Gallipoli Symphony premiere
Commissioned by the Australian Department of Veterans’ Affairs and supported by the Turkish Ministry for Culture and Tourism as part of the 2015 Year of Friendship and during the 100th anniversary year of the Gallipoli Campaign, the World Premiere of Gallipoli Symphony was conducted at the historically-significant Hagia Irene Monumental Museum in Istanbul on Tuesday 4 August 2015. The work contains music by Australian, Turkish and New Zealand composers including Andrew Schultz’s orchestral work, August Offensive.
It was performed to an invitation-only audience by the Istanbul State Symphony Orchestra under the direction of United Kingdom-based Australian conductor, Jessica Cottis. Specialist soloist musicians Michael Askill (percussion), William Barton (didgeridoo), Horomona Horo (Maori instruments), Julian Jackson (harmonica) and Omar Faruk Tekbilek (Turkish instruments) featured throughout the performance. A combined choir including representatives from the St Joseph’s Gregory Terrace – All Hallow’s Gallipoli Choir (Australia) and the (Turkish) State Opera and Ballet provided vocal accompaniment in the first and final movements of the Symphony.
Gallipoli Symphony was also performed by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra/Cottis in Brisbane, at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre – Concert Hall, on Tuesday 24 November 2015 at 7:30pm. Details: http://qso.com.au/special-events/gallipoli-symphony
The ABC-TV broadcast of the Istanbul performance was available on i-view until 20 August 2015: http://iview.abc.net.au/programs/gallipoli-symphony/FA1425H001S00
The ABC-TV production of the Istanbul performance is also available on DVD
The ABC Classics recording of the Brisbane performance is available on CD and via digital download and streaming including Apple Music and Spotify.
Useful links
Read more about August Offensive and its premiere at Gallipoli in 2013: http://wp.me/p28SRX-5E
Hear an excerpt of August Offensive and read a brief interview about the piece and the Gallipoli Symphony project: http://newsroom.unsw.edu.au/news/social-affairs/musical-tributes-anzac-centenary
Get a recording of August Offensive from iTunes: https://itunes.apple.com/au/album/schultz-august-offensive-for/id836022448
Read Gordon Williams program note for August Offensive.