The Oberton String Octet meets GIBS!
Last month GIBS was delighted to host the Oberton String Octet at our school for a full day of workshops, rehearsals, and a special evening performance. All year 3 students, in combination with the Junior and Senior Choirs and GIBS strings performed three pieces with the octet, including the first few minutes of Beethoven’s ‘Allegretto’ which featured lyrics from GIBS staff member Karolin Tuerk and original melodies composed by several students in year 7. Sean Chai 6b (violin) and Tara Stranegger 6b (cello) were featured in Vivaldi’s Concert for Violin and Cello in Bb Major. Pianist Olga Chepovetsky and GIBS bass teacher Tobias Melcher joined the octet for the Vivaldi, and the choirs, strings and soloists had the opportunity to perform under the baton of conductor Raimonda Skabeikaite. The Oberton String Octet presented several works from their own repertoire, which clearly demonstrated why the group has been making headlines all over Europe! In all it was a truly unforgettable evening!
The Oberton String Octet:
Yevgeny Chepovetsky, violin (Riga, Latvia)
Veronika Brecelj, violin (Nova Gorica, Slovenia)
Andrii Uhrak, violin (Iwano-Frankivsk, Ukraine)
Alberto Stiffoni, violin (Treviso, Italy)
Serhii Zhuravlov, viola (Russia/Kharkiv, Ukraine)
Hanga Feher, viola (Misckolc, Hungary)
Floris Fortin, cello (Graz, Austria)
Dorottya Standi, cello (Zalaegerszeg, Hungary)
The Oberton String Octet is a Graz based ensemble cofounded by professional cellist and former GIBS student Floris Fortin. The group consists of eight young talented musicians from all over Europe. They have already performed widely throughout Europe and made their recent debut here in Graz at the Musikverein Chamber Music Series last spring to much acclaim! This past fall they played for Austrian President Alexander Van der Bellen in Vienna, and in December performed a sold out performance in the Minoritensaal. If you are interested in more information about the octet, please visit their website: www.obertonstringoctet.com
The program:
| Felix Mendelssohn-Bartholdy | Octet in Eb major, first movement (Oberton String Octet) |
| Franz Schubert | Die Forelle (Oberton String Octet) |
| Ludwig van Beethoven | Second movement from the 7th Symphony (arrangement) |
| 3a, 3b, 3c; the GIBS Junior and Senior Choir, GIBS strings | |
| Additional music composed by: James Cox 7a, Valerie Dokonal 7b, Pia Hysa 7a, Carina Krenn 7a, | |
| Zoe Morris 7b, Luisa Steiner 7b, Matthias Vorraber 7a, | |
| Astor Piazzolla | Fuga y Misterio (Oberton String Octet) |
| Astor Piazzolla | Oblivion (Oberton String Octet) |
| Antonio Vivaldi | Concert for Violin and Cello in Bb major (Oberton String Octet) |
| Sean Chai 6b (violin), Tara Stranegger 6b (cello) | |
| Franz Schubert | Leiermann (Oberton String Octet) |
| Franz Schubert | Erlkönig (Oberton String octet) |
| Antonin Dvorak | ‘Going Home’, arrangement from the ‘New World Symphony’3a, 3b, 3c; the GIBS Junior and Senior Choir, GIBS strings, Oberton String Octet |
| Traditional | Homeland melodies (Oberton String Octet) |
| Piazzolla | Libertango (Oberton String octet) |
| Leonard Cohen | Hallelujah3a, 3b, 3c; the GIBS Junior and Senior Choir, GIBS strings, Oberton String Octet |
