Great Romantics Festival marks a decade of celebration

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/AlanWalker.jpg” caption=”Alan Walker, emeritus professor of music, founded the Great Romantics Festival in 1994.”]McMaster has been spreading “romance” for 10 years through its Great Romantics Festival.

This year, to mark its tenth anniversary, several special concerts have been arranged for the celebration, which takes place Oct. 7-9.

“Across the last decade, the seamless collaboration between McMaster University, the City of Hamilton, and The American Liszt Society, has enabled us to bring more than 100 performing artists to the festival, some of them of international distinction,” says emeritus professor of music Alan Walker, who founded the festival in 1994. “As in previous years, the festival will maintain its international flavour, and the artists will represent six different nations.”

Highlights of this year's festival include the Sibelius Violin Concerto, played by British virtuoso violinist Jonathan Carney, with the Hamilton Philharmonic Orchestra in Hamilton Place; the recital by the young Korean prize-winning pianist Esther Jung-A Park, in Convocation Hall; and the perennially popular Piano Gala, in which six concert pianists will perform all of Chopin's Studies in the Centenary United Church. Besides this, there are Lieder recitals and chamber music recitals.

The annual festival, presented by McMaster's School of the Arts, the City of Hamilton and The American Liszt Society, will conclude with the traditional Candlelight Banquet in the Webster Room of the Hamilton Convention Centre.

Some events are held in Convocation Hall at McMaster, while others will take place at the Great Hall, Hamilton Place, Centenary United Church (on Main St. near James St.) and Christ's Church Cathedral on James St. North.

Admission is free to festival events for students, while for others, the registration fee of $125 gives admission to most performances. Tickets are also available at the door.

For further information, including program and registration information, visit www.artset.net/greatromantics.html or phone the festival box office at ext. 23674.