Melbourne Recital Centre opens the doors of its intimate Primrose Potter Salon on one day each month from March to December for FREE open rehearsals featuring the very best of Melbourne’s chamber musicians. On each selected day the artists will use this opportunity to rehearse new works, new programs and try out new ideas for you, in ... Read more
THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME! Long-time collaborators, pianist Donna Coleman and harpist Jacinta Dennett are Pleione 11; they explore the notion of home in this program that features a premiere by Australian composer Eve Duncan. The program title There’s no place like home! evokes the 1939 film, The Wizard of Oz and the image of Dorothy clicking together the ... Read more
FOR A BOY WHO'S SIXTY! BIRTHDAY RECITAL Darryl Coote is delighted that three of his favourite musician friends will help celebrate his birthday on Monday May 1 at Rippon Lea Estate - Anne Gilby (oboe), Sally-Anne Russell (mezzo-soprano) and Rohan de Korte (cello). Commencing with canapés in the Rippon Lea ballroom at 5:45pm, the recital ... Read more
FREI ABER EINSAM: A SALUTE TO VIOLINIST JOSEPH JOACHIM Join us for a violin and piano recital in the stunning surrounds of the Hanson Dyer Hall. Written for the great violinist Joseph Joachim, the three pieces in this program feature works by composers in the circle of Johannes Brahms including Clara Schumann, Robert Schumann and ... Read more
The biggest celebration of Australian and British string quartet music ever presented, ANAM Quartetthaus at Melbourne Museum will be staged on the Melbourne Museum Plaza. Three Australian ensembles with connections to ANAM and three British ensembles with connections to London's Royal College of Music (RCM) – including a professional, early-career, and emerging ensemble from each country – will ... Read more
HIGHER POWER Soul and story; serenity and ecstasy. Across time and place, composers have been inspired to serve a spiritual vision, and pursue expression that transcends words alone. You don’t need to believe in a higher power to experience it. We depart with Bach in his relentless quest for perfection in the Brandenburg concertos, and ... Read more
THE BIRTH OF IMPRESSIONISM The year is 1863 and the Emperor Napoleon III has decreed that all paintings rejected by the Salon’s judges can be exhibited in a nearby room “wishing to let the public judge the legitimacy of the artists’ complaints”. Thus was born the first Salon des Refusés and the seed of Impressionism ... Read more
Montsalvat invites you to enjoy a delightful evening of French chamber music by Ravel, Faure and Saint Saens performed by internationally renowned musicians Bonnie Brown on piano, Cameron Hill on violin and Michelle Wood on cello. They create a moment suspended in time, as the audience is welcomed into the emotional world of the music and the performer. Enjoy ... Read more
ROMANTIC MASTERWORKS Alexander Gavrylyuk's curated program of music spotlights formidable composer/performers at the forefront of technique and showmanship in the Romantic era and their determination to push musical boundaries. In this concert, Gavrylyuk will exhibit his own remarkable technique in interpretations of musical masterworks that transport audiences from Beethoven’s dark and dreamy Moonlight Sonata and ... Read more
ENCHANTED FOREST An enchanted evening inspired by nature, featuring Beethoven's famous 'Pastoral' Symphony in a stunning new version for seven players. The Pastoral Symphony reflects Beethoven's feelings of being surrounded by nature, while Debussy's shimmering Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun evokes an encounter with forest spirits. Inventi also presents a stunning new work ... Read more
HIGHER POWER Soul and story; serenity and ecstasy. Across time and place, composers have been inspired to serve a spiritual vision, and pursue expression that transcends words alone. You don’t need to believe in a higher power to experience it. We depart with Bach in his relentless quest for perfection in the Brandenburg concertos, and ... Read more
ALBUM LAUNCH CONCERT Carla Blackwood, horn Elizabeth Sellars, violin Rhodri Clarke, piano The launch of the trio's debut album, through ABC. A retrospective of Australian horn trios, including Elena Kats-Chernin's Velvet Revolution and Roger Smalley's Horn Trio. More info and bookings
MRFM are thrilled to present one of Australia's finest pianists, Benjamin Martin, in solo recital for our 2023 Autumn series! Identified by Newsday NY as an 'Excellent craftsman', The New York Times as 'Distinctive, arresting in style' and The Australian in 2000 as ‘The best young talent for the new millennium’, pianist/composer Benjamin Martin has ... Read more
Peninsula Chamber Musicians continue their exploration of works written for smaller ensembles performed in beautiful venues. Boyd - Ex Deo Lux Brahms - Clarinet Quintet, Op. 115 More info and bookings
