Antonio Federici was born in 1912 in Bologna, Provincia di Asti, Piemonte, Italy.
He came to Australia in 1930 and was known as Anthony, Tony and occasionally Peter. He was a versatile musician playing trombone, mandolin and guitar.
1936
In 1936 auditions, overseen by Ernest J. Roberts, were held in order to establish a nucleus of Perth musicians to augment the 6.W.F. Studio Orchestra for public concerts given by the Perth Symphony Orchestra.
Those chosen for the coveted positions were: Vera Rees (Waterman) as the leader, Lazar Sverdloff and Dorothy Formby 1st violins, Bill Glassford 2nd violin, Bob Stirling viola, Zlata Kalmikoff cello, Freddy Flint bass, Harry Singleton oboe, Fred Payne flute, Percy Newton clarinet, George Mellor 1st trumpet, Ivan Nylander 2nd trumpet, Tony Federici trombone, George Reid drums and Rima Swain piano.
Harrison, Marcia, West Australian Symphony Orchestra Celebrating 75 Years, (WASO Holdings Pty Ltd, 2003). P.11
Broadcast 23 May 1936
9.35: “The Gypsy Players”: Lazar Sverdloff (violin), Zlata Kalmikoff (cello), Phyllis Blott (piano), A. Federici (guitar), in association with Enrico Rigattieri (tenor).
GYPSY SONGS AND DANCES TONIGHT
Tonight’s national broadcast: “The Gypsy Quartette” have a programme of love, songs and Russian gypsy selections for presentation at 8.20. Enrico Rigattieri will provide the vocal interludes.
Daily News (Perth, WA : 1882 – 1955), Tuesday 30 June 1936, page 10
RADIO ARTISTS INJURED. Bus Accident on Wagin Trip.
When returning to Perth early yesterday morning from the Wagin Town Hall, where a concert had been given in celebration of the opening of the new broadcasting station 6WA, a party of radio artists from Perth National Station met trouble. They were travelling in two buses and several motor cars. As one of the buses, containing about 20 passengers, turned from the Wagin Road into Albany-road, it skidded across Albany-road. Its complete overturn was prevented when it collided with a tree. Glass in the windows was smashed, and the flying pieces gashed several of the passengers, three of whom were taken in a St John ambulance and a motor car to the Wagin Hospital, where they were admitted for treatment. These were Mr. Duncan Morison, a pianist who has been touring Australia with Mr. Sydney McEwan, the Scottish tenor; Mr. Fred Payne (flautist) and Mr. Anthony Federici (trombone player), members of the Australian Broadcasting Commission’s Perth Concert Orchestra. None of the passengers was seriously injured, though the double bass played by Mr. Fred Flint was smashed to pieces. With the aid of passing cars and the other vehicles of the party, the occupants of the damaged bus completed their journey to Perth. News was received in Perth yesterday that the injured persons were recovering. It was announced that, despite the casualties, the band would keep its engagements.
West Australian (Perth, WA), Wednesday 9 December 1936, page 24
Later details in connection with the accident to a Perth motor Iras at the intersection of the Wagin and Perth roads on Monday night indicate that 20 radio artists were involved, a number of whom sustained minor injuries, three being gashed with flying, glass seriously enough to require treatment at the Wagin Hospital. These were Messrs. Duncan Morison (pianist), Fred Payne (flautist) and Anthony Federici (trombone player). The fact that although several saxophone players were included in the party none was hurt shows what strange freaks Fate sometimes plays.
Great Southern Herald (Katanning, WA : 1901 – 1966), Saturday 12 December 1936, page 2
1939
ORCHESTRA AND SINGER. Promenade Concert at Capitol.
It was an unusual treat for those who attend the fortnightly promenade concerts presented by the Australian Broadcasting Commission at the Capitol Theatre to have a celebrity on last night’s programme. A larger number than usual gathered as a result of the announcement that Lord Lurgan would sing. The visiting baritone was listed for three items, but so insistent was the audience that after recalls he gave extras which were no less satisfying than his principal numbers. He repeated the excerpt from Messager’s opera, “Monsieur Beaucaire,” which he gave in his first recital last Wednesday and sang Frederick Keel’s “Trade Winds” and “Bird Songs at Eventide” (Eric Coates). As encores he gave “River Shannon” (Reginald Moore) and the well-known negro spiritual. “Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.” The programme numbers were accompanied by muted orchestra, and the extras by piano. Two charming brackets, one being three “Nell Gwynne” dances by Edward German and the other Massenet’s “Scenes Pittoresques,” were the outstanding contributions from the orchestra, which was under the baton of Mr. Ernest J. Roberts. The strength of the orchestra was reduced from the usual standard by the absence of a number of the stringed instruments, the most notable results being a diminution in the bass. The opening overture was that from von Suppe’s opera Light Cavalry,” and was taken with appropriate brightness. Other popular items were Kreisler’s “Schon Rosmarin” and Moszkowski’s “Serenade,” and the operatic selection was from Sullivan’s “H.M.S. Pinafore” and was particularly well received. Billed as a solo item for piano with orchestra, a sequence of Strauss waltz themes arranged by Borschel was rather an orchestral presentation with prominent ornamentation from the piano, Miss Rima Swain being the star of the moment. Her keyboard technique was pleasing, her arpeggios and similar ornamentations being particularly fluent. Another solo item with orchestra was “Sliding Jim” (Losey), the soloist being Mr. Anthony Federici on the trombone. The evening ended with the playing and singing of the hymn “Rock of Ages”.
