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Premiere of Oxonia for Massed Choir, Symphony Orchestra, and Solo Cello, by John Traill at the Royal Albert Hall, Wednesday 9th November 2011

A new work, by John Traill (Director of Music, St Anne's College, and Lecturer at St Catherine's College, Oxford) will be premiered at the Royal Albert Hall on Wednesday 9th November 2011, at the last night of the Music for Youth Schools Proms. Featuring a massed choir, the Oxfordshire County Youth Orchestra, the Oxford Schools Symphony Orchestra brass section (offstage), Chamber Choir, and Solo Cello, 700 of Oxfordshire's finest young musicians will be performing.

Oxonia explores the many facets of Oxfordshire's history, starting with a geographical journey along the River ISIS/Thames, then answering the question – that appears on so many Oxfordshire postcards – “The more we study, the more we learn, the more we learn, the more we forget, the more we forget, the less we know, so why study?”, with verses dedicated to Oxford politicians, world leaders, Olympic medal winners, scientists, literary figures, musicians, and more. The composition takes full spatial advantage of the Royal Albert Hall, with brass ensemble in the gallery, chamber choir and solo cello on an island stage in the promenade area, and massed choir and orchestra on the main stage.

Oxonia has been commissioned by the Oxfordshire County Music Service for the last night of the Music for Youth Schools Prom. John Traill will be conducting the performance, and has said “working with the many extremely talented Oxfordshire young musicians has been a privilege, with leading talent that regularly go on to careers in music, the standards achieved are astonishing”.

Traill, who has recently returned from the premier of his song-cycle for Tenor and Orchestra, a setting of Walt Whitman's Or, from that Sea of Time, at the Ferguson Centre for the Arts in Virginia, became the youngest person, in 2006, to have received a DPhil in composition at the University of Oxford.

John performs with Mark Simpson, BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006

On Thursday 16th October 2008, John conducted the Oxford Philomusica at Merton College Chapel, Oxford. The programme included Robert Saxton's Music to Celebrate the Resurrection, Weber's Clarinet Concerto No.2 (with Mark Simpson, BBC Young Musician of the Year 2006), Wagner's Siegfried Idyll, and Mendelssohn's Symphony No.4.

John returns to Guernsey

On the 12th September 2008, following on from the succesful debut concert with the Guernsey Symphony Orchestra in 2007, John performed with the Guernsey Camerata, featuring soloist Elizabeth Traill (soprano) and Daniel Joy (Tenor).

John praised in Four-star Guardian Review

On Thursday 4th September 2008, John premiered ten new works by leading British composers with the London Contemporary Music. The concert, the University Concert Hall, celebrated the 100th birthday of Elliott Carter, and included John's Little Concertino for Six

To read the Guardian review, click here. For preview article, click here

John pioneers new podium exchange scheme in Brazil

On Sunday 31st September 2008, John performed with the Orquestra Filharmonia Jaragua do Sul, at the Municipal Theatre, Itajai, Santa Catarina, Brazil. The programme included Abertura by Jose Mauricio Nunes Garcia. During his stay, John gave guest lectures, and performed his some of his music, at the University of Santa Catarina.

for full article, click here

John premiers new opera with soprano Patricia Rozario

John Traill premiered Andrew Gant's opera Don't Go Down The Elephant After Midnight, with soloist Patricia Rozario, at the Tete-a-Tete Opera Festival, Hammersmith, on 2nd and 3rd July 2008. Repeat performances at Oxford, again with New Chamber Opera, were warmly received in November 2008.

John to conduct recording for Toccata Classics

John will be conducting a recording of Thomas Hyde's Autumnal for Toccata Classics. The recording will be at the Jacqueline du Pre Music Building, Oxford, and include the LSO's principal violist Edward Vanderspar. (posted 01/10/07).

John premieres new film score at the Barbican

On Sunday 21st October 2007, at 3pm, John will give the London premier of a new score by Jean Hasse for F.W.Murnau's 1926 film, Faust, with the South West Ensemble. The premier will be given on Saturday 13th October, at 7.30pm, at the Victoria Rooms in Bristol. (posted 15/09/07).

John Traill conducts new opera at the Southbank Centre (Purcell Room)

On Wednesday 19th, Thursday 20th, and Friday 21st September 2007, John will be premiering a new opera, 'The Corley Conspiracy' by Tim Benjamin, with exciting new music ensemble Radius (see www.radiusmusic.org). The opera is for actors and ensemble and the programme will also feature works by Xenakis, Cage, Berio, Holt, and Ferneyhough. For further information please see www.thecorleyconspiracy.com. (posted 01/09/07).

2nd Prize, Vakhtang Jordania International Conducting Competition

On Friday 1st Sepember 2006 (8pm at the Tivoli Theatre, Chattanooga, Tennessee), John Traill was awarded the William L. Montague 2nd Prize at the prize-winners' concert of the Vakthang Jordania International Conducting Competition 2006. The competition featured 24 finalists, from 14 different countries, and John was the only UK competitor. Additionally, he gave the world premiere of Mario Abrill's 'Diagramma II' at the prize-winners' concert.

The competition involved 4 rounds of competing, conducting the following works in front of an international jury that included Jonathan Sternberg, Leslie Dunner, Marcello Abbaddo, Giogi Jordania, Jooyong Ahn, and Mark Malkovich:

Wagner - Siegfried Idyll
Schubert - Symphony No.5
Rossini - Barber of Seville Overture
Beethoven - Symphony No.4
Stravinsky - Concerto in D
Stravinsky - Firebird Suite (1919 version)
Strauss - Don Juan
Mario Abrill - Diagramma II (world premiere)

The Vakhtang Jordania International Conducting Competition is an annual event, and is unique in being open to competitors of any age and nationality (see www.jamesarts.com). The 2006 competition ran from August 27th - September 1st at the University of Tennessee, Chattanooga.