Presented by St Silas Anglican Church in Albert Park, ANAM musicians return to this beautiful venue for an exciting chamber music performance. J.S. BACH Violin Partita no.1 in B minor, BWV 1002 MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto in E minor, op. 64, I. Allegro molto appassionato RACHMANINOV Trio Elegiaque no. 1 More info and bookings
MUSICAL KALEIDOSCOPE A colourful mix of musical genres is familiar territory for Duo Chamber Melange. There is only one word that encapsulates the essence of this concert — kaleidoscopic. Journey from the Classical nationalism of rarely played Czech composer Fibich, through the vivid and energetic works by 20th-century women composers Lili Boulanger and Margaret Sutherland ... Read more
PARISIENNES Quatuor Van Kuijk celebrate the quartet’s ten-year anniversary with a program of Mozart, Debussy, Mendelssohn and the Australian premiere of Edith Canat de Chizy’s String Quartet No.5 Oh God, written specially for the quartet. Quatuor Van Kuijk are a fresh voice imbuing new energy and interpretations to the master works of the chamber catalogue. ... Read more
Join ANAM Artistic Director Paavali Jumppanen alongside ANAM musicians and bass trombonist Angus Pace for a morning concert featuring Schumann’s epic Piano Quintet in E flat major alongside Ewald's Brass Quintet no. 1. More info and bookings
A MATTER OF HERITAGE Presenting violin soloist Grace Clifford and teenage cellist Benett Tsai in a delightful program that shines a light on the incredible diversity of the piano trio genre through the influence of these three composers of the country of birth, customs, culture and heritage. One of Australia’s most beloved composers, Nigel Westlake ... Read more
A MATTER OF HERITAGE Presenting violin soloist Grace Clifford and teenage cellist Benett Tsai in a delightful program that shines a light on the incredible diversity of the piano trio genre through the influence of these three composers of the country of birth, customs, culture and heritage. One of Australia’s most beloved composers, Nigel Westlake ... Read more
Echoes and Orbits is a playful program featuring upbeat and eclectic works for percussion and cello. Spanning the latest decade – a period where pop culture and classical music have converged more than ever – the pieces reflect the energetic time in which we live, but also gives us space to be still More info ... Read more
The second concert in series of five ANAM concerts at Beleura. Featuring ANAM faculty and musicians the opening program celebrated 150 years of virtuosic Rachmaninov. "Chamber music forms the backbone of the remaining programs in an exciting year of music making.” – Timothy Young, ANAM Head of Piano RACHMANINOV Trio élégiaque no. 1 FRANCK Piano ... Read more
VIVALDI UNPLUGGED Known as ‘The Red Priest’ for his shocking mane of red hair and bursting with energy, Antonio Vivaldi was a Baroque rock star. In Vivaldi Unplugged, the Brandenburg bring two of his masterpieces roaring to life. Gloria and The Four Seasons are given theatrical adrenaline shots of colour, movement and light to reveal both the ... Read more
URBAN EPISODES: A CLASSICAL-JAZZ FUSION Join the Brown & Breen Piano Duo and renowned jazz pianist Joe Chindamo for an unforgettable classical-jazz fusion performance at Montsalvat! The concert begins with the world premiere of Chindamo’s exciting new work for two pianos, Urban Episodes, and is followed by Leonard Bernstein’s virtuosic masterpiece Symphonic Dances from West ... Read more
HOT! THE SAXOPHONE IN CHAMBER MUSIC We associate the saxophone with jazz, but Adolphe Sax always intended it as a classical instrument, marrying the woodwinds’ facility with the brass family’s projection. The instrument’s superstar Niels Bijl reveals the poetic range of this beautiful instrument in chamber music ranging from Webern’s haunting quartet, through to the bristling energy of Franco Donatoni’s Hot. More info and bookings
GUITAR PERSPECTIVES The program of Latin American music is complimented by a triptych homage to Brazilian music by Melbourne composer and Conservatorium Associate Professor In Music (Guitar) Ken Murray, as well as a moving intergenerational memorial A Drunken Fingerprint Across the Sky, by the young Victorian Ade Vincent. More info and bookings
FLUTE TRAVELLER Internationally renowned performers Masahide Kurita and Kenji Fujimura join forces to take audiences on a captivating musical journey to various corners of the globe. Their evocative Flute and Piano recital program includes works inspired by the folk songs, landscapes and national musical traditions of Japan, Turkey, Indonesia, Sweden and Hungary. More info and ... Read more
VIVALDI UNPLUGGED Known as ‘The Red Priest’ for his shocking mane of red hair and bursting with energy, Antonio Vivaldi was a Baroque rock star. In Vivaldi Unplugged, the Brandenburg bring two of his masterpieces roaring to life. Gloria and The Four Seasons are given theatrical adrenaline shots of colour, movement and light to reveal both the ... Read more
