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Anthony Marwood

November 2013

  • Noé Harsel

Anthony Marwood, internationally celebrated British violinist, is renowned as a charismatic soloist, artistic director and collaborator. Recognised for his richness and artistry in performances, Marwood has been likened to the classical music world’s equivalent of a rock star (The Age).

A regular visitor to Australia, he performs frequently as a soloist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, Chamber Orchestra of Europe, LA Philharmonic and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. He returns to Melbourne in November this year to perform and direct at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).

His formidable technique, versatility and exceptional artistry found him named “Instrumentalist of the Year” by the Royal Philharmonic Society in 2006, confirming him as one of the leading violinists of his generation. While an enthusiastic chamber musician, Marwood is a noted interpreter of modern and contemporary work, having premiered many new violin concertos, often written especially for him.

Marwood says that “difficulty for the sake of it doesn’t interest me very much”. He is much more attracted by musical challenges with an over-arching artistic intent. He has built a reputation for playing non-standard repertoire, bringing critical acclaim and public awareness to music that might be otherwise overlooked.

One such piece will have its Australian premiere in Melbourne, Kurt Weill’s Concerto for Violin & Winds. A diverse and courageous composer, Weill is best known for his collaboration with Bertolt Brecht, with whom created one of music theatre’s biggest hits, The Threepenny Opera.

Kurt Weill (1900-1950) was born in Germany, later emigrating to the United States, wholeheartedly becoming American: “I never felt the oneness with my native country that I do with the United States,” he said. His Americanisation was so enthusiastic he even anglicised the pronunciation of his surname from ‘vile’ to ‘wile’.

His interest in music was evident at an early age and he was acknowledged as a wunderkind. By 12 years old, he was already composing and performing for concerts and theatre. He studied under Engelbert Humperdinck and later the pianist and composer Ferruccio Busnoi, who became his mentor.

Composed in 1924, during the Berlin years that he later tried to forget, the Concert for Violin & Winds was actually the first of his instrumental works to become popular. Unique in its combination of sounds and diabolical in its technical demands, it is rarely played. Perhaps these attributes are exactly what draw Anthony Marwood to performing it here.

Melbourne will have two opportunities to hear the virtuosity and interpretive imagination of Anthony Marwood with musicians form the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).

The first performance will feature Marwood as chamber musician, with a pair of octets, those by Mendelssohn and the Schubert: Friday 29 November, 11am, all tickets $25.

The Australian premiere of Kurt Weill’s Concerto for Violin & Winds will be on Saturday December 7 at 7pm, in a concert that also features him directing Beethoven’s ever-popular Pastoral Symphony. Tickets: full $55, seniors $40 and concession $30.

Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), 210 Bank Street South Melbourne. Phone (03) 9645 7911.

anam.com.au

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Photo by Pia Johnson
 

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