APO to show the ‘Route to the River’ with ‘Schumann at the Station’ and two new commissioned works about the River Thames

We are delighted to announce that APO has been selected by Reading Business Improvement District (BID) to be part of the 2017 ARENA programme of Reading town centre arts and cultural events. Running in July and August, ARENA will celebrate the best work of Reading’s arts and cultural organisations through a diverse programme of free outdoor events, taking as their theme for 2017 – Reading’s waterways.

APO’s contribution, with the help of Network Rail and Great Western Railway, will be a free event called ‘Route to the River – Schumann at the Station’, on Saturday 22nd July, at 1.30pm. The event will take place at the north end of Reading railway station’s ‘transfer deck’, promoting the fact that the River Thames is only two minutes’ walk away. Members of the public will be able to access the station for the event.

The event will also be part of the Reading Fringe Festival, and also nods to the 70th anniversary of Reading’s twinning with Düsseldorf, through the music of Robert Schumann. APO will give its second performance of his Fourth Symphony (in the revised version he completed when living in Düsseldorf) this year, as well as a performance of the Third Symphony. Known as the ‘Rhenish’, after the River Rhine that flows through Reading’s twin town, it fits the river theme perfectly.

The most exciting part of the event will be the first performances of two commissioned works by young composers from the Reading area. Alice Knight, a veteran of APO’s Young Composers Award at the age of 13, and Derri Lewis, who’s currently studying at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama, are writing a piece each which is inspired by the River Thames.

Finally, there’ll be a special opportunity for brave volunteers to take to the podium and ‘CONDUCT US!’, and a special video will be made about the event, promoting the upcoming Reading-on-Thames Festival.