Waverley Randwick Philharmonic Society Inc

US conductor to take reins of Sydney orchestra
US conductor David Robertson has been appointed as the new chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Newly discovered Mozart piece performed in Salzburg
A newly discovered Mozart piano piece composed when the child prodigy was 11 years old has been presented and performed for the first time in his former family home.

How Beethoven's deafness shaped his music
Progressive deafness profoundly influenced Beethoven's compositions, prompting him to choose lower-frequency notes as his condition worsened, scientists said.

Israeli orchestra performs in Germany
Austrian Roberto Paternostro conducts an Israeli orchestra during a concert in the southern German town of Bayreuth on July 26, 2011. The first-ever performance by the ensemble was on the sidelines of the 100th edition of the Richard Wagner opera festival.

One Plus One - Friday 01 April
This episode of One Plus One features Canadian singer KD Lang and Australian-born guitarist John Williams.

Wollongong Symphony Orchestra suspends concert series
The Wollongong Symphony orchestra has suspended its 2011 concert series due to a lack of funding.

Italian conductor wins $1m prize
Italian conductor Riccardo Muti has won the $1 million Birgit Nilsson prize, the biggest reward in classical music.

Ramones, Julie Andrews receive lifetime Grammys
Punk pioneers the Ramones, British actress and singer Julie Andrews and jazz drummer Roy Haynes are among the diverse musical stars who have received Grammy Awards for lifetime achievement.

Sting discusses his reinvention
Musician Sting speaks to the ABC's Kesha West about reinventing himself as he performs alongside the world's leading orchestras.

A music institution closes its doors
Canberra's classical music store Abels Music has announced it will be closing down and moving sales online after 35 years in the industry.

Researchers diagnose Chopin with epilepsy
Researchers who have been looking into the health problems of the 19th century composer Frederic Chopin say he probably suffered from epilepsy.

Classical musician moonlights as garbage collector
An Israeli garbage collector leads a double life as an internationally-renowned classical musician.

Indian dancers glide into record books
As many as 2,800 Kuchipudi dancers have entered the Guinness Book of World Records for the largest performance of the classical Indian dance.

Top orchestra plays down-under
The Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra is on a rare trip to Australia.

Sorrowful Songs composer Gorecki dies
Polish composer Henryk Mikolaj Gorecki, who became one of the best-selling classical artists ever with his doleful Symphony of Sorrowful Songs, has died after a long illness at the age of 76.

Dame Joan farewelled at Opera House
Australian opera singer Dame Joan Sutherland has been remembered at a state memorial ceremony in Sydney.

First public outing for Newcastle's monster piano
It is hoped a Newcastle-built piano being played publicly in Australia for the first time tonight, will inspire composers to write more expansive works.

Israeli musicians won't be playing Wagner
A German music festival has withdrawn an invitation for an Israeli orchestra to play at its annual celebration of Richard Wagner's music, for fear it could provoke a backlash in the Jewish state.

Love and Rhinestones
David Williamson's latest play explores the relationship between a classical musician and retired country singer.

Classy glamour
Musicians arrive for the Classical Brit Awards in London's Royal Albert Hall.

Mozart doesn't make you smarter: study
Listening to Mozart does not actually make you more intelligent, contradicting a popular 1993 study that first coined the Mozart effect, Austrian researchers say.

Pope up for Classical Brit
Pope Benedict, whose voice is features on an album of music from the Vatican, has been nominated for a Classical Brit Award.

Wall St alive with the sound of Chopin
Wall Street is the unlikely venue this week for 200 hours of Frederic Chopin performances by an eclectic line-up of pianists to celebrate the 200th anniversary of the birth of composer.

QSO keeps its conductor for three more years
The Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) has extended its contract with existing conductor Johannes Fritzsch for another three years.

Richard Tognetti's Gong
The Australian Chamber Orchestra leader receives an AO for services to music.

Did strep throat kill Mozart?
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's death at the age of 35 may have been caused by complications stemming from strep throat, according to a Dutch study.

Mozart's 'missing link' performed
Two piano pieces recently identified as childhood creations by the legendary composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have been performed for the first time.

