[CDU eNews] - DSO'S MERRY MONTH OF MAY

[Peter.Hurt at cdu.edu.au]

DSO's merry month of May

The Darwin Symphony Orchestra, fresh from a sellout concert last weekend at
the Darwin Entertainment Centre, is venturing outdoors this month with the
first of three Symphony in the Gardens appearances this year at the newly
refurbished Botanic Gardens Amphitheatre.

Thousands of musiclovers are expected to bring rugs, eskies, picnic hampers
and chairs for a night under the stars on Saturday 28 May. This concert is
entitled Invitation to the Dance.

'Merry Month of May' posters promoting the concert have been painted by DSO
violinist, leading portrait artist and equestrian Nita McAuley.

Nita's paintings hang in galleries and private collections across
Australia, in Japan, the US and Europe. She is an exhibiting member of the
Royal Art Society NSW, Territory Craft Darwin and the Darwin Visual Arts
Association and won a commendation in last year's Portrait of a Senior
Territorian Art Award.

She has also been a first class equestrian competitor, having won the
Australian Grand Prix Dressage Championship and been a member of the
equestrian teams for the Munich and Montreal Olympic Games.  Her favourite
horse, Equardo, performed dressage to selections from Strauss waltzes.

Strauss, with accompanying fireworks, will feature in the concert finale.
The evening's repertoire includes a romantic tango, Dvorak's Slavonic
Dances, and the pas de deux from the Nutcracker Suite danced by guest
artists from The Australian Ballet.

Invitation To The Dance will be held at 6.30pm on Saturday 28 May. Gates
open at 5.30pm. Tickets are $20 (concessions available) from the DSO Box
Office, (8980 3333, 10am to 5.30pm weekdays), Cover to Cover Books
Palmerston, Customer Service Desk, Casuarina and from 5.30pm at the gate.

For full details, phone 8946 6488.


DSO Orchestral manager Barbara Vos is available for interview.


Caption: Nita McAuley puts finishing touches to her DSO paintings





Peter Hurt
Media Manager
Charles Darwin University
Tel: 08 8946 6019 or 0438 466 439

CRICOS Provider No: 00300K