Magical Movie Music: John Atwell & Tony Fenelon

40 & FABULOUS!!!

Our main concert Magical Movie Music, with Tony Fenelon OAM and Theatre Organist of the Year 2002, who has performed around the world, plus John Atwell; two of the three surviving organists from the inaugural 1983 concert. John is also an international organist and has performed on both theatre organ and classical organ around Australia. It will be a welcome return by these two who have played here in concert, both solo and organ-piano duets, many times over the past 40 years. There will be some audio-visual surprises from the inaugural concert as well as video on the big screen of the organists as they perform magical music from some of the great movies. Music will include “The Warsaw Concerto”, a short work for piano and orchestra by Richard Addinsell, written for the 1941 British film “Dangerous Moonlight”, which is about the Polish struggle against the 1939 invasion by Nazi Germany. Several film scores by John Williams will include “Star Trek”, “Raiders of the Lost Arc”, and “Jurassic Park”. This should be an afternoon to remember.

This event is part of the 40th anniversary celebrations of the mighty WurliTzer theatre organ’s inaugural concert at the Capri Theatre. There is a whole weekend of events planned and you can buy a discount package to all three events and save up to $20 by downloading the booking form below and emailing it to secretary@capri.org.au or call 8272 1177.

Booking-Form-40-and-Fabulous

In preparation for the event, take a little step back in time and check out the booklet below, produced for the opening concert in 1983.

Capri Theatre Organ – Inaugural Concert Booklet, April 1983

TONY FENELON, OAM

It was inevitable from an early age that music would play a significantly major role in Tony Fenelon’s life. As a child, he showed astounding talent as a pianist, and, in later years, studied at the Conservatorium of Music in Melbourne, Australia under famed teacher Mr. Roy Shepherd. His successes included winning the Victorian Final of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Concerto and Vocal Competitions, playing the Liszt Piano Concerto No.2 with the Victorian Symphony Orchestra. He was also winner of the Open and Bach sections at the National Eisteddfod in Canberra, with his performances of Chopin, Liszt and Bach. Shortly after, he obtained the highest marks ever awarded for his Licentiate Diploma in Performing Piano at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music.

Tony’s insatiable interest in lighter music and a love of the majestic sound of the theatre pipe organ led to him excelling in two diverse careers concurrently. A Science graduate from Melbourne University, he went on to become Head of the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the Royal Melbourne Hospital where he was credited as the joint designer of Australia’s first implantable cardiac pacemaker,  His other career was as a master of the keyboard; the piano, organ and theatre organ which led to his appointment in 1965 as the resident organist at Melbourne’s then prestigious Regent Theatre and eventually led to a full-time music performance career.

Now an internationally acclaimed artist, Tony career has taken him on more than thirty world tours, visiting many countries, including the United States, the U.K. and Japan. He has released record albums in various countries – his first, at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne, earning him four gold records. He has explored the world of electronic music, MIDI and computers, and has had many of his orchestral arrangements and CDs featured on ABC FM radio in Australia. Tony’s association with the Roland Corporation saw him performing promotional concerts throughout Australia, the United States, Japan, the United Kingdom and New Zealand on Roland’s extensive range of musical instruments.

Tony’s concerts provide a tasteful balance between popular tunes and light classics and include music from the films, stage shows, jazz, and great standards. As the piano has always been his first love, his extensive repertoire of piano classics now forms an increasingly large proportion of his concerts, a feature widely requested by his audiences.

With John Atwell, Tony is Co-Patron of TOSA (SA).

DR JOHN ATWELL

Dr John Atwell has had the pleasure of entertaining audiences on the theatre organ for tnearly 50 years, both in Australia and around the world – in the United Kingdom, USA, Canada and New Zealand. In that time he has developed a reputation for providing programs, whether in concert or on recordings, which are carefully put together to provide a variety of enjoyable music, with a balance between the familiar and the not so well known. His playing style is not easily pigeonholed, but reflects the diversity of his musical experience.

Highlights over the past years have included piano/organ duo concerts presented with Tony Fenelon, his long time friend and musical colleague for over 40 years. In June 2010, John and Tony were privileged to present the opening concert of the annual Convention of the American Theatre Organ Society at the Paramount Theatre, Seattle. It was there that John released his new recording made on the Style H Wurlitzer, once in the Prince Edward Theatre, Sydney, now installed in the Marrickville Town Hall. In September 2010 they joined in the celebration of TOSA Vic’s 50th year by playing the opening concert at the Dendy Theatre Brighton following the extensive renovation of the organ.

John is also an experienced classical organist and over the years he has played many classical organ recitals, In 2004 he took part in the concerts to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the installation of the organ in the Sydney Opera House. He is also an experienced accompanist, both on piano and organ. He spent many years as accompanist and resident artist with the Maroondah Singers, as well as with other choirs in the Melbourne area.

John is co-patron of the Theatre Organ Society Divisions in both South Australia and New South Wales. John is also one of the house organists at the Regent Theatre, Melbourne home to the 4/36 Wurlitzer organ, previously installed in the Paramount Theatre, San Francisco. He has played for the premiere performance of “Ned Kelly” with Heath Ledger and the movie version of “Phantom of the Opera”, as well as seasons of Gone With the Wind and Dr Zhivago, plus a special tribute to Frank Sinatra.

John has retired from his full-time career as a medical research scientist. He has a doctorate in immunology and published many scientific papers and several patents. However, John has found that retirement does not necessarily mean you have more time on your hands.