MONTREALCHAMBER ORCHESTRA

2010-2011 season – Domtar Laureates Concert Series

FREE ADMISSION

Reservation required : (514) 872-1224 or here

Thursday Nov. 4, 2010 – 8:00 PM

Saint-James United Church – 463 Saint-Catherine W., Montreal

Oboe Concerto, AV144, Richard Strauss

Soloist: Tamàs Balla

Conductor: Wanda Kaluzny

Also in the program:

Symphony no.40 in G. Minor, KV550 by W.A. Mozart

Suite du promeneur by L. Babin

Symphony no.52 in C Minor, Hob.I: 52 by F. J. Haydn

Pavane, op.50 by G. Fauré.

Strauss’ Oboe Concerto dates from the final stages of the composer’s career and ranks as one of the finest works ever composed for the instrument. Strauss wrote the concerto at the suggestion of John De Lancie, an American soldier and professional oboist stationed near Garmisch at the end of the Second World War. The concerto is notable for Strauss’ economical scoring which is characteristic of his later compositions, compared to the expansive instrumentation of his earlier symphonic poems and operas. In three movements played without pause, the Strauss Oboe Concerto contains many lengthy and technically challenging passages for the soloist, particularly with regard to breathing and phrasing.

Tamàs Balla, oboe

Born in Hungary in 1984, Tamàs Balla began his formal musical training at the Béla Bartók School of Music in Budapest. He later attended the Franz Liszt Academy of Music where, in 2007, he graduated with both a Master of Music in oboe performance and a teaching diploma. Since 2006, Balla has continued his performance studies in Madrid at the renowned Escuela Superior de Musica Reina Sofia, thanks to a tuition scholarship from Foundation Albeniz. He won the National Oboe Competition of Hungary for three consecutive years and went on to win other competitions in France, Poland, England and Italy. In 2008 the Queen of Spain presented Mr. Balla with an award for best oboist of the year. Tamàs Balla was the winning oboist at the 2008 AudiMozart! Competition held in Rovereto, Italy. His appearance tonight with the Montreal Chamber Orchestra is a part of that prize and marks his Canadian début.

For the complete concert season of the Montreal Chamber Orchestra, please visit their website at www.mco-ocm.qc.ca