11-year-old musical prodigy to play Costa Hall

Australian conductor Benjamin Northey is the chief conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the principal conductor in residence of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Photo: LAURA MANARITI

ONE of Australia’s most promising musical prodigies Christian Li will perform alongside the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) next Friday (March 20) at Costa Hall.

Conducted by Benjamin Northey, the performance will see the delivery of three pieces of music – Spiritus (Lachlan Skipworth), Violin Concerto (Mendelssohn) and Symphony No. 7 (Beethoven), which was chosen to celebrate the 250th anniversary of Beethoven’s birth.

Mr Northey said Symphony No. 7 was one of the late composer’s most loved orchestral symphonies, and that the MSO was looking forward to returning to Geelong to play it.

“One of the most interesting things about the concert is the soloist (Christian Li). He’s a young virtuoso violinist. He’s 11 years old and won the prestigious Menuhin Competition when he was 10.

“He’s a prodigy, the very true form of the word. People are fascinated when they see talent that young. It’s an amazing chance to hear somebody at the beginning of a huge career so you can look back and say, ‘I heard that soloist when they were just starting’.

“The orchestra loves coming to Geelong. It’s a really beautiful hall and it sounds really good in there – I know how much everybody looks forward to it.”

The performance will start at 7.30pm, with composer Lachlan Skipworth hosting a pre-concert talk inside Costa Hall (1 Gheringhap Street, Geelong) from 6.30pm.

Tickets are available now from geelongartscentre.org.au.