Music as Play: Toy Instruments on the Concert Stage

Italian toy piano and toy instrument specialist Antonietta Loffredo will perform a variety of contemporary and classical works by Australian and International composers in this one-of-a-kind recital dedicated to musical toys. Using a collection of toy pianos, bells, rain sticks, and even a wooden spoon, Antonietta will present an exciting and experimental afternoon of music to showcase the range and depth of these unconventional instruments.

Antonietta will be joined by special local guests, Diana Blom, Alana Blackburn, and Paul Smith, and the evening will culminate in the rarely performed Toy Symphony written by Josef Haydn in the second half of the 18th century.

The concert will feature works by Diana Blom, Paul Smith, Gian Paolo Luppi, Michael Hannan, and Stephen Montague.

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La pianista italiana Antonietta Loffredo, esperta di strumenti giocattolo, eseguirà una selezione di opere contemporanee e classiche di compositori australiani e internazionali in questo recital unico nel suo genere, dedicato ai giocattoli musicali. Utilizzando un pianoforte giocattolo, campane, un bastone della pioggia e persino un cucchiaio di legno, Antonietta presenterà una serata di musica emozionante e sperimentale per mostrare la versatilità e la ricchezza di questi strumenti non convenzionali.
Antonietta sarà affiancata da ospiti locali d’eccezione: Diana Blom, Alana Blackburn e Paul Smith. La serata culminerà con la rara esecuzione della Toy Symphony (Sinfonia dei Giocattoli), scritta da Joseph Haydn nella seconda metà del XVIII secolo.
Il concerto includerà musiche di Diana Blom, Paul Smith, Gian Paolo Luppi, Michael Hannan e Stephen Montague.

About Antonietta Loffedo:
Antonietta Loffredo, pianist and musicologist, is a graduate of the Conservatorio “F.E. Dall’Abaco” in Italy and of the Conservatoire Niedermeyer d’Issy les Moulineaux in France. She earned a Master of Music degree in musicology from the University of Milan with a thesis on the toy piano. An acclaimed interpreter of the contemporary piano and toy piano repertoire, she has performed in Europe, the Middle East, USA, Australia, New Zealand and she has been holding lectures and conferences around the world on the subject of piano and toy piano in contemporary art music. Her CDs of newly composed piano and toy piano music include Childhood in Music, Shadows and Silhouettes – new music with a Chinese-Western confluence, Antarctica – new music for piano and/or toy piano released by Wirripang Pty. Ltd. and The Toy Piano Takes the Stage released by DaVinci Classics (Japan). Her book, “The Toy Piano - From the Playroom to the Concert Platform” (Ut Orpheus, Bologna, 2018), has been awarded the 2023 ITRA Senior Prize for Outstanding Toy Research (International Toy Research Association). Currently, she is a PhD student at the University of Bologna (Italy), conducting research on toy instruments in art music.

For more information please visit Antonietta's website.