One of two newly discovered musical pieces written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart
One of two newly discovered musical pieces written by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart sits on display in a house where the master composer once lived in Salzburg, Austria, on August 2, 2009. The concerto movement and a prelude were originally judged by their archivist, the International Mozarteum Foundation, to be anonymous works. Further analysis determined they had been composed by Mozart when he was 7 or 8-years-old.

New pieces found by Mozart
Two recently discovered works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart have been played for the first time.

Pope signs record deal
Pope Benedict XVI has signed a record deal, and will sing and recite poetry on his own album.

Members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra (YTSO) rehearse
Members of the YouTube Symphony Orchestra (YTSO) rehearse under the direction of conductor Michael Tilson Thomas at the Juilliard School in New York City on April 14, 2009. The orchestra comprises some 90 musicians who auditioned on the YouTube website and will perform at New York's Carnegie Hall on April 15. Hailing from more than 30 countries, members of the YTSO practiced for the concert at home and received online tutorials from some of the world's top musicians.

Researchers eye lead poisoning as composer Handel's temper
A new theory suggests lead poisoning from too much wine was behind composer Handel's legendary temper.

Passion for opera like 'love at first sight'
Devotees of opera find their passion for opera is like love at first sight, starting with an initial explosive emotion, according a US study.

Orchestra's acoustic woes almost over
Long-running acoustic problems at Hobart's Federation Concert Hall, the home of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, will soon be over.

Melbourne Recital Centre opens
Melbourne's newest performing arts centre has been officially opened, near the Arts Centre in Southbank.

A musician from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra performs a 'Symphony in the Sea'
A musician from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra performs a 'Symphony in the Sea' at North Cottesloe Beach in Perth on December 2, 2008. Dressed in full orchestral attire and wielding their own instruments, the performance is the latest in a series of 'surreal human sculptures' by artist Andrew Baines.

Motion to save music academy withdrawn
The Federal Arts Minister says he is confident he has allayed the concerns of staff and students at Melbourne's Academy of Music.

Classical musicians get shot of fame on YouTube
YouTube will take classical music out of pricey concert halls and bring it to the masses by holding an online competition where the public chooses musicians to play at New York's Carnegie Hall.

Violin-wielding students protest against academy closure
Students and teachers from the Australian National Academy of Music have played classical music in Parliament House to protest against the school's closure.

Greens question closure of music academy
The Greens say the Federal Government still needs to answer significant questions about the closure of the Australian National Academy of Music.

Garrett refuses to reinstate music academy's funding
Arts Minister Peter Garrett refuses to reinstate funding for a national classical music academy.

First Cut: New era for Sydney's Symphony
The world renowned conductor Vladimir Ashkenazy has revealed some of his ambitious plans for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Regional town hosts top pianists
Every two years the regional town of Shepparton plays host to some of the country's top pianists while they prepare for the Australian National Piano Awards.

Bocelli arrives in Perth
Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli has arrived in Perth on his private jet for the the final leg of his Australian tour.

Top musicians honoured at classical awards
Australia's top musicians have been honoured at the Classical Music Awards.

Musicians hit Sydney for 'piano Olympics'
The Sydney International Piano Competition is often dubbed the piano Olympics for its intensity and four-year cycle.

Young pianist overcomes adversity
Twenty-three-year-old Alexander Gavrylyuk overcame a car accident in which he nearly lost his life as a teenager, and is now regarded as one of the greatest pianists of his generation.

The ASIMO humanoid robot conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra
The ASIMO humanoid robot conducts the Detroit Symphony Orchestra in Detroit, Michigan, on May 13, 2008. ASIMO brought attention to the newly established The Power of Dreams Music Education Fund for Detroit youth at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) by conducting the orchestra as it performed The Impossible Dream to open a special sold-out concert featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Silver lining for storm-damaged concert hall
The Australian National University's Llewellyn Hall will reopen tonight more than a year after it was severely damaged by a hail storm.

Cellos hit the right note
Plans are being made for a biennial cello festival because the inaugural event in Adelaide has hit the right note.

Conductor revives lost music of Holocaust
An American conductor is trying to restore the lost music of the Holocaust before history forgets.

Experts create new image of Bach
Contrary to popular belief, German composer Bach was thick-set with closely-shorn hair.

