MARCH – OCTOBER 2016

City Recital Hall is excited to reveal its 2016 lunchtime program. Artistic Director, Kathryn Selby AM has curated a diverse program of artists highlighting wonderful, contemporary, Australian artists.

These concerts are a great opportunity to hear some of the finest musicians in Sydney for a perfect lunch time length of 50 minutes commencing at 12.30pm.

Tickets for each concert are just $15 and are on sale today! We are also offering a subscription to all five concerts for $70 which includes a free cup of tea or coffee at each concert. You are welcome to bring along your lunch to enjoy during these casual concerts.

2016 PROGRAM

The Journey – William Barton, 1 March, 12.30pm

All Mozart – Sydney Youth Orchestra and Alexander Briger, 20 April, 12.30pm

A Visit With Beethoven – Kathryn Selby AM & Julian Smiles, 30 June, 12.30pm

String Trio – Sydney Symphony Orchestra Principals, 5 September, 12.30pm

Guitar Trek – 17 October, 12.30pm
This year’s concerts will have allocated seating which can be selected when booking.
Patrons purchasing tickets on the day will be allocated the best available seat at time of booking.

13 – 19 FEBRUARY 2016

“Probably the most engaging maverick in classical music today” The Times (UK)

From 13 to 19 February, join the Australian Chamber Orchestra for their opening program of 2016, Beethoven and the 21st Century, featuring maverick Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto as he takes up his position as ACO Collective Artistic Director.

Experience his boundary-breaking talent and keen musical insight in a far-reaching program that features works by Beethoven, Sibelius, Tippett and Erkki-Sven Tüür sitting alongside music by Pekka’s friends and collaborators Nico Muhly and The National’s Bryce Dessner.

24 February – 5 March 2016

“Whipped cream, cherries on top, more notes per second than you’ve ever heard – it was not only tasty but tasteful.” – The Ann Arbor News

Maurice Steger has redefined the recorder with his revolutionary performance style. Maurice’s charisma and dexterity combined with the poetry and nuance he draws from his instruments, has led to an audience response usually reserved for rock stars.

Maurice pushes the recorder to the edge of its physical and expressive limits. With a string of prestigious awards including Diapason D’or, BBC Music Magazine Award, and 2015 ECHO Klassik Instrumentalist of the Year, Maurice has taken the music world by storm. Reviews describe him as “glorious”, “incredible” and “lightning quick”, “spellbinding”, “pathbreaking” and “unfailingly seductive”.

This is recorder as you have never heard it before. Fasten your seatbelts and wait to see which of his myriad of recorders Maurice chooses to thrill us with.

MUSIC

Includes masterpieces from Telemann, Handel and Geminiani and the most challenging virtuosic piece Vivaldi ever wrote, his Concerto in G major for recorder.

22 & 23 February, 7pm & 27 February, 2pm

In Musica Viva and Victorian Opera’s brand new operatic work of love, loss and hope, 21st-century words are set to Baroque music to tell of a knight’s journey to the moon.

Theatre legend Michael Gow creates an exciting new chamber opera, Voyage to the Moon, with music realised by Calvin Bowman and the late Alan Curtis. This new work is a contemporary take on an old practice, combining gems from Handel and Vivaldi with rediscovered musical treasures.

Leading Australian singers Emma Matthews and Sally-Anne Russell share the stage with brilliant newcomer Jeremy Kleeman, along with a hand-picked band of leading chamber musicians led by Phoebe Briggs, head of music at Victorian Opera.

This semi-staged performance, with the cast in costume, combines old music, new words and beautiful singing to tell the magical story of a heroic knight’s journey to the moon.

In partnership with the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence for the History of Emotions.

The Australian String Quartet is pleased to announce its National Season 2016 featuring the much-anticipated debut of its new line-up: violinists Dale Barltrop and Francesca Hiew; violist Stephen King; and cellist Sharon Draper.

The ASQ’s National Season 2016 program of three concerts heralds an exciting new era for this significant Australian ensemble, which celebrated its 30th Anniversary this year.

We invite you to join us on our journey as we delve into the masterworks of Haydn, Mozart, Beethoven, Schumann and Mendelssohn, juxtaposed with exciting contemporary Australian works by Hindson and Chindamo, and some of the 20th century’s finest contributions to string quartet literature – Ravel, Webern, Bartók and Ligeti. This season promises to be a feast for quartet lovers and newcomers alike.

National Season 2016: Three concert program at City Recital Hall

Alleged Dances, Tue 1 March, 7pm
Tempesta, Thu 30 June, 7pm
Metamorphoses, Mon 17 October, 7pm

THE UNIVERSITY OF MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Saturday 17 October, 7.30pm

Tickets are free, online bookings essential.

Performing for the first time in Sydney, the University of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra presents a musical showcase that features excerpts from Bizet’s Carmen, Liszt’s Piano Concerto No. 1, Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite and the world premiere of Elliott Hughes’ Natural Light Below.

Conducted by Benjamin Northey and with performances by piano soloist Joshua Hooke and opera singers from the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music’s Master of Music (Opera Performance) program – this is an evening not to be missed.

One performance only, book your free tickets now.

Program:
Georges BIZET – Carmen (excerpts) performed by Master of Music (Opera Performance) students
Elliott HUGHES – Natural Light Below (Premiere)
Franz LISZT – Piano Concerto No. 1 in E-flat Major, soloist Joshua Hooke
Igor STRAVINSKY – Firebird Suite (1919)

The University of Melbourne Orchestra is supported by the Sidney Myer and MSO Trust, and the Cecily & Colin Rigg Bequest.

Christ Church Camerata Live in Concert

For this special event Newcastle’s Christ Church Camerata welcomes members of two of the Hunter’s most vibrant youth ensembles: the Newcastle Strings and the Newcastle Festival Strings. The program will include Bach’s Brandenburg Concerto no.3, Elgar brilliant Introduction and Allegro for Strings, and Nikos Skalkottas’ most popular composition: Five Greek Dances – plus a few musical surprises.

Tickets available from: https://www.stickytickets.com.au/27579/newcastle_string_festival.aspx

When: Sunday, 16th August

Time: 3:00PM to 4:30PM

Where: The Christ Church Cathedral

Cost: Adults: $30, Concessions: $20, Students: $10 and Family: $70

At the start of the twentieth century, music throughout Europe was a melting pot of styles and influences, with composers holding on to traditions while also being influenced by popular music of the day.

Omega presents a concert of diverse early twentieth century repertoire for Chamber Ensemble, from the Romantic flourishes of Ravel, to the dance inspired flavours of Martinů’s La Revue de Cuisine.

Accompanying these works are two rarely performed septets by Hummel and Saint-Saens. Omega is delighted to be joined by acclaimed Australian pianist Daniel de Borah.

REPERTOIRE

Ravel Introduction and Allegro
Hummel Septet in D minor
Saint Saens Septet
Martinu La Revue de Cuisine

Musicians

Rebecca Chan – violin
Claire Herrick – violin
James Wannan – viola
Paul Stender – cello
Alex Henery – double bass
Yinuo Mu – harp
Lisa Osmialowski – flute
Matthew Bubb – oboe
David Rowden – clarinet
Ben Hoadley – bassoon
Michael Dixon – horn
Dave Elton – trumpet