Welcome to the United Nations
Wednesday, 3 December 2008
Musical performances: 12:00 - 2:30 p.m., Dag Hammarskjold Library Auditorium.
Musician biographies
Tamás Érdi
Tamás Érdi began playing the piano at age five. He was eight years old, when he first appeared on a concert podium, and since then has regularly given concerts, played at festivals and been featured on television programs. Tamás was born prematurely in Budapest /Hungary/, in 1979, and as a result of an oxygen overdose in a defective incubator lost his eyesight. Erika Becht and Zsuzsa Kollár another of Tamás ' instructors, use "the structural method" to teach Tamás whereby he virtually "recomposes" the music he is being taught. This process has enabled him to learn many piano scores as well as 14 concertos without use of eyesight.
At 15, he played a Mozart piano concerto in the Spring Festival, in the Hungarian Parliament with Tamás Vásáry, at 17, he won an international piano competition in Moscow. His two CDs (subsequently also released in Canada) featuring works by Mozart under the baton of Tamás Vásáry have been hugely successful. Since age of 15 he studied piano under the guidance Tamás Vásáry. He played under famous conductors in Hungary and abroad. Maestro Rico Saccani brought him to the attention of Leon Fleisher, then guest professor at the Toronto Royal Conservatory of Music.
Having heard Tamás’ rendering of Mozart, the world famous professor offered him a scholarship and soon regarded him as of one his dearest pupils. The four years spent with Leon Fleisher opened a new chapter in Tamás’ life. When his Mozart CDs were released in Canada, they were promoted with reference to Tamás as a „pianist Bocelli” and a „phenomenal talent’, while in its review, the American Record Guide compared his rendering of Mozart to the performance of some of the world’s most outstanding pianists. He was received with standing ovation by concert audiences from Florida to Boston, from Washington to Calgary, from Portland to Chicago, from Carnegie Hall to Lincoln Center from Kuwait to London Barbican Center with Tamás Vásáry (Mozart pianoconcerto for two pianos).
One of his most memorable experiences, however, go back to six art schools he visited upon an invitation by Very Special Art of Florida in 2005. He recently performed with the Iceland Symphony, in Reykjavik (Rico Saccani), Hungarian Radio Orchestra (Tamás Vásáry), Budapest Philharmonic Orchestra (Uri Mayer), Liszt Ferenc Chamber Orchestra in Germany. He played with The Vienna Mozart Orchestra in Florida and New York's Avery Fisher Hall in Lincoln Center under the direction of Manuel Hernandez Silva. He also played with The Toronto Symphony Orchestra with Barry Wordsworth, Pannon Philharmonic Orchestra and Hungarian National Orchestra with Zoltan Kocsis. 28 year old Tamás Érdi has made concert appearances in 23 countries. His recordings include two orchestral (Mozart) and three solo piano (Schubert, Chopin, and Bartók-Liszt) CDs ant the DVD: Tamás and his friends from three continents featuring him in concert with his former American classmates and friends in Budapest's new Palace of the Arts.
Information taken from: http://www.erditamas.hu
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Rudely Interrupted
Rudely Interrupted are one of Australias truly unique indie rock acts. Five out of the six members share a range of both physical and intellectual disabilities (Blindness, Deafness, Aspergers, Autism and Down Syndrome) but most importantly, a common interest in self expression through music. Their achievements, both personal and professional to date are extraordinary.
Past achievements:
• “Don’t Break My Heart” was their first song and video, the inspiration for which came from a simple discussion between Rohan and
• Rory over a universal question: "can you die from a broken heart"
• Airplay on the national youth network JJJ as well as community stations nation wide RRR, PBS, ZZZ, FBI
• Opening the Melbourne Fringe Festival
• Film clips added to Rage ABC TV
• A mini tour to Sydney, which involved NSW Police dept and Sam.
• Releasing debut EP to packed houses
• Laneway festivals in Melbourne, Sydney playing along side respected international artists such as Canadas “Feist” and Brooklyn’s own "Clap your hands and say yeah"
• Headline tour of the east coast of Australia "The Great Leap Forward Tour"
• Several TV spots including ABC's 7.30 report
• Ch 9 news, Today program
• Ch 10's 9am program
• First live TV performance on Ch10's 9am program
• Release of their 2nd film clip "My only wish"
Information taken from: http://www.rudelyinterrupted.com/index.php