The Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra (JPO) will kick off 2010 with a R36 million cash injection from the Lotto and a first symphony season featuring a top-flight array of local and international music greats.

The National Lottery Distribution Trust Fund has agreed to fund the JPO’s four seasons of symphony concerts per year, as well as its affiliated development and education projects, for the next three years.

This funding will enable the JPO, which will celebrate its 10th year of existence in 2010, to continue creating work for classical musicians and training up-and-coming talent, in addition to providing a space and a haven for connoisseurs of fine music.

The JPO has scheduled four six-week seasons of high-quality music fare for 2010. The first six-week symphony season for 2010 starts on 10 February, and continues until 18 March. The second season runs from 5 May to 10 June, the third season from 28 July to 2 September, and the fourth season from 6 October to 11 November.

During the first season of concerts, internationally renowned South African-born conductor Gérard Korsten, Bulgaria’s Emil Tabakov and Japan’s Yasuo Shinozaki will each conduct the JPO for two weeks.

In addition to South African musicians Pieter Schoeman (violin) and Anmari van der Westhuizen (cello), the JPO has confirmed a stellar line-up of international soloists for its first season of 2010. Among them is acclaimed cellist Julian Lloyd Webber, the brother of Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber. Also heading to South Africa to dazzle audiences with their virtuosity are German violinist Benjamin Schmid, Russian pianist Konstantin Soukhovetski, Japanese pianist Noriko Ogawa and American pianist Bryan Wallick.

The programme features a selection of works by composers such as Weber, Brahms, Schumann, Mozart, Shostakovich, Mendelssohn, Rossini, Dvorák, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky.

The concerts will take place at the Linder Auditorium at the Johannesburg College of Education in Parktown, on Wednesday and Thursday nights. Tickets are available at Computicket or at the door, but patrons who wish to attend a number of concerts are advised to complete the subscription forms for each season. For more information, call (011) 789-2733, email info@jpo.co.za or visit www.jpo.co.za.