The Islay Trio was formed in 2019, through a shared passion of chamber music, and a collective goal of rejuvenating the genre with youthful energy, fervent musical expression and a meticulous regard for musical rhetoric and ensemble craft. Since then, Islay Trio have enjoyed successful recitals all over the country. Islay Trio is delighted to ... Read more
NEW SONGS AND DEDICATIONS ARIA nominated pianist/composer Nat Bartsch is well known for creating heartwarming music on the topic of motherhood, hope and other lovely things. Her neo-romantic works traverse the jazz-classical spectrum, inviting the listener to immerse themselves in meditative, lyrical music. More info and bookings
VIVALDI UNPLUGGED Known as ‘The Red Priest’ for his shocking mane of red hair and bursting with energy, Antonio Vivaldi was a Baroque rock star. In Vivaldi Unplugged, the Brandenburg bring two of his masterpieces roaring to life. Gloria and The Four Seasons are given theatrical adrenaline shots of colour, movement and light to reveal both the ... Read more
A duo recital featuring decorated University of Melbourne alumna and now London-based mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean with pianist Stewart Kelly. Reigniting a partnership that is more than a decade long, Ms Betts-Dean and Mr Kelly return to the Conservatorium as part of our Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series. Lotte and Stewart first performed together in ... Read more
UTOPIAS Vanishing visions of the idyll—a Utopian world of natural splendour, both aquatic and pastoral—are conjured by an intricate and highly original string soundscape from Thomas Adès, titled Arcadiana. Following this is Mozart’s String Quartet in D minor—intensely personal in its expression, moments of intimately sublime sorrow give way to bursts of playful radiance, in only ... Read more
CHILD'S PLAY Nexas Quartet are committed to sharing the musical diversity of the saxophone, showcasing its versatility and ability to cross genre boundaries. Their performance in Primrose Potter Salon presents repertoire inspired by the joy and fun of childhood. Featuring masterpieces by Claude Debussy, Maurice Ravel, Chick Corea and Australian Tomasz Spiewak, Nexas Quartet have ... Read more
ENSEMBLE LIAISON are delighted to be back for their 18th season to present an exciting collaboration with triple-Grammy-award winning artist Tim Munro. Flutist with the internationally acclaimed Eighth Blackbird for ten years, Tim joins Ensemble Liaison in a program that brings emotional immediacy in Christopher Cerrone’s mesmerizing, New Addresses, inspired by the poetry of Kenneth Koch. Martin ... Read more
RACHMANINOFF FOR TWO PIANOS Rachmaninoff was one of the most formative pianists of the 20th century, both in his pianism and compositional output. This year marks his 150th birthday and is therefore cause for celebration! This concert presents some of Rachmaninoff's finest smaller scale solo piano works as well as his emphatic Symphonic Dances - ... Read more
LES VIRTUOSES During the Renaissance and Baroque, music was gradually liberated from solely servicing the church into a force of its own. The awakening of instrumental music and the amazing originality of the musicians creating it provided fuel for the next four centuries of musical development. In this program we shall encounter four fabulous women ... Read more
Darcy King, classical guitar Ceridiwen McCooey, cello Darcy and Tempo's own Ceridwen (Wynnie) present a concert of contemporary classical music from around the globe, as well as a series of Ceridwen’s own compositions for solo cello and electronics. More info and bookings
Sophia Kirsanova and Timothy Young a selection of works for violin and piano inspired by the radiance of spring, beauty and love. The duo’s captivating stage presence, depth and expression are paired with a program of masterpieces inspiring hope and elation. The concert features a world premiere of Rosalind Page’s Blossoming World, alongside Beethoven’s famous ... Read more
STRING TRIO RECITAL Featuring gems of the repertoire with works rarely heard in live performance: Mozart's hauntingly beautiful Divertimento in E flat, K 563, Beethoven String Trio in E flat, Op 3, and Reger's String Trio in D minor O p141b More info and bookings
Australian-Swiss pianist and actor Amy Rita performs her own original contemporary classical piano compositions from her upcoming EP, being released through the Maison Serein record label. Amy has recently performed at Montsalvat Art Centre and Abbotsford Convent. More info and bookings
Mozart’s final work for choir and orchestra is a beloved masterpiece whose genesis is shrouded in mystery. The Australian Chamber Choir invites you into Mozart’s sound world, presenting this dramatic work with all its brilliant and varied colours. More info and bookings
