Australian Pianist Ensures Show Goes On

Melbourne based pianist Caroline Almonte will perform in recital with English cellist Richard Harwood on Monday 10th March at the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra’s first Lion Foundation Twilight Series for 2008.



Ms. Almonte will replace Russian pianist, Julia Fedoseeva, who has had to withdraw from the recital for personal reasons.



“While it is disappointing that Ms. Fedoseeva is unable to travel to New Zealand to perform, we are grateful that Ms. Almonte has been able to step in at short notice to ensure that this first recital of the season goes ahead,” says APO Chief Executive, Barbara Glaser. “Both Ms. Almonte and Mr. Harwood are experienced chamber musicians and I am certain that their talents will combine to make the first concert in the Lion Foundation Twilight Series a memorable one.”



Mr. Harwood will also perform with the full APO at the Schumann & Sibelius concert on Thursday 6th March. This concert is a return engagement for Mr. Harwood who performed Strauss’s Don Quixote with the APO last year – himself a replacement in that concert for another cellist.



As both soloist and chamber musician, Ms. Almonte has been recipient of many awards in Australia and overseas including winner of the keyboard section of the ABC Young Performer’s Awards, the Frances Quinn Arts Encouragement Award, the Hepzibah Menuhin Award, finalist in the Gaudeamus Competition in the Netherlands and ARD in Munich First prize at the International Concorso “Trio di Trieste” in Trieste for Piano and Strings.



Following studies with renowned Australian pianist Stephen McIntyre and completing her education at University High School and the Victorian College of the Arts, she continued her post graduate studies at the Juilliard School of Music in New York and is the only Australian and one of just 100 alumni across music, dance and drama to have her profile featured in the Julliard School Centenary publication.



Ms. Almonte has performed as soloist in Australia and internationally. She may be familiar to chamber music lovers having toured New Zealand as part of Duo Sol, her music partnership with violinist Miki Tsunoda with whom she has also toured the UK, South America, China, Japan and Canada.



The programme for the Richard Harwood & Caroline Almonte recital includes sonatas by Brahms, Shostakovich and Bridge.



Single tickets to Richard Harwood & Caroline Almonte ($55 general admission) are available from Ticketek, Ph 09 307 5139, www.ticketek.co.nz.