RI'S TWILITE ORCHESTRA TO PERFORM IN AUSTRALIA

Jakarta, July 16 (ANTARA) - The Australian Ambassador to Indonesia, Bill Farmer, is delighted to farewell Addie MS and his Twilite Orchestra at Thursday night's pre-departure concert at the Djakarta Theatre, an official report said.

The Australian Embassy said in media release here on Thursday the group would depart for Australia to perform at the Sydney Opera House on Tuesday, July 21,2009.

Their first-ever Sydney performance "Indonesia - A Touch of Harmony" will be a showcase of Indonesian music and culture presented in Western symphonic music. It will feature Indonesian traditional songs, work by Indonesian composers and Colin McPhee's Balinese-themed piece "Tabuh Tabuhan".

The Sydney performance will also feature collaboration between Australian and Indonesian musicians and singers including performances by Indonesian soprano Binu D Sukaman, Indonesian pianists Levi Gunardi and Johannes Sebastian Nugroho, jazz singer Utha Likumahuwa and the Twilite Chorus. The Australian side will feature Australian tenor Stephen Smith, Australian Idol star Jessica Mauboy and the Sydney based Catholic Indonesian Community Choir.

"This concert will be an exciting opportunity for the people of Sydney to experience first-hand the talent and creativity of Indonesia's classical music scene. It is also a wonderful illustration of the strong cultural links between Australia and Indonesia," Farmer said.

This performance is supported by the Australian Government's Australia Indonesia Institute (AII) and presented by the Indonesian Ministry of Culture and Tourism and the Consulate General of the Republic of Indonesia in Sydney.

This visit is one of many cultural programs which have been funded by the AII this year. Established in 1989, the Institute has fulfilled a unique and vital role in promoting bilateral people-to-people links, particularly through cultural programs and the arts.

"Close cooperation at the cultural level is just one of the practical ways in which we are working together as close neighbours should," added Farmer. ***5***

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(T.A014/B/A014/B/O001) 16-07-2009 17:49:19