The University of Newcastle is preparing for a landmark musical celebration as it marks six decades of excellence with a special anniversary concert featuring some of its most distinguished graduates.
Alumni Return for Musical Homecoming
Among the performers is Mitchell Berick, a University Medal winner who now serves as principal bass clarinet for the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra. The accomplished musician describes returning to familiar music as similar to visiting an old friend, a sentiment that extends to his homecoming in Newcastle.
Berick has selected the adagio from Mozart's Clarinet Concerto for his performance, calling it one of the best pieces ever written. It is just perfectly composed, he remarked. There's not a note out of place. It just has the best qualities of the clarinet.
Star-Studded Lineup for Celebration
Berick will be joined by nearly 90 fellow alumni and current students for the Celebration of Sound event, scheduled for Saturday evening at 7pm at the Callaghan campus.
Vocalist Amy Vee will also take the stage, performing a medley of heroines from Les Misérables. The production holds special significance for Vee, as it marked her first theatre appearance in Newcastle where she played Eponine.
There were subsequent productions of that show, Vee explained. So we have got a couple of cast members from different productions and put together a medley - there'll be a couple of Eponines and Fontaines. It's a really beautiful arrangement.
Special Moment for University Community
Dr Sue Carson, the university's conservatorium convenor and concert co-director, expressed the emotional significance of welcoming back former students. Having taught at the institution for two decades, many of the returning alumni were once her students.
I've been here at the university for 20 years, Dr Carson said. I've been teaching the performance courses for many years as well. A lot of the alumni who are performing, I worked with during their degree. It's a really nice thing.
She added that performing alongside my colleagues and seeing the community unite in celebration of music and great entertainment is incredibly rewarding.
The concert represents a highlight of the university's 60th anniversary observations, bringing together generations of musical talent that began their journeys in Newcastle. Tickets for this special event remain available through online platforms.
