Media release

Serbian piano virtuoso to play in Hamilton

Posted On: Friday, 25 July 2003

Hamilton Theatre Services has secured Sonja Radojkovic to perform a one off piano concert at the Wel Energy Trust Academy of Performing Arts in August. Hamilton Theatre Services manager Richard Sutherland says Sonja is a first prize winner in many national, republic and federal competitions.

"In 1993 she took the first prize in a field of 57 performers with her performance of the Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini at the International Sergei Rachmaninoff Anniversary Competition.

"Securing Sonja for this one-off piano concert is a major coup for Hamilton. She will perform a selection of music by Bach, Mendelssohn, Beethoven's Appassionata Sonata and Six Variations for Piano, Prokofiev's Sonata No.3 in A minor, and a selection of Balkan Dances by Tajcevic.

"Today she has an active solo career and recent tours have taken her to Italy and Sweden. She makes numerous appearances with orchestras in Yugoslavia, Russia and Macedonia. In addition she gives regular concerts in Sarajevo and plays twice a year for delighted audiencesat the Concert Hall of Kolarac in Belgrade."

Serbian professor Evgeny Yakovlevich Liberman says Sonja is a pianist who unites the most beautiful qualities: a volcanic temperament and a tender Slav soul.

Born in Belgrade, she completed her piano studies at the Faculty of Music Arts under professor Igor Lasko. Two years after graduation Sonja gained her Master's Degree at the Conservatoire (Tchaikovsky) Moscow under Professor Yuriy Styepanovich Slyesaryev.

She continued to study piano with Professor Arbo Valdman at Belgrade Faculty of Music Arts receiving a further Master's Degree.

Professor Valdman says Sonja dedication to music is a complete one. Her command of keyboard language and her interpretative insights enable her to undertake the most demanding musical tasks.

Today Radojkovic teaches at the Faculty of Music Arts and Department of Conducting in Belgrade and at the Faculty of Musical Arts in Pristina.

Tickets for this concert to be held in the Gallagher Concert Chamber on Monday 25 August are available from Ticketek outlets priced from just $25. Hamilton Chamber Music Society members are eligible for concessions. For more information telephone Ticketek on (07) 838 6600.