Liverpool Philharmonic Musicians join the World Orchestra for Peace at the BBC Proms
• 3 Principal musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra join the World Orchestra for Peace at the world’s biggest classical music festival
• Graham Johns (percussion), Neil Hitt (timpani) and Rhys Owens (trumpet) play with top musicians from around the world conducted by Russian maestro, Valery Gergiev
• Concert will be broadcast on radio, TV and online to a global audience of millions
Three Principal musicians from the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, Graham Johns (Principal Percussion), Neil Hitt (Principal Timpani) and Rhys Owens (Principal Trumpet) will join "the best musicians from the world's best orchestras" as conductor Valery Gergiev describes them, to play Prom No. 26 at the BBC Proms at London’s Royal Albert Hall on Thursday, 5th August, 7.30pm.
The concert, featuring performances of Mahler’s Symphony No. 4 and Symphony No.5, is a highlight of the BBC Proms celebrations marking the composer's 150th anniversary.
Coincidentally, both symphonies will also be performed by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra with Vasily Petrenko at Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in November as part of its two-year Mahler Edition symphony cycle.
Graham Johns is one of the founder members of the World Orchestra for Peace, established in 1995 by Sir George Solti as an ensemble of top players from orchestras around the world, to promote peace through music. The orchestra’s first concert in Geneva, marked 50 years of the United Nations. Since Solti's death in 1997, Valery Gergiev has conducted every World Orchestra for Peace concert.
Neil Hitt has been a member of the World Orchestra for Peace for several years. Rhys Owens was invited to join the orchestra only last week. In a further accolade to the calibre of the Liverpool Philharmonic’s musicians, Rhys has been invited to play the First Trumpet part in Mahler’s Symphony No. 4.
Graham Johns commented; “I was lucky to be asked to join at the formation of the orchestra in 1995 with Sir George Solti. The orchestra comes together once every 12 to 18 months. There's representation from most of the great orchestras of the world and it's always amazing to me how quickly all the different nationalities are able to adjust to each others different styles within minutes.”
Michael Eakin, Chief Executive of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic added: “The audience response and critical acclaim for the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra’s own Prom concert a couple of weeks ago with our Chief Conductor, Vasily Petrenko, showed what a fantastically high standard of musicianship we now have in Liverpool. The fact that three of our Principal players should be invited to be part of the prestigious World Orchestra for Peace under the baton of Maestro Gergiev is a further testament to the depth and quality of our musicians, equal to that anywhere in the world.”
NOTES TO EDITORS
Broadcast Information
Prom No. 26 will be broadcast live on BBC Radio 3 on Thursday, 5 August, 7.00pm and available on demand for 7 days. Symphony No.5 will be shown on BBC Two Saturday 7 August and will also be available on the BBC iPlayer.
Further information about the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic from
Jayne Garrity, Head of Communications
Tel: 0151 210 3791/07967364241,
BBC Proms enquiries to www.bbc.co.uk/pressoffice
Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra Mahler Edition
Vasily Petrenko conductor
Thursday 4 November, 7.30pm
Mahler Symphony No. 4
Sunday 7 November, 2.30pm
Mahler Symphony No. 5
