2013 Morning Melodies Concerts Now on Sale at Arts Centre Melbourne

Arts Centre Melbourne's much-loved concert series Morning Melodies returns in 2013 to Hamer Hall and celebrates 29 years of popular daytime entertainment. Replicated in arts centres across Australia, Morning Melodies continues to present high-quality entertainment at an affordable ticket price. The 2013 program promises to thrill and delight audiences with 10 concerts by some of Australia's favourite musicians, which this year include songstress Katie Noonan, star of the new production Chitty Chitty Bang Bang David Hobson, and trumpeter extraordinaire James Morrison.

"For more than 28 years Morning Melodies has cultivated a devoted audience for an ever-changing program of entertainmentment during the daytime and regularly attracts capacity houses," said Arts Centre Melbourne Chief Executive Judith Isherwood. "According to our calculations, during this time more than half a million people have experienced these terrific concerts - many from the outset - and the 2013 series is once again proving extraordinarily popular."

Highlights from the 2013 program include the opening concert in February James Morrison in Concert with Hetty Kate. James Morrison AM has played with all-time greats including Dizzy Gillespie, B.B. King, and Wynton Marsalis and his stellar career spans several decades. Hetty Kate, one of Melbourne's most popular jazz singers, will share her charming vocals with the multi-instrumental talent of James Morrison in a concert that celebrates jazz and musical theatre greats such as George Gershwin, Col Porter and Peggy Lee.

In April, Anne-Maree McDonald and Stuart Maunder present their ANZAC tribute concert We'll Meet Again. This concert celebrates Australia's brave war heroes and retells stories of mateship and sacrifice from the Great War. Audiences will be moved by classic war songs from the period, including We'll Meet Again, Wish Me Luck as You Wave Me Goodbye andKiss Me Goodnight Sergeant Major along with iconic Aussie favourites When a Boy From Alabama Meets a Girl from Gundaghai, Chin Up! Cheerio! Carry On! and Brown Slouch Hat.

Two of a Kind starring Katie and Maggie Noonan will see the incomparable mother-daughter duo take to the stage in July. Katie Noonan's classical coaching since childhood gave her technique, range and vocal powers that brought an ARIA Award for Best New Artist in 2001 and continued commercial and critical success. For that solid early training and a vocal genetic disposition, the person she thanks most is her own mum, Maggie. Maggie Noonan is a classical soprano whose great talent has seen her grace opera and concert stages in Australia and Europe.

In Step in Time: Music for Ballet in August, Orchestra Victoria performs a very special concert dedicated to the timeless classics from some of the world's greatest and most memorable music scores for ballet. With songs hand-picked by The Australian Ballet's Artistic Director David McAllister and conducted by The Australian Ballet's Chief Conductor and Music Director Nicolette Fraillon, this concert will warm the hearts of all.

Other highlights throughout the year include, David Hobson, who will perform in a spectacular one-man revue, a tribute to Doris Day by the Janet Seidel Trio, the ever-popular The Australian Ballet School and a showcase of Victorian Opera's Stars of Tomorrow.

For further details on Morning Melodies, visit artscentremelbourne.com.au or pick up an On Guide from one of the venues. For more information Arts Centre Melbourne and its events, pick up a copy of the 2013 Program Highlights brochure, read it online at artscentremelbourne.com.au or phone 1300 182 183. Become a fan of Arts Centre Melbourne on Facebook or follow @artscentremelb on Twitter.

Pictured: James Morrison, left, Hetty Kate, right.