Al Bustan Palace hosts concert by ROSO

ROSO and guest conductor Sir Colin Davis and piano Soloist Paul Lewis played some of music's legendary classics including W. A. Mozart's overture "Idomeneo", and F. J. Haydn's symphony No. 104 "London" which held the guests enthralled and spell bound.

A. Antonio Zamora, General Manager Al Bustan Palace InterContinental Muscat and Director of Operations Oman, said:

"It has been an absolute pleasure for us to host once again the Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra at its home ground where the performances have always been memorable. It has also been a special evening for our guests as ROSO, Sir Colin Davis and Paul Lewis have left music lovers with fond memories of an evening which shall be well cherished."

Sir Colin Davis' enthusiastic, impulsive firebrand streak keeps him passionately involved with his work. He is essentially recognized as a visionary and an inspirational conductor. He first found fame in the early 60's for his performance of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera, Don Giovanni, at the Royal Festival Hall.

His work with the London Symphony Orchestra, and as Chief Conductor of the BBC Symphony Orchestra have been much appreciated. In 1971 he succeeded Georg Solti as principal conductor at the Royal Opera House, where he had given occasional performances before, remaining there until 1986.

In the late 90's he was Principal Guest Conductor of the New York Philharmonic.

His extensive discography ranges from thrilling accounts of Beethoven's Seventh Symphony (with the RPO) and Stravinsky's Oedipus rex (with Sadler's Wells), both from 1961, through much Mozart and Berlioz (Idomeneo, Don Giovanni, Così fan tutte, La clemenza di Tito, Gounod's Roméo et Juliette and Berlioz's Les Troyens and Benvenuto Cellini, are especially notable) to his pioneering Tippett, his impassioned Sibelius and his powerfully individual readings of Britten's Peter Grimes and The Turn of the Screw.

Sir Colin Davis received a knighthood in 1980. He is also International Chair of Orchestral Studies at the Royal Academy of Music, London

Paul Lewis, the English classical music pianist has established a considerable reputation for himself as an exponent of Schubert's solo piano music so the opportunity to hear him perform at the ROSO concert was much appreciated by guests.

Coming from a non musical family background has not deterred his journey in to the world of music. His first international achievement was the second prize at the 1994 World Piano Competition in London. In 2000 he became a Professor of Piano at the Royal Academy of Music.

Lewis has played in many prestigious venues and various festivals all over the world and with many notable orchestras with famous conductors. He is most strongly affiliated with the Wigmore Hall, London. Paul Lewis performed all the Beethoven piano sonatas on tour in the USA and Europe between 2005 and 2007 seasons, in parallel with his complete recording of the cycle for Harmonia Mundi.

He composed his first score for a major British TV drama at the age of 20, and for four decades hence has produced an unending stream of orchestral and instrumental TV scores, production library music and concert works. He is now a full-time freelance composer who continues to lend his compositions to the world of music.

The Royal Oman Symphony Orchestra is one of the few remaining Royal Court Orchestra's in the world. They have traveled abroad on many occasions performing publicly in Belgium, Dubai and Abu Dhabi and privately in London and Paris. They have also played with some of the world's best musicians including the late Lord Menuhin and world renowned violinist Dr Subramaniam. Their performance at Al Bustan Palace hotel shall long be cherished as one of their best ever.