SATURDAY 23rd February 2013

• 11 am a solemn Mass at the summit of Mt Kosciuszko concelebrated by bishop Julian Porteous and and priests from all over Australia.
This event is sponsored by National Parks & Wildlife Service, supported by Snowy River Shire Council and organised in conjunction with St Columbkille’s Catholic Parish, Jindabyne.

• At noon - Fraternity Flight over Mt Kosciuszko Afro-American artist Roy Eaton joining Aunty Rae, Ngarigo elder on Cessna; sponsored by the Jindabyne Aero Club; • • 5 pm, Horizons Hotel, Intercontinental Re-Union, a special piano recital by Roy Eaton (New York), dedicated to the Ngarigo people, traditional custodians of Mt Kosciuszko. Featuring Roy Eaton and Krzysztof Malek;

* from 7 pm Polish BBQ at the Strzelecki Monument, Banjo Paterson Park, over Lake Jindabyne. "Polonez Smallgoods" from Sydney serving potato pancakes, Polish juicy sausages, dilled cucumbers and bigos (cabbage stew). • • (after a sunset at 7,39 mpm)at 8:30 pm Outdoors Concert incl. Visual Laser Show at the Strzelecki Monument. Featuring classical, pop & folk music and dances.

• • SUNDAY 24th February 2013 • • 8,30 am Mass at St Kolumbkille’s Church (optional) • • 10 am – Movie Premiere – Polish-Aboriginal Fraternity Flights over Mt Kosciuszko (April 2012) to be sponsored by Jindabyne Cinemas. • • 11 am Photographic Exhibition "Australia - The Catholic Way" (Visitors Centre Foyer or St Columbkille’s Parish Hall) • • 12 noon – stalls, Polish Traditional Food BBQ by Polonez Smallgoods, at Banjo Paterson Park, Kosciuszko Beer tasting sponsored by Kosciuszko Pale Ale Brewery.

• 1 pm – Gala Concert at the Strzelecki Monument featuring folkloric ensembles, church choirs, singers and dancers. Celebrating 25th anniversary of the unveiling of the Strzelecki Monument.

• 4 pm – Kosciuszko Brewery Tour

• 4:30 pm Festival Close – Safe Journey.

ROY EATON, OUR SPECIAL GUEST FROM AMERICA

ROY EATON is a concert pianist, composer, teacher and music producer. Roy has already agreed to be an honorary guest of The Seventh Kosciuszko Festival (K’Ozzie Fest 2013) in Snowy Mountains.

Meeting Roy in New York. Spotkanie z Royem w Nowym Jorku

• Chopin’s music has been a permanent feature in his music career over so many decades. Just recently Roy got interested in music composed by Thaddeus Kosciuszko and is working on special arrangements of his 3 pieces. Roy’s black roots as well as his connections to Chopin and Kosciuszko (and to the Kosciuszko Foundation) make him an ideal Afro-American artist who could effectively share his views with traditional custodians of Mt Kosciuszko and the Snowy Mountains, the Aboriginal Ngarigo people, with whom we, the Kosciuszko Heritage Inc., have been successfully building a friendly dialogue. As we see it, ROY EATON epitomises those Negro slaves whose freedom was advocated by General Kosciuszko in his Last Will left with Thomas Jefferson.

• The visit of Roy Eaton to Australia and our Festival may show yet another aspect of Kosciuszko’s legacy and have a unique impact on the Aboriginal and Polish communities. It has potential to appeal to all Australians who cherish ideas of freedom, democracy and equal rights of all people – the universal values Kosciuszko fought for. Roy Eaton’s admiration to Kosciuszko may help promoting the name of the highest mountain on the Australian mainland, not because Kosciuszko was Polish, but because of his international and universal significance. As a winner of Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition, Roy Eaton seems to be a unique, irreplaceable candidate to be our special guest.

Roy Eaton’ s BIO

Roy was born in New York in 1930 of Jamaican mother. As a 3 yo boy he had a part of his finger amputated which did not prevent him from becoming a concert pianist. When he was 7, he played in Carnegie Hall as a gold medallist in a competition sponsored by the Music Education League in NY. In 1950 he graduated (magna cum laude) from the CCNY and the Manhattan School of Music. Soon after he won the first Kosciuszko Foundation Chopin Competition and received from Yale University a fellowship for a graduate study in Musicology. He made his debut with Chicago Symphony Orchestra. During Korean War (1953-1955) Roy served in the US Army at Fort Dix where he worked as musician and radio & tv broadcaster.

• In July 1957 Roy was declared dead after a car accident (6 days in a coma). Miraculously came back to life. As he claims, every trauma he experienced, has simply created a greater opportunity in his life. As the first black person, he became a jingle composer for Young & Rubicam advertising company. Later he became Music Director at Benton & Bowles Ad Company. After 1980 he established his own production company and also resumed his career as a concert pianist. For his legendary contribution to composing jingles he was recently inducted to the Advertising Hall of Fame.

• In 1996 Roy had got married to Barbara (his third wife) who gave birth (2002) to their twin sons. After a hip and knee operation Roy performs all over America, and teaches at the Manhattan School of Music. He has got 5 CD to his credit, 4 of them including Chopin’s music.

From Roy's family album