NEWS RELEASE
For immediate release

NEXT I MEDICI CONCERT: In the Presence of Beethoven and Brahms

Montreal, October 30, 2009... I Medici di McGill Orchestra celebrates its 20th anniversary with a public concert on Monday November 9, at 8 pm at Oscar Peterson Hall, Loyola Campus of Concordia University located at 7141 Sherbrooke West under its conductor Iwan Edwards. This concert features Beethoven’s Violin Concerto op. 61 and Brahms’ 2nd symphony.

Emmanuel Vukovich completed his Bachelor of Music at McGill University’s Schulich School of Music under Andre Roy and Denise Lupien in 2007, while also completing a minor in Environmental studies. He is the first recipient of McGill University’s prestigious Golden Violin Award in 2006, as well as being awarded the Arts Orford String Quartet Scholarship by the Ontario Arts Council Foundation. Among his numerous accomplishments, Vukovich has been a member of the Lloyd Carr-Harris String Quartet, which won national and international awards, including the Grand Prize at the Fischoff International Chamber Music Competition in 2005. In addition to being the former student of Dorthy Delay and Masao Kawasaki at the Juilliard School in New York, Vukovich has performed alongside Anton Kuerti, Matt Haimowitz, and Ida Haendel, and performed in honor of the late Christopher Reeve.

Maestro Iwan Edwards has conducted I Medici di McGill since the year 2000.  He also directs Concerto Della Donna and the Montreal Children’s Choir. Formerly a professor at McGill University he recently retired from being music director (and founder) of the St. Lawrence Choir, MSO Choir, Ottawa Choral Society and the Canadian Chamber Choir.

I Medici di McGill was founded in 1989 by Dr. A. L. Padjen of McGill’s Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics.  The mission of I Medici is to provide musical content for various events in the life of the Faculty of Medicine, the University and the community and thus add a unique social dimension to medical education and to the profession.  The orchestra also plays during an annual lecture series on ‘’Biology of Music’’.  I Medici is available for fundraising events.  The players come from the staff and students of McGill University’s Faculty of Medicine and the ensemble is completed by players from the community, upon invitation and audition.

The musicians of I Medici are all volunteers. Admission to all I Medici public concerts is free but as there are costs associated with putting on each concert, a voluntary contribution of $15 at the door is strongly encouraged.  More information on the orchestra may be found on its website: http://www.imedici.mcgill.ca.

-30-

Contacts:

Ms. Lydia Zemke
Communications, I Medici di McGill Orchestra
Student, McGill University
Tel: (514) 561-4164
e-mail: lydia.zemke@mail.mcgill.ca

Dr. A. L. Padjen,
Director, I Medici di McGill Orchestra
Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics
McGill University
Tel : (514) 398-3603
e-mail : ante.padjen@mcgill.ca