Amigos committee members
FOR IMMEDIATE PUBLICATION THE AMIGOS ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
The AMIGOS’ AGM was held at the Centro Cultural São Lourenço on Friday November 26th, 2010. This was the 22nd Amigos’ AGM and was very well attended. Barry Shaw, the president, reported on the events of the previous 2009-10 AMIGOS’ year which included a splendid black tie dinner at the Centro Cultural to celebrate the AMIGOS’ 20th Anniversary and also the Master Classes conducted by renowned British pianist Paul Crossley. He told the members that they could look forward to such famous musicians as Sa Chen,
Piers Lane and Katya Apiskisheva during the coming months.
The Master Classes were made possible by the kind and generous support of the
foundation, Mundo Crastino Meliori. Helga Hampton, former AMIGOS’ president (for 10 years) and now Vice President, conceived and coordinated the Master Classes which gave 6 young pianists from Portuguese conservatories the remarkable experience of learning from a true master for nearly a week and the results were heard in two delightful concerts. One of those pianists, António Pedro Cebola, has since continued to have lessons with Paul Crossley in London co-sponsored by the Vale do Lobo Group of Companies and the AMIGOS and gave an excellent piano recital at the Vale do Lobo Auditorium last month.
Michael Savage, the Hon. Treasurer, presented the accounts which were approved by the members present. The AGM, under the leadership of Assembleia Geral’s president, John Levitt, was conducted with his usual aplomb. All the officers of the AMIGOS’ committee retired and were re-elected for a further period of two years. In addition, Anneli Lindroos was co-opted onto the committee.
One of the highlights of the AMIGOS’ AGMs is when the person sponsored gives a
concert. Part of the AMIGOS’ charter is to further the development of Portuguese musicians. Joana Ballmann, who has been sponsored now for 4 years, gave her farewell concert. Joana, celebrated her 24thbirthday during the weekend, and
will be graduating from the Cologne Conservatory in February 2011 with a BA in music. She chose the Portuguese composer Fernando Lopes-Graça as the theme for her thesis for her final exam. Her concert included music by Beethoven, Bach, Schumann, Ravel, Debussy as well as Lopes-Graça. She plans to continue her post graduate studies at generic viagra without prescription Berlin or Leipzig. The AMIGOS wishes her every success in her future endeavours and look forward to hearing her sometime in the future.
Joana Ballmann
Following Joana’s concert the AMIGOS present were treated
a sumptuous supper by Marie Huber and her team at the Centro Cultural.
NEW YEAR’S CONCERTS. JOANA GAMA, PIANO. THESE WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY DECEMBER 29th., 2010 & TUESDAY JANUARY 4th., 2011. EVERYBODY IS WELCOME.
For more information visit the AMIGO’s website www.amigos-de-musica.org or www.centroculturalsaolourenco.com or call Cristina at 289395475.
ABOUT THE AMIGOS AND THE CENTRO CULTURAL
The Centro Cultural is located next to the historic Church of São Lourenço, near Almancil, and holds regular exhibitions by well known artists and sculptors. The AMIGOS is an international group of around 110 members who support the musical activities at the Centro Cultural by underwriting the concerts which are regularly performed there. Concerts are co-sponsored by the Vale do Lobo Group of Companies. For membership enquiries please contact Margaret Jackson, AMIGOS’ secretary at jackson.algarve@mail.telepac.pt