West Australian (Perth, WA : 1879 – 1954), Monday 17 July 1939, page 9
Harrison, Marcia, West Australian Symphony Orchestra Celebrating 75 Years, (WASO Holdings Pty Ltd, 2003). P.22
1940
Tony married Olive Cecelia Mudford in 1940 and they initially lived at 26 Park Street, Subiaco.
1952
Iwan Iwanoff and his wife, Linda, migrated to Australia as part of the International Refugee Organisation resettlement scheme, arriving in Fremantle, Western Australia in March 1950. In 1951, Jack Harrison joined the West Australian Symphony Orchestra as second clarinet. The Principal Trombonist of WASO was Anthony “Tony” Federici, who had been in the orchestra since 1936. In the early 1950’s, Tony had a flat in the same Riverside Drive block as Iwanoff, just a short walk from the ABC building where WASO rehearsed. Tony apparently showed Jack an Iwanoff house being built in Subiaco. There were 2 houses in Subiaco in 1953 – one in Roberts Road for Nicoloff, and one at 102 Barker Road for Lazar Sverdloff.
10.8.1954
FLINT (Fred): On Aug. 7, dear friend of Tony and Olive Federici.
Dear memories.
1958
1959
In 1959 Tony established the ensemble “Typica Latina” which performed in radio broadcasts and also toured and was a member of the “Lido Quintet”.
WORTH REPORTING
Two of the Lido Quintet, Victor Mestichelli (left) and Tony Federici, show two Derby children how to play the accordion and the guitar.
LOCAL halls were packed and the nor’westers went wild when a concert party recently travelled beyond Geraldton into the vast north of Western Australia.
The concerts were staged at Derby, Darwin, Port Hedland, Wittenoom Gorge, and
Carnarvon. Audiences travelled hundreds of miles from inland stations, and flocked into Darwin from Rum Jungle. The concerts were given by the A.B.C. Lido Quintet, specially formed for the tour from the ranks of the A.B.C.’s
Tipica Latina group, heard in the National relay. “It was a wonderful experience, a wonderful place, with wonderful people,” Tony Federici, the quintet’s leader told us. But there were some be-hind-the-scenes difficulties to cope with. Take the case of Mario Burlini, the quintet’s clarinettist. His ears were affected by the plane trips. And at times he was so deaf he couldn’t hear the other boys playing. But he didn’t give in. By following the boom-boom of Eric King’s bass drum and counting bars, Mario didn’t miss a beat. And accordionist Victor Mestichelli was so airsick that he sat propped in his chair on stage with his accordion strapped to him only staggering to his feet for solo numbers.
Australian Women’s Weekly (1933 – 1982), Wednesday 7 October 1959, page 31
1961
ABW TO SCREEN BIRTHDAY SHOW
Thursday May 11 1961
By Keith Flanagan
ABW Channel 2 will tonight present its biggest live show yet, to celebrate its first birthday. There will be singers, dancers, a 25 piece orchestra and an invited audience of 200 for the two hour show.
Jock Millett will produce the cabaret style show in the Kirk Memorial Studio in the radio building – the biggest studio the A.B.C. has here. The record library will be taken over as a makeup room for the 44 people who will come before the cameras. Lighting in the studio will be equivalent to 1000 60 watt globes. Jim Fisher, Earl Reeve and Diana Ward will compere the show, to run from 8pm to 10.30pm, with a half hour break from 9 for the American documentary “Our Man in Space”. Verdon Williams has formed a 25 piece orchestra for the show. Artists to appear are the Four Notes, Margot Robertson, Tony Federici, Carmen Arenas, Adriano Angelucci, Doris Dodd, Garry Smith and Derna Sluik, Jack Harrison, the Wrightsons, Lorna Sydney, Gerrard Sibbritt and Terri Charlesworth, Andre Tio, Peter Piccini and a demonstration ballroom group.
The West Australian Thursday May 11 1961
MEMBERS OF THE W.A. SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
were in a gay mood as they boarded the bus after a stop on their way back to Perth from a recent tour of the South West. In the picture below are Tony Federici (trombone), Brian Hanley (violin) and Norm Bourke (music presentation assistant) while the bus driver and proprietress of the hotel look a little bewildered by it all. On the extreme right is Jack Harrison (clarinet) who took the precaution of wearing a raincoat to defend himself against the water pistols they are all brandishing.
Radio Active May 1961
1965
1967
Principal Trombone player Tony Federici (sometimes known as Peter) was another talented and versatile player. Aswell as leading a small ensemble called “Typica Latina”, any time Mozart’s Don Giovanni sand his serenade “Deh vieni alla finestra” under the window it was Tony who exquisitely played the mandolin accompaniment. He was also a barber and was happy to set up a shop in his garden to cut the hair of unwilling children belonging to other members of the orchestra. Jack Harrison’s son Jay was one of these children, as he was afraid of men in white coats due to too many visits to hospital as a child and associated the white coats of shop barbers.
Harrison, Marcia, West Australian Symphony Orchestra Celebrating 75 Years, (WASO Holdings Pty Ltd, 2003). P.35
Tony Federici retired from the West Australian Symphony Orchestra in 1972 after 36 years of service.
Government House,
Canberra, A.C.T. 2600
HER Majesty the Queen has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Imperial Service Medal to the following persons on their retirement:
Australian Broadcasting Commission
Federici, Antonio, formerly Principal Trombonist,
West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Perth, Western Australia.
Commonwealth of Australia Gazette (National : 1901 – 1973), Thursday 2 November 1972 (No.103), page 1
Tony died just 7 years later aged 66 on 14th March 1979.