Reconstruction of the face of Johann Sebastian Bach
An image from the 'Bachhaus Eisenach' Museum on February 28, 2008, shows a reconstruction of the face of late German composer Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750), after Dr Caroline Wilkinson, senior lecturer in Forensic Anthropology at the University of Dundee in Scotland, managed to reconstruct Bach's face from his skull.

Young classical musicians gather in Canberra
Australia's best young classical musicians have assembled in Canberra for a national band camp.

Top violinist to release record for free online
A top British violinist is to release her next record for free on the internet, in a bid to break down the elitist image of classic music.

The New York Philharmonic Orchestra
The New York Philharmonic Orchestra performs during a rehearsal in the re-consecrated Frauenkirche, Church of Our Lady, in Dresden, Germany, in November, 2005.

JBT, Sneaky Sound System nominated for AIR Awards
The John Butler Trio and Sneaky Sound System dominate the AIR Awards short-list.

Public opinion meets prestige at Gramophone Awards
Classical music is asserting its populist credentials, with the 2007 edition of the prestigious Gramophone Awards having conducted the genre's biggest public vote.

Violinist David Juritz
International concert violinist David Juritz plays with members of the Hout Bay Music Project during a workshop near Cape Town, July 4, 2007.

Sibelius project an Aussie first
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) says the success of its Jean Sibelius festival earlier in the year has prompted an invitation to record all of his symphonies.

Pavarotti to leave hospital soon: wife
Ailing Italian opera great Luciano Pavarotti, in hospital in the northern city of Modena, "is better" and will be discharged soon, his wife Nicoletta Mantovani told reporters.

Festival Centre debt wiped out
The Adelaide Festival Centre's $28 million debt will be wiped out by the South Australian Government.

Compromise mooted over Broome didgeridoo ban
A prominent Aboriginal Elder says a decision by some of Broome's native title holders, to limit the use of the didgeridoo, could be overturned.

Hilltop Hoods go classical
An unlikely musical partnership between one of Australia's most successful hip-hop groups and a classical orchestra is taking place in Adelaide.

McCartney nabs classical music award
Beatles legend Sir Paul McCartney has won the album of the year gong at the Classical Brit Awards with a record inspired by his late first wife, Linda.

The daughter of Mstislav Rostropovich, Yelena (l) and his wife Galina Vishnevskaya, mourn
The daughter of Mstislav Rostropovich, Yelena (l), and his wife Galina Vishnevskaya, mourn at his funeral.

Russia bids farewell to legendary cellist
Russians have farewelled Mstislav Rostropovich, the music legend who became a powerful emblem of resistance to the Soviet communist system.

Russian cellist Rostropovich dies
Legendary Russian cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, who became a powerful emblem of resistance to the Soviet communist system, has died in Moscow at the age of 80, his spokeswoman told AFP.

Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy with fellow classical musicians
LtoR Maestro Vladimir Ashkenazy with pianist Alexey Yemtsov, Co-Concert Master Dene Olding, Principal Viola Roger Benedict, Nov 06.

Orchestra receives special gift
An anonymous benefactor has lent one of the rarest violins in the world to the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Vietnamese farmer finds Mozart makes pigs fatter
A Vietnamese pig farmer says he has found a novel way to boost productivity: by exposing his 3,000 hogs to the melodies of Beethoven, Mozart and Schubert while they have their snouts in the trough.

Mozart piano score discovered in Salzburg
A hitherto unknown piano score extremely likely to be by the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has been discovered in the composer's birthplace Salzburg, Austrian broadcaster ORF said on Wednesday.

Classical music duo music to Aust ears
Two leading Australian classical musicians have come together to premier a new orchestral work in Australia.

NT conductor raises Bach conspiracy theory
The conductor of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra has accused classical composer Johan Sebastian Bach of plagiarism, saying that his wife could have written some of the works.

Behind every great composer...
It is not often that one of the world's great composers is accused of plagiarising his wife's work, but a Darwin music expert has cast doubt on whether Johann Sebastian Bach wrote all his own material.

Birthday boy Mozart gets bash fit for a genius
The hills are alive with the sound of Mozart for his 250th birthday in Salzburg on Friday, and it is music to the ears of businessmen, musicians and tourists alike.

Mozart's musical diary goes online
A musical diary by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart has gone online, allowing people to browse handwritten pages from the composer's catalogue and listen to the opening bars of rarely performed works.

