Classical pianist heads festival line-up

One of Australia's most brilliant and versatile young classical pianists, Simon Tedeschi, will highlight the line-up of this year's Pearl Beach Music Festival, according to publicity officer Ms Lynne Lillico.

The festival, now in its 13th year, will again be held on the June Queen's Birthday long weekend in the Pearl Beach Memorial Hall.

Simon Tedeschi will present the Sunday evening's concert on June 11 at 7.30 pm.

"A youth virtuoso, Mr Tedeschi first performed a Mozart Piano Concerto at age nine in the Sydney Opera House.

"Since then he has played as soloist with the Queensland, Melbourne, Sydney and Adelaide Symphony Orchestras, as well as the Fort Worth Chamber Orchestra, Texas," Ms Lillico said.

"He has toured Taiwan, New Caledonia, Italy and Malta as soloist with the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra."

"Simon has recently recorded Tchaikovsky's 1st Piano Concerto and Grieg's Piano Concerto with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Richard Bonynge, which was released in September 2005.

"Richard Bonynge himself commented 'an extraordinary young pianist...I felt a true musical togetherness with Simon ... his sensitivity, his passion and his superb technique'."

Ms Lillico said this year sees Simon performing in New York, North Carolina, in San Francisco with Roger Woodward, in Philadelphia and New Mexico.

Tickets are $30 with proceeds going to local projects.

On Saturday, June 10, Romanza will perform a program by Harpsicord and cello of baroque music at 3pm.

Flautist Ms Jane Rutter will present an evening of music from 7.30pm.

On Sunday, June 11, the Gagliano Quartet, a string quartet, will perform an all Mozart program to celebrate the 250th anniversary of his birth.

Press release, May 8 Lynne Lillico, Pearl Beach Music Festival