Featuring Conservatorium staff and guest artists, this concert presents two works that bring attention to domestic violence, composed by award-winning American composer Jake Heggie. Songs for Murdered Sisters (2020), with text by Margaret Atwood, will be re-imagined and interpreted by Melissa Davis (soprano), Victoria Lambourn (mezzo-soprano) and Jerry Wong (piano). To Hell and Back (2006), based on the Greco-Roman ... Read more
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE & BEYOND We go to the movies to explore the innovations that shaped a generation of trailblazing composers and their unique sound worlds for the screen. Joining the ACO is electronic artist Will Gregory, co-founder and member of internationally revered English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, and an ensemble of Moog Synthesisers. Pioneers ... Read more
MOVING PICTURES After forging stellar careers as individual artists, violinist Zoë Black and pianist Joe Chindamo quickly established themselves as a formidable force upon forming a duo just over a decade ago. Embodying the true essence of restless creativity and discovery, they are constantly evolving, challenging themselves and their audiences, and earning the highest respect ... Read more
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE & BEYOND We go to the movies to explore the innovations that shaped a generation of trailblazing composers and their unique sound worlds for the screen. Joining the ACO is electronic artist Will Gregory, co-founder and member of internationally revered English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, and an ensemble of Moog Synthesisers. Pioneers ... Read more
The Melbourne Conservatorium of Music presents the finalists of the 2023 Conservatorium Chamber Music Competition. Current students have the opportunity each year to form a small ensemble with their peers, and perform a work of their choice in the Melba Hall Lunch Hour Concert Series. More info and bookings
A CLOCKWORK ORANGE & BEYOND We go to the movies to explore the innovations that shaped a generation of trailblazing composers and their unique sound worlds for the screen. Joining the ACO is electronic artist Will Gregory, co-founder and member of internationally revered English electronic music duo Goldfrapp, and an ensemble of Moog Synthesisers. Pioneers ... Read more
Internationally renowned violinist Rachael Beesley brings together a who’s who of Melbourne’s early music specialists for a program entitled Autumnal Tone. Featured composers include Bach, Couperin, Leclair, and Telemann, their works united by a sense of the valedictory. More info and bookings
AUSTRALIAN COMPOSERS A recital featuring Joel Brennan (A/Prof - Trumpet and Deputy Associate Dean (Research)), Derek Jones (A/Prof - Flute and Head of Woodwinds) and Jerry Wong (A/Prof - Piano and Head of Keyboard). The repertoire will consist of all living Australian composers. Four of the seven composers are Conservatorium staff members. One work will be a world premiere and ... Read more
MATTHAUS PASSION Early Voices (directed by Stephen Grant), along with the viol consort Consortium and baroque violinists Lizzy Welch and Tim Willis, present this innovative early Passion by the German 17th century composer Johann Sebastiani. More info and bookings
Ten years after appearing with Aleksandar Madžar in recital, violinist Anthony Marwood returns to Elisabeth Murdoch Hall with powerhouse Melbourne pianist Stefan Cassomenos for a captivating performance that pairs Schumann with Janáček and Stravinsky with the Australian premiere of Thomas Adès’ Märchentänze. Together, Anthony Marwood and Stefan Cassomenos deliver an evening of technical mastery, spirited ... Read more
NORWEIGAN BEAUTY Duo Chamber Melange present two jewels of chamber music by Norwegian genius Edvard Grieg alongside an inspirational Australian work written by Emma Greenhill. The sonatas held a special place for Grieg who commented that ‘they each represent a period in my development: the first, naive, rich in ideas… the second, nationalistic… and the ... Read more
Returning by popular demand, Affinity Quartet performs three programs at Aireys Inlet Community Hall this May 26-29 promising audiences a diverse selection of repertoire from their recent 4 month European sojourn - works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Janáček and Kurtag. Aireys Inlet holds treasured memories for Affinity Quartet since their 2021 lockdown adventures and ... Read more
TRANSFORMATIONS Music by two of the most-loved composers —Tchaikovsky and Mozart — revealed by the power of transformation. For this performance MCO musicians are playing a Tchaikovsky work originally for piano solo with a string quartet, and a Mozart piano concerto with the quartet and piano. They are joined by one of Australia’s most extraordinary ... Read more
FROM LITTLE THINGS… Flinders Quartet are joined by guest violinist Elizabeth Sellars. AMY BEACH String Quartet, Op. 89 ANNE CAWRSE “in spaces between” ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op.106 More info and bookings
