Featuring music from many of the great composers, Strings and Wings will be held on Saturday, October 10 at the Jeparit Memorial Hall from 8pm.

Former Jeparit local Mark Shiell is the principal conductor and artistic director of Ballarat Symphony Orchestra (BSO) as well as the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra and Macquarie Philharmonia. 

“It is almost 30 years since I performed at the town hall in Jeparit as a kid,” Mr Shiell said.

“I grew up on a farm about five kilometres outside Jeparit on the Warracknabeal Road. I used to play a lot around the region for music clubs - particularly in Horsham and Warracknabeal. 

“In 1988 I moved from Jeparit to Melbourne to begin at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School.

“The whole family left Jeparit where the we had been farmers for several generations in 1988. I moved to Melbourne and the rest of the family moved to Ballarat.”  

Mr Shiell said his music studies had taken him around the world.

“After studying here in Australia I have conducted orchestras in Russia, Japan and throughout Australia,” he said. 

“As a guest conductor I have worked with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Victorian Opera, Sydney Sinfonia, Orchestra Ensemble Kanazawa, Moscow Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra and lots of others.”

Strings and Wings will include a comprehensive repertoire of classical pieces including Copland’s          Fanfare for the Common Man, Mozart’s Bassoon Concerto first movement, Tchaikovsky’s String Serenade fist movement and Brahms’ Hungarian Dance numbers one and five.

“We have deliberately chosen an extremely varied program,” Mr Shiell said.  

“It is a fantastic collection of favorites and will feature several soloists from the orchestra. In the last year we have dramatically expanded the range and scope of the activities of the BSO.

“I started as principal conductor and artistic director early last year. 

“My first experience of the orchestra was playing in it when it re-convened in 1987. 

“I used to travel down from Jeparit to play as first flute.”  

Mr Shiell said he had grand visions for the BSO into the future. 

“As well as our regular concert series we have begun to perform opera and a youth concerto concert which features talented young musicians,” he said.  

“We are very happy to be able to include a young musician from the Jeparit area Charlotte Kube who will play with the orchestra and will also be featured as a soloist in the concert.

“We believe that the BSO is the orchestra of western Victoria and our trip to Jeparit is a further step to realising a much greater presence beyond Ballarat.”  

Tickets are available at the Hindmarsh Hotel or at the door.