Lead poisoning killed Beethoven, tests show
Tests on the hair and skull fragments of Ludwig van Beethoven show the legendary 19th century German composer died from lead poisoning.

Beethoven manuscript sells for nearly $2.7m
A unique manuscript by Ludwig van Beethoven that was lost for more than a century has been sold at auction $2.7 million to an anonymous buyer.

SA pianist wins young performers award
An Adelaide pianist has won a national award for young classical musicians.

Beethoven's skull identified in US
Genetic testing has revealed that chunks of bone at a Ludwig van Beethoven centre in California came from the skull of the revered composer, the centre says.

Polish pianist wins prestigious Chopin competition
Rafal Blechacz, 20, has become the first Pole in 30 years to win the Chopin International Piano Competition, one of the world's most prestigious contests of its kind.

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra hopes to strike chord with youngsters
The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) says it is trying to broaden its appeal and reach new audiences.

Beethoven manuscript rediscovered after 115 years
A handwritten, working manuscript of one of Beethoven's most revolutionary works had been rediscovered after 115 years by a librarian in Pennsylvania, triggering fevered excitement among music historians.

Fine arts community honoured at awards
The best in Australian classical, jazz and world music have been honoured at the ARIA Fine Arts awards in Sydney.

Maestro Giulini dies aged 91
Carlo Maria Giulini, a celebrated Italian maestro, has died at the age of 91.

Unknown Bach composition discovered
Researchers in Germany have discovered a previously unknown composition by Johann Sebastian Bach.

Czech musician denies he's the mystery piano man
A Czech classical musician has appeared on television to deny he is the mysterious mute pianist found last month wandering on an English beach.

Budget orchestrates plan to take music into schools
The Canberra Symphony Orchestra says it will to take classical music into schools after receiving federal funding for the first time.

Funding pledge cheers SA orchestra
Uncertainty over the future of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has ended, with news of a $9 million injection of state and federal government funding.

Stradivari violin fetches record auction price
A Stradivari violin has sold for just over $US2 million at auction in New York, smashing the previous world record for a musical instrument.

Prince Charles remembers Queen Mother with song
Prince Charles is honouring his late grandmother, the Queen Mother, with a specially commissioned piece of classical music, the composer has revealed.

Tasmania celebrates 200 years of music
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra performed a 160 year-old local composition at its Bicentennial concert in Hobart last night.

New recordings of iconic pianist unearthed
An Australian music fan who has revealed he recorded performances by iconic pianist William Kapell, who died at age 31 in a 1953 plane crash, has created a stir in the music world.

Spare bullfighter charges into 'Carmen'
A spare bullfighter was fortunately in the house when Escamillo the toreador fell victim to a minor heart attack in the middle of Bizet's Carmen.

Honourary doctorate makes Helfgott shine
Classical pianist David Helfgott will receive an honorary doctorate for his contribution to the arts at Edith Cowan University's graduation ceremony at the Perth concert hall.

Violinist finds arm-wrestling is also his forte
A classically trained British violinist is preparing to battle a world champion arm-wrestler and says regular bouts of the pub sport have sharpened his fiddle-playing.

Darwin amphitheatre to get $400k extension
Darwin's Lord Mayor hopes new extensions to the city's amphitheatre will attract a variety of musical performers.

Expectant mums and babies to tap into Mozart's 'healing power'
A British millionaire convinced of the "healing power" of the music of Mozart for mothers-to-be and newborns will host a series of piano recitals at which they will be his guests.

Beethoven manuscript fetches $2.8m
A 178-year-old signed manuscript by Ludwig van Beethoven sold for nearly $2.8 million (1.2 million pounds) at auction in London on Friday.

Israeli pianist serenades Palestinians in Ramallah
Controversial Israeli pianist and conductor Daniel Barenboim, has given a concert for Palestinians in Ramallah in the West Bank.

Music festival ends on high note
The Australian Festival of Chamber Music has come to an end, with a sell-out concert at St James' Cathedral yesterday afternoon in the north Queensland city of Townsville.

Deaf student awarded music degree
A Canberra student who was born profoundly deaf has graduated with a degree in music.

Aussie conductor gets Hamburg Opera gig
Australian conductor Simone Young has signed a five-year contract as musical director of the Hamburg State Opera, and will also take on a management role.

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