(July 13, 2017) Aaron Carpenè, conductor, harpsichordist, organist, pianist and early music specialist, has forged a unique path in today’s music performance panorama. Born in Perth, Australia, he studied at the University of Western Australia and the Conservatory of Music of Venice. In Italy he continued studies in early keyboard technique with the English master Christopher Stembridge, specializing in the repertory for harpsichord and organ in Italy in the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries. Music will be in the spotlight in Suth Africa, at the Vrystaat Arts Festival - Tsa-Botjhaba held at the Bloemfontein campus of the University of Free State from 18 to 22 July 2017, with more tna 50 shows from cinema, to music, to ballet, from visual arts to publishing. Carpenè will hold a concert for organ titled Birds on Friday 21 July at 10:30 at the Kunstetrust-Odeion in Bloemfontein: the performance is a tribute to birds with the works of European composers. The program is punctuated by recordings of various bird calls among pieces by Liszt, Frescobaldi, Saint- Saëns, Messiaen and others. Artist’s income for this performance, organized in collaboration with the Pretoria IIC to help protect endangered species, the Cape Vulture in particular, will be donated to the Bloemfontein Zoo. On Friday 21 July at 3:30 PM Carpenè, together with singer Manzikazi Scota, will perform in a musical production titled Performance Experiments, at the Haller Halle of Kunstetrust-Odeion in Bloemfontein. The performance is organized within the framework of Vrynge - artist development programme, part of the Festival. During the performance, Mo Carpenè and Manzikazi Scota explore cross-cultural music and song, while scoping the possibilities of a larger project for the next Vrystaat Arts Festivals, in partnership with South African and Lesotho artists. (Red)

ABOUT / CULTURAL EXCHANGES

The Vrystaat Arts Festival is a Afrikaans language festival that combines creative links with other English-language cultures and other African languages, contributing to the exchange of ideas in the fields of art, culture and society through relationships with other creative national And international communities. Carpenè is often invited to give lessons and master classes on musical performances of that period and has a particular interest in the Middle and Far East as an resident artist at the Conservatory of Damascus and at the Academy of Performing Arts in Hong Kong.