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
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD The two great gardens of English music, separated by two centuries, are the theme of this concert experience co-curated by Sophie Rowell and the incomparable Genevieve Lacey. The beautiful, intricate music of Elizabethan & Stuart England is an escape to a world far from our own. In this first flowering ... Read more
THE BEGINNING OF THE WORLD The two great gardens of English music, separated by two centuries, are the theme of this concert experience co-curated by Sophie Rowell and the incomparable Genevieve Lacey. The beautiful, intricate music of Elizabethan & Stuart England is an escape to a world far from our own. In this first flowering ... Read more
THE ART OF THE SYMPHONY From the ancient Greek for ‘sounded harmoniously’, the words ‘sinfonia’ and ‘symphony’ have been used for centuries. Leonora Duarte, a Flemish composer who died before Bach was born, used it to describe her haunting works for viol ensemble. Johann Stamitz was a visionary, writing some of the first works that ... Read more
THE ART OF THE SYMPHONY From the ancient Greek for ‘sounded harmoniously’, the words ‘sinfonia’ and ‘symphony’ have been used for centuries. Leonora Duarte, a Flemish composer who died before Bach was born, used it to describe her haunting works for viol ensemble. Johann Stamitz was a visionary, writing some of the first works that ... Read more
ILLUMINATIONS This program showcases rarely performed works for string quintet. It features three brilliant female composers from three different musical eras – Hildegard of Bingen (Medieval), Barbara Strozzi (Baroque) and Andrea Clearfield (21st century). Clearfield’s quintet, “Women of Cyprus” was inspired by courage, beauty and strength of the thousands of Cypriot women who marched in ... Read more
MOZART & BEETHOVEN CONCERTOS In 1787, a 17-year-old Beethoven made the journey from Bonn to Vienna—further than Melbourne to Sydney. Did he meet the 30-year-old Mozart, in the few weeks they were in the same city? Was there a metaphorical handing over of the baton of Classical music? Escape with us to this bright, elegant ... Read more
MOZART & BEETHOVEN CONCERTOS In 1787, a 17-year-old Beethoven made the journey from Bonn to Vienna—further than Melbourne to Sydney. Did he meet the 30-year-old Mozart, in the few weeks they were in the same city? Was there a metaphorical handing over of the baton of Classical music? Escape with us to this bright, elegant ... Read more
POETS AND FIGHTERS An eclectic and intriguing hour of memorable musical energies and glorious melodies, enriched by baritone vocals. MCO Artistic Director Sophie Rowell draws together four voices from three continents, spanning the last 125 years. The cool panache of Ravel’s iconic Quartet and the gravitas of Barber’s early masterpiece Dover Beach meet with the ... Read more
CHAMBER MUSIC DINING AT NARKOOJEE: POETS AND FIGHTERS A delightful and delicious detour to regional Victoria! Our annual concert with lunch at our wine partners, Narkoojee, has become a popular fixture with both our Melbourne and Gippsland audiences. Join us in Glengarry, around two hours east of Melbourne, for a convivial afternoon including a glass ... Read more
OF PEOPLE & SONG For as long as there have been people, there has been song. Song is at the heart of rich musical traditions that bind people together, and attest to the spirit of time and place. Eliding ideas of East and West, high and low, past and present, the music of renowned singer-songwriter ... Read more
OF PEOPLE & SONG For as long as there have been people, there has been song. Song is at the heart of rich musical traditions that bind people together, and attest to the spirit of time and place. Eliding ideas of East and West, high and low, past and present, the music of renowned singer-songwriter ... Read more