press releases

Thanks to a grant from Coffs Harbour Council, Coffs Harbour City Orchestra is looking for a guest soloist to perform with it at a concert in mid 2009.

“We’re on the look out for some local talent”, conductor Greg Ellsmore said. “We’re inviting local musicians to audition and we’ll pay the successful soloist a $500 fee to perform with us. If they live outside Coffs Harbour itself, for example local students studying at a NSW or QLD Conservatorium, then we’ll also contribute to their travel costs” he added.

“To audition, they need to play an orchestral instrument and don’t forget that may include the piano. They need to prepare a short excerpt from a piece written for solo instrument and orchestra, such as a movement from a concerto, as well as another work of their own choice,” Greg explained. “We’ll want the successful soloist to perform some solo items at the concert, as well as a work with orchestral backing, so they’ll need to be able to turn up to some rehearsals with the orchestra in the lead up to the performance”.

The auditions will take place on Saturday 29 November in Coffs Harbour. If you think you’ve got what it takes, contact Orchestra Secretary Pamela Fayle (ph 6654 7700) to arrange an audition. Current members of the Orchestra are ineligible to apply.

In May 2008, the orchestra featured local pianists Sam Huybregts and Adam Herd in a stellar concert and according to Greg, there are likely to be many more untapped talented musicians in the area, “…offering this opportunity to a soloist provides a showcase not only for the orchestra, but gives an aspiring local musician a chance to strut their stuff”.

So to all those talented performers out there ….. grab that instrument and start practising – a great opportunity awaits you.

Thanks to a Coffs Council grant, a very special lunch-time concert will take place from 12.30 – 1.30pm on Friday 5 September at the Bethel Centre, Elswick Place, Coffs Harbour.

“Coffs Harbour City Orchestra in cooperation with Natalie Keft Music Tuition will spend the whole morning in a workshop with over 50 primary school students from the Coffs Coast, culminating in a lunchtime concert”, according to conductor Greg Ellsmore.

“The children have been learning their music in their school bands for some months now. In the workshop, Coffs City Orchestra will rehearse with them and provide some education on instruments of the orchestra they may not be so familiar with.”said Mr Ellsmore, “We hope they will thoroughly enjoy making music with us and, of course, we hope to see some of them joining the orchestra in future years”.

Local music teacher Natalie Keft has been teaching and coordinating the children who come mostly from Sawtell Public, Tyalla Public, Mary Help of Christians in Sawtell, Urunga Public and St Francis Xavier in Woolgoolga and has had strong cooperation from those schools involved.

“Most of the children are real beginners, learning an instrument for the first time, while a few are quite polished musicians. We have budding flautists, clarinetists, trumpet and other brass players, keyboard players and percussionists.” Natalie Keft said.

The morning of rehearsing will finish with a public concert timed so that parents, grandparents, teachers and others can take a break from their work day and come and listen to the results.

“Coffs City Orchestra plus an additional 50 odd instrumentalists should be a great sound and a terrific early Father’s Day present for all the Dads of our up and coming Coffs musicians.” says Greg Ellsmore, “And most importantly a large number of local kids will have a lot of fun making music”.

The concert performance starts at 12.30 and entrance is free, but a small donation would be appreciated if you enjoy the concert.

On Sunday 3 August at 2pm, Coffs Harbour City Orchestra and friends will perform their winter concert at the Nambucca Entertainment Centre in Ridge Street.

“The concert will include a performance of Handel’s Fireworks music which is very exciting music and I’m sure it will warm everyone up”, Conductor Greg Ellsmore said

Coffs Harbour City Orchestra includes instrumentalists from as far north as Corindi and Arrawarra, as far west as Ulong and Bellingen and as far south as Nambucca Heads and Urunga.

“Choirs and choral music have had a recent surge in popularity and we have two very different local choirs performing as part of the concert. Ian Becker is bringing along his all-boys choir, ‘The Bellinger Blokes’ and the St John’s Anglican Choir from Nambucca will also be singing”, according to Greg Ellsmore.

The concert will include a broad range of orchestral and choral music with the focus on celebratory music, to warm our winter souls.

So, come along and enjoy some rousing music. Entrance costs are $10 for adults, $5 concession for pensioners and children under 12 are welcome, free of charge. Afternoon tea will be available after the performance when there will be plenty of opportunity to mingle with the performers.

Two talented local pianists will return home for a special gala concert in the Princess Room at Sawtell RSL Club, 2pm Sunday 18 May. The two young Coffs men, Sam Huybregts and Adam Herd, are both currently studying at the QLD Conservatorium of Music.

“Sam Huybregts will perform the spectacular Warsaw concerto with the Orchestra as well as entertaining us with a solo piece. Sam is undertaking further study in Germany later this year, so it’s a great opportunity to hear him perform before he heads overseas,” according to Greg Ellsmore, conductor of Coffs Orchestra.

Sam Huybregts was a student of Toormina High School and was Young Sawtellian of the Year in 2003, a young man we can all be proud of.

“And then we have a rare opportunity to hear a performance that is a warm up for the prestigious Sydney International Piano Competition. Adam Herd is one of only five Australians through to the finals and we’ll get to hear him play a couple of solos that he’ll perform for the judges later in the year”, Greg Ellsmore said.

Adam Herd grew up in Coffs, where his parents still live. He made his concerto debut with the QLD Orchestra and is a winner of numerous competitions including the Keys Australian National Piano competition and the QLD Piano Competition. He will compete against pianists from Europe, China, Japan, Korea and the US in the Sydney International Piano Competition this year.

“This is a great chance to hear a world class pianist on stage in Sawtell. He’s knocked out more than 200 top pianists to get to the finals of the Sydney International Piano Competition… a great achievement.” said Greg Ellsmore “This will be a fantastic concert and we hope that local aspiring pianists will come along to hear these two local lads who are making big names for themselves in the world of music.”

Coffs Orchestra will also entertain the audience with a number of items from film and musicals. Tickets can be purchased at the door (adults $10; pensioner/student concession $5 and children under 12 free [must be in the company of an adult]).

Coffs Harbour City Orchestra will feature in the first half of a special concert for Seniors Week to be held Sunday 6 April at 2pm in the Bellingen Memorial Hall, Hyde St, Bellingen.

“The orchestra will play some of the classics such as Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Schubert’s Rosamunde Overture, but will also include a medley from the musical, ‘West Side Story’,” said Greg Ellsmore, conductor of Coffs City Orchestra, “so there will be something for everyone regardless of age”.

“We want to help provide an entertaining concert for our senior citizens and their friends to kick off Senior’s Week – a time when we should all take a bit of time to reflect on the contribution our more elderly citizens make, and have made, to our community” he explained.

The Orchestra’s performance at the concert is supported by an ArtsNSW grant from Orchestras Australia and is one of a series of concerts in Coffs Harbour, Woolgoolga, Bellingen and Sawtell, targetting different age groups in our community.

“The Orchestra itself is made up of players ranging from teenagers to those in their seventies, so we’re keen to reach out to all age-groups in our concert performances. You’re never too young or too old to enjoy listening to music!” Greg Ellsmore said.

During the second half of the concert, the audience will be treated to performances by some local guest artists performing poetry, singing, playing instruments and dancing. The line-up illustrates the wealth of local talent in our area.

The slogan for Seniors Week is “Live Life” and that will certainly be very evident in Bellingen.

All age groups are welcome at the concert, entry is free for everyone and there is afternoon tea during intermission. So come along, bring family and friends….and treat the seniors you know to a relaxing afternoon’s entertainment in Bellingen.