Melbourne International Singers Festival 2018 Welcomes Antony Pitts, From The Song Company

In the lead up to our 9th annual Melbourne International Singers Festival, we unfortunately have to advise that due to ill health, Richard Gill AO has to withdraw from the Melbourne International Singers Festival.

Richard very much regrets not being able to proceed and wishes all participants a rewarding and enjoyable Festival. Of course, we all wish Richard a speedy recovery and we are hoping that he will be able to join us as our Guest Conductor at the Melbourne International Singers Festival in future.

We are delighted to announce, however, that renowned Australian conductor, ANTONY PITTS, will be replacing Richard as our Guest Conductor, courtesy of The Song Company, leading our festival choruses, workshops & masterclasses

Antony Pitts is a composer, conductor, producer, and recipient of the Radio Academy BT Award, the Prix Italia, and a Cannes Classical Award.

A Chapel Royal treble, Academic and Honorary Senior Scholar at New College, Oxford, founder of British ensemble TONUS PEREGRINUS, Senior Lecturer at the Royal Academy of Music, and Senior Producer at BBC Radio 3, he made his Glastonbury Festival debut in 2014, and in 2016 joined The Song Company, Australia's premier vocal ensemble, as the first new Artistic Director for a quarter of a century.

Commissioned for, among others, Alexander Litvinenko, Cheltenham Festival, King's College London, New College Oxford, Rundfunkchor Berlin, The Swingles, and Westminster Cathedral, with premières of his music in Wigmore Hall, Concertgebouw, Philharmonie Kammermusiksaal, and Sydney Opera House, and releases on Challenge Records, Delphian, Hyperion, Harmonia Mundi, Naxos, Novum, Signum, and Unknown Public, including the Missa Unitatis and the oratorio-musical Jerusalem-Yerushalayim.

Critical acclaim for Antony's music tends towards hyperbole: "...My first impulse on hearing this disc was to commend it unreservedly to each and every man, woman, and child on the planet...". Antony is currently working on a music theatre piece with Adrian Self called The Process.

You can still register if you would like to take part in the Festival.

BE CHALLENGED, INSPIRED & ENTERTAINED at #MISF18

Thursday June 7 - Monday 11 2018

(Queen's Birthday Weekend)

Deakin Edge

Tickets are also on sale for our concert program, featuring a wonderful mix of fantastic choirs, ensembles and premieres. Our program includes

· The internationally acclaimed, award winning The Song Company with Artistic Director, Antony Pitts, in "True Love Story" on Friday 8th June at 7.30pm.

· The exciting young talents of XL Arts Inc. present a recital of music by Chopin and associated composers in "Chopin in Song" on Sunday 10th June at 2.30pm.

· Our two "Festival Showcase Concerts" on Saturday 9th June at 7.30pm and on Sunday 10th June at 7pm, respectively feature a wonderful mix of choirs taking part in the Festival. These include The Choir of Hard Knocks, MEN ALOUD!, Divine Divas of Sunbury, The Velvetones, Choir of Southern Lights, THECHO!R, Southern Sistars and Southern Brothers.

· Our Festival Finale Concert featuring the 300 voice Massed Festival Chorus led by Antony, Women's Festival Chorus led by Claire Patti, Men's Festival Chorus led by Dr Jonathon Welch AM, Choir of Hard Knocks plus a selection of festival choirs and artists on Monday 11th June at 2.30pm.

Please go to http://schoolofhardknocks.org.au for all the details and to book. We would love to see you there!

We can't wait for another extraordinary weekend of workshops, educational experiences and performances that will leave you challenged, inspired and entertained! Dr Jonathon Welch AM, Founding Artistic Director

Proceeds support the School of Hard Knocks in providing arts and cultural programs to the vulnerable and marginalised in our community.

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