World-REnowned Academy of St. Martin in the Fields to perform

Media Contact:

Kristen Gleason
Director of Marketing
The Paramount Theater
215 East Main Street
Charlottesville, VA 22902
434.979.1922 ext. 103
kristen@theparamount.net

For Immediate Release

March 20, 2008

The world’s most-recorded chamber orchestra, London’s Academy of St. Martin in the Fields is familiar to audiences around the globe. With widespread radio coverage and a record-breaking discography that boasts well over 500 entries, the Academy has arguably had a larger role than any other ensemble in popularizing classical and baroque music with listeners world-wide.

Directed by Kenneth Sillito in a program that includes Mozart’s Symphony No. 31 in D major ‘Paris’ and Haydn’s Symphony No. 4 in D major ‘London,’ as well as this tour’s only performances of Vaughan Williams’ Oboe Concerto in A minor (Christopher Cowie, oboe), and Britten’s Prelude and Fugue for 18 strings, the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields will present a concert at Charlottesville’s Paramount Theater on Friday, April 4 at 8 pm.

This performance is sponsored by Silvercrest Asset Management Group LLC and Two Friends of the Charlottesville Chamber Music Festival. Special Media Sponsor is WMRA 103.5 -- NPR News, NPR Talk.

The Academy of St Martin in the Fields was formed in 1958 as a small, conductorless chamber ensemble. Led by Neville Marriner and attracting some of the finest players in London, the orchestra first concentrated on Baroque repertoire, developing a style of performance that launched the 1960’s Baroque revival. The Academy was so named after the various concert-giving societies or “Academies” that had flourished in 18th century London and the famous church in which it gave its 1959 debut concert.

Only two years later, the Academy secured its first contract with the independent L’Oiseau-Lyre label. Particularly well-known for its Mozart recordings with Sir Neville Marriner, including the multi award-winning soundtrack to the film Amadeus, orchestra has won recent critical acclaim for its recordings of Bach Keyboard Concerti with pianist Murray Perahia, the Brahms and Stravinsky Violin concerti with Hilary Hahn and Sir Neville Marriner, and concerti by Kurt Weill and Peteris Vasks with British violinist Anthony Marwood.

The orchestra maintains a busy schedule of international touring alongside its concerts and outreach work in the UK. In addition to performing in New York at Avery Fisher Hall, their current US tour consists of 12 concerts in many major cities including Philadelphia, Boston, Houston, Los Angeles and San Francisco. During the 08-09 season, the Academy will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Internationally recognized as one of Britain’s most distinguished musicians, Kenneth Sillito has excelled as chamber performer, orchestral leader, and director. In 1967 he founded the Gabrieli String Quartet, and remained its leader for 20 years. His first appointment was as associate leader of the newly-created English Chamber Orchestra. He subsequently took over the leadership and remained until 1973, during which time he toured worldwide as director and soloist. He was made a Fellow of the Royal Academy in 1971.

Sillito tours with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields throughout Europe, North and South America, Australia, Singapore, and Malaysia and is a regular visitor to concert halls and festivals throughout the UK. His latest recording is of Mendelssohn and Weber concertos with Sabine Mayer for EMI. As a soloist, he recently collaborated with Academy of St Martin in the Fields Principal Guest Conductor Murray Perahia in Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 and Concerto in A minor for Flute, Violin and Keyboard for Sony Classical.

Christopher Cowie, the principal oboe of the Academy of St Martin in the Fields, studied at the Royal College of Music. Before joining the Academy he previously held the principal oboe positions in the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden. As a soloist, Cowie has performed at all the major venues in London and around the UK, and appeared with the Bayerischer Rundfunk in Munich, the NDR Symphonie Orchestra in Hamburg, the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra, and the Chamber Orchestra of Europe. Cowie is professor of oboe at the Royal College of Music in London.

Often recognized for their technical precision and excellence, an appearance by this world-class ensemble received the following observation from The New York Times. “There was nothing wayward about the performance: the gracious music was allowed to speak for itself. A clamorous ovation earned an encore ...”

Seats are still available for the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields on Friday, April 4 at 8 pm. Tickets are $65.50, $75.50, $92.50, and $115.50. Half-price student rush tickets and group discounts are offered.

Tickets are available online or through The Paramount’s Box Office at 434.979.1333.

For more information about Academy of St. Martin in the Fields, please visit www.asmf.org.