To Celebrate His Majesty the King's 82nd Birthday Anniversary 5th December 2009.

Roberto Benzi, Conductor
Gwyneth Wentink, Harp

Programme
Shubert: Overture to the Rosamunde
Boiedieu: Harp Concerto in C Major
Mozartl: Symphony No.40 in G Minor, K.550

Roberto Benzi / Conductor

     During a career that has now spannedmore than 50 years, Roberto Benzi has conducted the most famous orchestras in the world: Orchrestre National de France; London Symphony; London Philharmonic; and Philhamonia Orchrestra; Oslo Philharmonicsl; Orchrestre de la Suisse Romande; Zurich Tonhalle; Accdemia Santa Cecilia di Roma; Concertgebouw of Amsterdam Rotterdam Philharmonic; Orquesta Nacional, Madrid; Berlin Philharmonic Orchrestra; Bayericher Staatsorchester Munchen; Gurzenich Orchestra of Cologne; Czech Philharmonic; Prague Symphony Orchestra; Leningrad Philharmonic; State Orchestra of the U.S.S.R; Moscow Philharmonic; Tokyo Philharmonic; Cleveland Philadephia Orchestra; Pittsburgh Symphonyc and Motreal Symphony. He was also guest conductor at a grat number of opera houses: the Metropolitan Opera, Nationnal Theatre of Prague; Theatere Royal de la Monnaie (NationalTheatre); Grand Theatre de Geneve; Teatro Verdi Trieste; Sofia National Theatre, etc.

     Roberto Benzi has recorded numerous works for the Philips; E.M.I. Classics, Forlande and Naxos. He was the founder and resident conductor of the Orchestra de Bordeaux-Aquitaine from 1972 to 1987; musical and artistic director of Arnhen Philharmonic Orchestra (Het Gelders Orkest) from 1989 to 1998; and artistic supervisor and conductor of the Nation Youth Orchestra of the Netherlands (NJO) from 1991 to 1995.

     The Cinema honored the talent, who starred in two musical films: "Prelude to Glory" (1949), awarded by the Cannes Film Festival 1950 and "Call of Destiny" (1952), in wihch he costarred with Jean Marais.

     Roberto Benzi holds the rank of Knight of the Legion d'honneur, the Ordre National du Merite, the Palmes Academiques and the Dutch Royal Ordre of Nederjandse Leewuw.

Gwyneth Wentink harp

     Gwyneth Wentink is a native of The Netherlands. She had her first harp lesson on a Celtic harp at the age of five. At the age of eight she played Mozart’s Concerto for Flute and Harp with The Netherlands National Youth Orchestra in Rotterdam, and at the age of ten she performed for Queen Beatrix.

     Ms Wentink graduated cum laude from the Utrecht Conservatory in 2001 where she was a student of Erika Waardenburg. She has been capturing First Prizes since the age of eleven, i.e. Young Concert Artists INternational Auditions, Beracasa Foundation Prize, Mortimer Levitt Award for Women Artists, International Harp Competition, Gulbenkian Prize, Torneo Internazionale di Musica, 1996 International Harp Competition, 2001 Netherland-America Foundation Prize, etc. Ms. Wentink has performed as soloist with I Fiamminghi in Brussels; the Lille Philharmonia in France; the Resisentie Orkest in The Hague; the Sab Diego Chamber Orchestra. She has given recitals at Wigmore Hall in London and the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, as well as in Bucharest, Barcelona, Paris, Rome, Venice, Rotterdam, Prague and Tel Aviv.