraced, throughout the Gippsland region, and many talented performers have come from, and are now visiting, the local area," Cr White said.

"This concert is a great example of the talent that Gippsland is continuing to produce, and it is also a wonderful demonstration of how councils and local music organisations can work together to achieve great community events and projects. Many organisations have worked together to organise the upcoming event so that local musicians can perform a large scale concert in the local area, and it will also help to raise much-needed funds for the ensembles involved in the concert. All profits will be shared equally between the participating bands and orchestras," Cr White concluded.

Source: www.gippsland.com

Published by: news@gippsland.com

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