Mozart’s final work for choir and orchestra is a beloved masterpiece whose genesis is shrouded in mystery. The Australian Chamber Choir invites you into Mozart’s sound world, presenting this dramatic work with all its brilliant and varied colours. More info and bookings
In this concert, La Compañia explore the Baroque gateway to the Americas, Mexico. It was a thriving hub of cultural connections where exhilarating and captivating music emerged. Folk traditions from a sophisticated and ancient culture artfully infused with the Baroque brilliance of the Iberian Peninsula is spiced with African rhythms. This beautiful and fascinating music ... Read more
KLEINE ORGELSOLOMESE Tony Way, conductor Merlyn Quaife AM, soprano Sally-Anne Russell, mezzo-soprano Timothy Reynolds, tenor Nicholas Dinopoulos, bass-baritone Choir of St. Francis' Church Symphonia of Melbourne More info
ADCH FESTIVAL WEEKEND 2 – CONCERT 2 Works for duo pianists played by Stephen McIntyre and Stefan Cassomenos. Livestreamed on ADCH. PROGRAM Ravel – Ma mère l’Oye Rachmaninoff – Selections from the Suites for Two Pianos Debussy – Prélude à l’après-midi d’un faune Ravel – La valse More info and bookings
Returning by popular demand, Affinity Quartet performs three programs at Aireys Inlet Community Hall this May 26-29 promising audiences a diverse selection of repertoire from their recent 4 month European sojourn - works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Janáček and Kurtag. Aireys Inlet holds treasured memories for Affinity Quartet since their 2021 lockdown adventures and ... Read more
FROM LITTLE THINGS… Flinders Quartet are joined by guest violinist Elizabeth Sellars. AMY BEACH String Quartet, Op. 89 ANNE CAWRSE “in spaces between” ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op.106 More info and bookings
FROM LITTLE THINGS… Flinders Quartet are joined by guest violinist Elizabeth Sellars. AMY BEACH String Quartet, Op. 89 ANNE CAWRSE “in spaces between” ANTONÍN DVOŘÁK String Quartet No. 13 in G major, Op.106 More info and bookings
Returning by popular demand, Affinity Quartet performs three programs at Aireys Inlet Community Hall this May 26-29 promising audiences a diverse selection of repertoire from their recent 4 month European sojourn - works by Mozart, Beethoven, Schubert, Mendelssohn, Janáček and Kurtag. Aireys Inlet holds treasured memories for Affinity Quartet since their 2021 lockdown adventures and ... Read more
INFLECTIONS The ANAM Encounters series in Primrose Potter Salon at Melbourne Recital Centre showcases outstanding performers from the class of 2022 and connects them with audiences as they embark on their professional careers as leading creative artists. This concert features Aditya Bhat, 2022 winner of David Richards Performance Award for the Most Outstanding Performance of a Contemporary ... Read more
SOUNDBITE: SPEAK NO EVIL Experience the art and influence of improvisation in a unique musical journey spanning centuries, featuring works by Mozart, Messiaen, Takemitsu, and Shorter. There is a strong legacy of great composer/improvisers throughout history: Mozart would spontaneously perform half-hour encores at the piano, indistinguishable from his written compositions, while Messiaen held the position ... Read more
FAIREST ISLE The Medieval and Renaissance Ensemble presents a celebration of musical life at the court the Tudor monarchs between Henry VIII and Elizabeth I. The ensemble will present consort songs by Byrd, sacred motets by Tallis, madrigals from the English madrigal school and keyboard works by the English virginalists More info and bookings
TEMPO QUEER 1 Divisi Chamber Singers have won swathes of awards for their work championing LGBTIQ+ composers and writers, with their Compose Queer programs and their groundbreaking debut album 'Spectrum' - the first ever Australian album devoted to works by Australian LGBTIQ+ composers. One of the most exciting Chamber Choirs in Australia, here they present ... Read more
In 1970 Garrick Ohlsson won the Chopin Competition in Warsaw, the only American to have done so. In the subsequent 50 years Ohlsson has owned Chopin’s music like few others, playing it with authority, humility, a sense of discovery and deep commitment. Ohlsson has other heroes too. Scriabin is one such example, his powerful, impressionistic ... Read more
With a unique voice that has made her a promising upcoming act in the Australian folk scene, award winning songwriter, Ailsa Mitchell, has a sound that pairs well with knitted jumpers, scenic road trips and a place by the fire on a frosty day. Fresh off the release of her debut EP 'Orange and Blue', ... Read more
TRANSFORMATIONS Music by two of the most-loved composers —Tchaikovsky and Mozart — revealed by the power of transformation. For this performance MCO musicians are playing a Tchaikovsky work originally for piano solo with a string quartet, and a Mozart piano concerto with the quartet and piano. They are joined by one of Australia’s most extraordinary ... Read more