The Colne Philharmonic Orchestra Home Page

The CPO celebrating it's 20th Anniversary

Forthcoming Concerts

Saturday 13th March 2010 - 06:00pm Christchurch Braintree

Family Concert

Conductor - Michael Price

Offenbach - Overture from Orpheus in the Underworld

Prokofiev - Peter and the Wolf - Narrator Rosie Moore

Jerry Brubaker - Harry Potter Symphonic Suite

Tchaikovsky - Excepts from the Nutcracker Suite No. 1

Strauss - Blue Danube Waltztz

Saturday 17th July 2010 - 07:30pm Christchurch Braintree

Conductor - Martin Hurrell

Wind Decet (TBC)

Mozart - Divertimento in D Major

Beethoven - Symphony No. 6 (Pastoral)

Saturday 16th October 2010 - 07:30pm Christchurch Braintree

Conductor - Anthony Weeden

Tchaikovsky - Violin Concerto (Soloist Savitri Grier)

Mendelssohn - Symphony No.3, The Scottish

Savitri Grier

Savitri Grier is 17 years old. She has been learning the violin since the age of 4. For the last 9 years, she has been attending the Royal Academy of Music. She is studying with Arisa Fujita.

In February 2006, she gave her first performance with orchestra, playing Bruch's Violin Concerto No 1 with the Jupiter Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Howard Moody, after which Howard wrote: "Exquisite, expressive and sublime are words that begin to describe Savitri's performance of the Bruch violin concerto in Forest Row, an experience reminiscent of descriptions of Jacqueline du Pre's first concerto performances. She is such a special musician, and a joy to work with, focusing on detail without losing an overall sense of the music. The audience were spellbound and are still talking about the experience 6 months later."

In February 2007 she gave a further performance with the Jupiter Chamber Orchestra under the direction of Howard Moody of Bach’s E major violin concerto.

In February 2007, Savitri won the Brent Young Musician of the Year, and in July 2007 gave a performance of Bach’s E major violin concerto in Wembley Arena as part of her prize.

Savitri has won the Junior, Intermediate and Senior Violin Prize’s at the Royal Academy of Music and in March 2007, she was awarded a scholarship at the Royal Academy of Music on account of her outstanding performances.

In July 2007, she won the Three Rivers Young Musician of the Year.

For the last eight years, she has been regularly giving concerts with her cellist sister, Indira, and her composer and pianist father, Francis Grier. In January 2008, Savitri and Indira premiered Francis’ new Double Concerto, commissioned by Howard Moody and the Sarum Orchestra, Salisbury. John Lubbock, the conductor of the Orchestra of St John's, Smith Square, attended the premiere, and afterwards wrote:

This was a remarkable event, both in terms of the piece itself and also for the amazing performance which these two young musicians gave, incidently from memory…

As wonderful as the piece was the playing of the two girls. It was a revelation: they are both extraordinarily gifted and confident, and the difficult work seemed to pose no problems for either of them. They played it with an amazing degree of knowledge and understanding despite this being the first performance. Altogether a wonderful experience.

In February 2008, Savitri and Indira performed the Double Concerto again, with the Jupiter Chamber Orchestra, under the direction of Howard Moody.

In April 2008, Savitri was awarded First Prize and Gold Medal in the Over-15 Recital Competition in the North London Festival of Music and Drama.

In May 2008, after playing Bach’s Partita in B minor for Unaccompanied Violin, the Harrow Observer wrote:

Savitri, Brent Young Musician of the Year 2007 and Three Rivers Young Musician of the Year 2007, showed astonishing technique that just took one's breath away, coupled with incredibly mature musicianship and understanding of Bach's lonely, existentialist-like sound world. Each movement of the eight-movement Partita encountered no technical barrier, but spoke straight to the soul of the listener, as Bach intended that it should. This was a stunning performance that most performers, irrespective of age, would have been proud of. For a fifteen-year-old, well, I believe that the silence followed by the powerful applause after she had played the last note of this eternal work spoke for itself.

In July 2008 and 2009, Savitri led the Barbican Youth Orchestra conducted by Sir Colin Davis, in concerts in the Barbican Hall.

In November 2008, Savitri was awarded an MBF Geoffrey Shaw Scholarship.

In April 2009, Savitri won the Premier Challenge Cup in the North London Festival of Music and Drama.

Savitri was asked to take one of the solo parts in the Bach Double Concerto for a performance with the Lydian Orchestra, conducted by Paul Hoskins, in July 2009.

In September 2009, Savitri was the youngest finalist in the Windsor Festival International String Competition, and was awarded the 2nd Prize.

In July 2010, Savitri has been asked to perform Mozart’s Adagio in E with the Barbican Youth Orchestra, under the direction of Sir Colin Davis, in the Barbican Hall.

In October 2010, Savitri has been asked to play the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto with the Colne Philharmonic Orchestra, conducted by Anthony Weeden.

"So, to experience quality orchestral music in a comfortable setting, come along to the Colne Philharmonic's next concert. You will not be disappointed!"

Braintree & Witham Times

"This orchestra is well worth hearing..."

Essex County Standard - Millennium Concert at Colchester Garrison Church

"This presentation of a famous Beethoven Symphony (7) contrasted favourably with that performed by the City of London Sinfonia recently."

Braintree & Witham Times

"...a robust rendition of both the overture and symphony with some especially commendable dynamics..."

Halstead Gazette

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