Talented student musicians score gig in European tour

Wade High School’s Leo Forner and Matthew Hutchinson are two of the musicians from Griffith who were specially chosen to perform in the West of the Divide band tour in January.

The two boys were chosen after they beat out the competition over the course of three gruelling band camps.

Percussionist Matthew said he practiced hard every day at home to get results.

“It requires hard work, but it pays off,” Matthew said.

“It’ll be very exciting to go to the big cathedrals and work with the acoustics there.”

They will be travelling around the continent to Rome, Florence, Venice, Bled in Slovenia and Zagreb in Crotia for performances and workshops with seasoned maestros.

Bass Clarinetist Leo Forner said he was most looking forward to going to Italy for the first time and reconnecting with his Italian roots.

“My dad’s from Italy, so it’ll be good to see where he’s from,” Leo said.

When in Rome the boys will attend a music workshop at the Australian embassy, followed by another trip to the Australian embassy in Zagreb, Croatia.

The boys will shine on stage at St Peter’s Basilica, Vatican City, the Postonja Caves, and St Mark’s Basilica in Venice.

Griffith East Public School music teacher Rhys Thomas will be there to supervise and perform, and he said he was looking forward to the jam-packed two week trip ahead.

“It’s a very tight itinerary,” Mr Thomas said.

“It’ll be pretty tiring. I’m not envying the trip back.”

The exhausting whirlwind tour will wrap up at the end of the school holidays, and the boys will take a 20 hour flight back to Australia.

The two students will then head to back to Griffith just in time for the start of the new school year.