Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra Opens its 2018 Four-Concert Series

Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra opens its 2018 four-concert series with two performances at spectacular St Columba's Church in Paddington on Saturday 24 and Sunday 25 March.

Marking his conducting debut, Principal Sydney Symphony Orchestra cellist, Umberto Clerici directs the WPO's first program of 2018 with the Australian premiere of John Rutter's sumptuous Five Meditations for Orchestra and Beethoven's spectacular Symphony Number 1. Also featured are the remarkable talents of Daniel Pini in Schumann's spell-binding Cello Concerto in A minor.

This is Umberto's first conducting engagement and the Orchestra adores him! Born and educated in Turin, he won countless prizes as a cellist throughout Europe, played in some of the world's great orchestras under many legendary conductors, performed and recorded as soloist and - in 2014 - accepted the position of Principal Cellist with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Umberto lecturers in cello at Sydney University where he now also studies conducting.
Now a Paddington local, he attended a WPO concert last year and was duly impressed.

Daniel Pini (below centre) is Umberto's student and could well be described as having been born into Australian musical 'royalty'! He is the son of Jane Hazelwood and Carl Pini (each high profile SSO musicians and renowned soloists themselves) both of whom have also previously performed with the WPO as soloists.

Daniel is also the grandson of former SSO concertmaster Donald Hazelwood. A graduate and scholarship winner of the Sydney Conservatorium of music, he has performed as rank and file member and soloist with numerous orchestras in Australia and Europe and is a 2018 SSO cello Fellow.

2018 also sees the announcement of the WPO's long-awaited new Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Lee Bracegirdle. Published scholar, composer and outstanding French horn player, Lee (below right) will conduct the September concert featuring popular WPO flute soloist Bridget Bolliger and world-famous clarinettist Dimitri Ashkenazy (son of the legendary international pianist and recent SSO chief conductor!).

Tickets at door $30/$25/$20 | Children under 12 free
Bookings www.Ticketbooth.com.au
More information: www.wpo.org.au