It had been 21 years since I last played in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Center, New York (I made my recital debut there in March, 1984). So it was thrilling to be invited as part of the Mostly Mozart Festival with the ACO. Last night's concert was a real highlight of the tour, thanks to the hall, the audience, the wonderful Fazioli that Klavierhaus once again brought in for me, and especially thanks to the orchestra itself whose energy is infectious. After the concert, I stopped by Tower Records on Broadway to have a photo taken with the poster of our CD in the shop--just a few minutes before they closed at midnight. Here it is!

Last night I made my debut at the Tanglewood Festival (the summer home of the Boston Symphony)--again in concert with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. We had a full house in the Ozawa Hall, with many people sitting out on the lawn as well. And now, back in my hotel room, I see that our Bach Concerto albums have been chosen as Recording of the Month in the UK's Gramophone Magazine! Here are the editor's comments:



"Angela Hewitt's journey through Bach's solo keyboard music for Hyperion has been one of the glories of recent years. Her pianism - truly an art that conceals art - has won her numerous admirers around the world so it is good that she has been allowed to add these two enticing extras to the series. And how better to illustrate the universality of Bach's language than to pair a Canadian pianist with an Australian ensemble for a British label?



The biggest surprise for me when listening to the discs is to find both a harpsichord and a piano in the same sound world. Hewitt argues that a harpsichord is very much part of the Baroque orchestral world and 'there is no reason why it shouldn't be part of a modern-day recording': a fair point and you soon get used to it. It's especially effective in the Fifth Brandenburg where the piano is truly allowed to soar in its soloistic flight without having to worry about a continuo role. Two CDs of the month? Sure!"

My new CDs of the Bach Concertos with the fabulous Australian Chamber Orchestra have entered the Billboard Classical Chart only three weeks after their release in the USA! That is the first time one of my CDs has achieved that status. Many thanks to all of you who have helped to make it happen! I am now on tour in the States and Canada with the Australians, and it is so rewarding to perform with them again. Try to catch us if you can (please see my schedule for all details of the tour). I have added another item to the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival online auction--my recording of the complete Well-Tempered Clavier by Bach (4 CDs)--autographed of course! Details can be found in the news item below.

On Saturday night I performed in the opening concert of the Ottawa Chamber Music Festival. As part of their fundraising activities to build a new concert hall in Ottawa (which is very much needed), I have donated a piano lesson to their online auction. I never give private lessons (only occasional public masterclasses), but have agreed to do so for such a worthy cause. To place your bid, please visit http://www.realauction.ca/auctionforthearts/en/ The lesson doesn't have to be in Ottawa, it could be anywhere that I am travelling (you will have to travel to me according to my schedule!), but of course your bid must be in Canadian dollars. The bidding closes on September 15, 2005.

On Friday, July 8th, the curtain came down on my first Trasimeno Music Festival. I was so pleased that everybody left feeling so happy about it all, and eager to return next year (July 1-7/06). Two of the last three concerts featured the brilliant Royal String Quartet from Warsaw (with whom I performed Shostakovitch and Chopin), and my own solo recital of the Goldberg Variations in the Palazzo Ducale of Gubbio. That was the only night all week when the weather wasn't absolutely gorgeous (see clouds in photo!)...in fact it rained before the concert. Undaunted, we asked for 20 male volunteers from the audience to lift the Fazioli concert grand off the stage and onto the floor beneath the arches of the cloister (to great applause from those watching!). The audience then also sat sheltered from the elements. It was still a marvellous atmosphere and acoustic, and a night we will all remember. I was very moved by the warm reception each night from the attentive audience, and how charmed people were with the whole event. So plan to join us next year!

The first three concerts in my own Trasimeno Music Festival have now taken place, and it has been a hugely rewarding experience. The castle setting has proved to be perfect--a lovely acoustic, with a warm, intimate feel--and it is inspiring to perform there. After my solo concert, the Orchestra di Padova e del Veneto joined me for concertos by Bach and Mozart (photo); and tonight the wonderful Canadian soprano, Dominique Labelle, enchanted our listeners with a recital of French and Italian songs. I love playing for good singers, and it was a treat for me as well. Now one day off (to rehearse!) and then we have the last three concerts--one of which is in the majestic surroundings of the Palazzo Ducale in Gubbio.

The tickets for the six concerts in the Trasimeno Music Festival are selling fast! To book yours, please contact Green Center Travel in Perugia on trasifestival@greencenter.it or call them on +39 075 527 9862. If you would like to add the Gala Dinners on 2,3, and 8 July to your concert experience, then they will look after that as well. Preparing six different concert programmes to perform in seven days is a challenge, but I'm enjoying it, and to be doing so in Italy is an extra bonus! The photo is of part of the Castle of the Knights of Malta in Magione where five of the six concerts will be held.

It was indeed very exciting to perform in Jerusalem, and we had a wonderful audience to whom I gave two encores after the Bach and Schumann Concertos (including Myra Hess's arrangement of Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring). It's great to come to a country for the first time and discover that you have so many fans! I also had time to visit the city, both old and new, and went to the Wailing Wall, the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, the orthodox Jewish neighbourhood, St. George's Cathedral, and the Israel Museum. Now my solo recital in Tel Aviv tomorrow night, and then I return to Europe and prepare for my festival!

It is now over a week since I arrived in Israel, and I have already given four concerts with the Israel Camerata. Last night in Haifa was the highlight so far: an extraordinarily appreciative audience who also cleaned out the CD table! Today was a free day, so I actually did some sightseeing and swam in the Sea of Galilee. Tomorrow I go to Jerusalem for the first time which I'm very much looking forward to.

If you go to this link on the internet: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio3/cdreview/vote/ then you can register to vote to hear my new Bach Concerto CD this Saturday morning on BBC Radio 3's CD review! They will be playing the Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D major. But not unless you vote for it! You can also hear Radio 3 over the internet on their website, www.bbc.co.uk/radio3. Voting closes Saturday June 4th at 10;30 a.m. (London time). Details of the new CDs (now available in shops in the UK) will be posted shortly.