Acrpost: A Project of the Pacific Association of Artist Run Centres

Event Description

The Civic Orchestra of Victoria will perform the final concert of its 30th season on Saturday, May 3, 2014 at 7:00PM. This concert features exceptional Victoria talent, including conductor Peter Butterfield, and Victoria's own Walter Prossnitz, who is traveling from Europe to perform Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 with the Orchestra.



Program:

Wagner - Prelude to "Die Meistersinger"

Rachmaninoff - Piano Concerto No. 2

Sibelius - Symphony No. 2



Walter Prossnitz and Peter Butterfield both grew up in Victoria and as adolescents they attended the same school and found themselves in the Victoria Music Festival together. Walter went on to study piano in Vienna and New York, where he earned his Bachelors and Masters Degrees from the Julliard School. Peter studied Economics and Music at McGill University and made his professional singing debut as tenor soloist in Handel's Messiah with the Montreal Symphony in 1982.

Peter moved to Europe in 1987 and continued his vocal studies and the building of his solo tenor career in Manchester, Florence and London. He began conducting alongside his singing in 1995, and was associate conductor of I Solisti del Madrigale in Florence for several years. Peter has performed as a tenor soloist and led choral retreats and workshops on the West Coast since moving back here in 2001 and was appointed Director of the Victoria Philharmonic Choir in 2009. He also teaches Senior Choral Music at St. Michael's University School.

Since 1987 Walter has lived in Switzerland, pursuing a career as a performer and teacher. He has played 45 different concertos by 27 composers with orchestras in 9 countries, including at Carnegie Hall, in London, Mexico City, Montreal, Munich, Zurich and Washington D.C. In 2011 he was named Head of Keyboard at the Victoria Conservatory of Music, and spent the 2012-13 year in Victoria before returning to Europe. During that time he reconnected with Peter Butterfield while teaching Peter's son the piano. Peter suggested the idea of a collaboration and, like so many of us, has always loved Rachmaninoff's second concerto. Walter, who enjoys every opportunity to visit, agreed to return to Victoria to play it.



This is a long-anticipated performance of some of the most breathtaking music to come out of the Romantic Era. Both Walter and Peter, as well as the Orchestra, look forward to it enormously.



Tickets:

General - $22 / Seniors - $18 / Students - $10 / Children under 12 - Free