Perth Voice Interactive

HE’S performed for Lady Gaga and Nicole Kidman, so audiences are in for a world class treat when virtuoso organist Alessandro Pittorino joins the University of Western Australia Choral Society for its Christmas concert.

Featuring all your favourite carols (folk are encouraged to sing along) plus Anton Bruckner’s Mass No. 2 in E minor and Ralph Vaughan Williams’ Fantasia on Christmas Carols, the yuletide concert has something for everyone.

Conductor Kris Bowtell will lead the orchestra and 100-strong UWACS choir, with guest performances by Brett Peart, a rising baritone star, and renowned organist Pittorino.

A graduate of the world-famous Juilliard School in New York, Pittorino is now back in his hometown of Perth, where he divides his time between performing across Australia and being Artist in Residence at Wesley Uniting Church. Oh, and he also played for Lady Gaga.

 “Lady Gaga came about as a result of her visiting family in New York City – and they just happened to attend the church I was director of music at,” Pittorino says.

“I was called in for a private performance and that’s where I had the great privilege to meet her and perform for her. 

“I performed for Nicole Kidman at a Fashion Gala honouring Louis Vuitton in Alice Tully Hall at Lincoln Centre. 

“The opportunities for celebrities are challenging due to their hectic schedules, and tight security presence, but these were both incredible experiences I’ll never forget!”

A showman as well as a gifted player, Pittorino likes to wear snazzy outfits in his shows; sometimes evoking the spirit of Liberace. All this showbiz name-dropping and flamboyance would be academic if Pittorino didn’t have amazing technical chops and great musicality.

Thankfully he does and was named a “virtuoso organist and top-flight musician” by the Aussie music and culture magazine Limelight. Pittorino says he is looking forward to playing the Xmas concert.

“My favourite Christmas season work to play on the organ is Marcel Dupre’s Variations Sur un Noel,” he says. “It is a very difficult piece for organ, but a thrilling one for both player and audience. I do love the Vaughan-Williams Choral Fantasy – absolutely beautiful writing.

“There seems to be some similarities with English carols, but the minute we go French, Spanish, Italian et cetera these countries have very different musical traditions so their carols sound different.”

The songs will be belted out by the UWA Choral Society, which was founded in 1931 and is the longest running choir in WA.

They operate independently from UWA, bringing folk together from all walks of life to share their passion for singing.

On the night they’ll be joined by WAAPA graduate and up-and-coming Perth baritone star Brett Peart.

Christmas with UWACS is on Sunday December 10 at 4pm at Winthrop Hall at UWA.

The 100-minute concert will have an intermission and afterwards you can enjoy the traditional picnic on the lawns of UWA at sunset. Tix at www.ticketswa.com.

by STEPHEN POLLOCK