STEFAN CASSOMENOS Sinfonietta
SHOSTAKOVICH Piano Concerto no.1
Soloist - Stefan Cassomenos
BEETHOVEN Symphony no.5

Directed by Michael Dahlenburg

Melbourne Recital Centre
31 Sturt Street Southbank VIC 3006

BOOKINGS
Phone +61 3 9699 3333
www.melbournerecital.com.au

Australia’s finest medical orchestra, Corpus Medicorum will take to the stage to perform the world premiere of guest artist, Stefan Cassomenos’, Sinfonietta on 29 November 2015 at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
 
Sinfonietta has been commissioned especially by Corpus Medicorum and will be followed by Shostakovich Piano Concerto No.1 with Cassomenos as soloist. The ever-popular Beethoven Symphony No.5 in C minor will end the concert.
 
The performance is conducted by Michael Dahlenburg. Michael is fast becoming one of Melbourne's leading young conductors with a wealth of talent and experience directing the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra amongst others. Michael is also a fine cellist and has performed previously with Corpus Medicorum.
 
Melbourne pianist, composer and conductor Stefan Cassomenos is one of Australia’s most vibrant and versatile musicians. As the recipient of multiple prizes including the Second Grand Prize in the prestigious International Telekom Beethoven Competition Bonn 2013, he is in demand as a recitalist in Europe, Asia, and Australia.
 
Cassomenos has recently been invited as the first Australian composer to be commissioned as part of 250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven, an international composition project initiated by German pianist Susanne Kessel.  This marks Beethoven’s 250th anniversary in 2020, and will culminate in a world premiere season in Bonn, and publishing through Editions Musica Ferrum. His solo piano work for this project, entitled Twilight in Bonn, is written as a tribute to Beethoven.
 
Cassomenos’ latest work, Sinfonietta, also pays homage to Beethoven. A sinfonietta is traditionally meant to be a kind of mini symphony, one which is more concise in scale and often less serious in content, than a symphony. Cassomenos’ Sinfonietta takes its inspiration from Beethoven’s approach to the struggle of tonality – in Beethoven’s own words; Many assert that every minor piece must end in the minor. Nego! …Joy follows sorrow, sunshine – rain.
 
Corpus Medicorum was founded in 2002 by Royal Melbourne Hospital cardiothoracic surgeon and violist  Mr Phillip Antippa MBBS FRACS, cardiothoracic surgeon, Director, Lung Cancer Services, The Royal Melbourne Hospital
 
Corpus Medicorum's Conductor and Musical Director is Associate Prof Keith Crellin, OAM, Head of Strings Elder Conservatorium University of Adelaide and founding member of the Australian String Quartet.
 
Corpus Medicorum encourages doctors and medical students not to forgo their substantial talents during the long years of medical training.  It also provides a highly satisfying creative outlet for practicing medics to balance their demanding professional lives.
 
All profits from Corpus Medicorum’s concerts help patients at The Royal Melbourne Hospital with Lung Cancer by funding research and patient services.