ACO Australian Chamber Orchestra announces its 2018 Season. Media Release

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1 Media Release ACO 2018 Richard Tognetti Artistic Director Australian Chamber Orchestra announces its 2018 Season From Bach and Beethoven masterpieces to inspired new music by Elena Kats-Chernin, Missy Mazzoli and Samuel Adams. International soloists Steven Isserlis, Alina Ibragimova and Nicole Car to perform as guest artists. ACO musicians including Satu Vänskä, Timo-Veikko Tipi Valve, and Maxime Bibeau take center-stage as soloists. The Australian Chamber Orchestra s (ACO) Artistic Director Richard Tognetti and Managing Director Richard Evans have today announced the Orchestra s 2018 season. Characteristically bold, ambitious and adventurous, the ACO s 2018 season will take audiences on an immersive journey that traverses from inspired interpretations of 18 th and 19 th century masterworks through to new music that will challenge the mind and ignite the senses. For his 29 th year at the helm of the ACO, Richard Tognetti will pay homage to some of the most monumental music ever composed, has invited some of music s brightest stars to make their ACO debut, and will premiere new music written by the world s most innovative composers. In 2018 the ACO will also celebrate the virtuosity of its own players, with ACO musicians including Satu Vänskä, Timo-Veikko Valve, Maxime Bibeau, Ike See, Glenn Christenson and Julian Thompson performing as soloists in the season. The ACO is distinctive in its unerring desire to take risks, to push boundaries and to embrace the new, Tognetti said. To be successful in achieving this ambition, the musicians of the Orchestra must have complete trust in one another not just technically, but musically and artistically; so the strength of each individual member is critical.

2 Sonatas for Strings In 2018 our audiences will have the opportunity to experience the virtuosity and musicianship of the ACO musicians first-hand, when many of our players take centrestage as soloists: from principal players like Tipi and Max, to some of our newest members, including Glenn and Ike who will together perform the Australian premiere of Anna Clyne s Prince of Clouds. Opera megastar Nicole Car will give an exclusive orchestral performance in Australia with the ACO, in a program that celebrates women of strength and endurance, while cellist Steven Isserlis will reunite with Richard Tognetti and the ACO for a performance of s mammoth first cello concerto. Violinists Alina Ibragimova and Ilya Gringolts take on roles as guest directors for two programs of virtuosity and drama. In keeping with their commitment to commission and perform new music that pushes the boundaries of convention, the ACO will perform four world premieres and two Australian premieres in The ACO s audience are distinctive in that they re musical adventures, who have a taste for the new as well as the established, ACO Managing Director Richard Evans said. The ACO and their audience will continue this journey through unchartered artistic territory, when the Orchestra gives world premiere performances of new music by composers including Elena Kats-Chernin, Samuel Adams and, in a special commission by the ACO, Missy Mazzoli, who will compose a work commemorating ACO Principal Double Bass Maxime Bibeau s 20 years with the Orchestra. To open the 2018 season, Richard Tognetti and the ACO will join forces with the young guns of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) to give an emotionally powerful performance of Sextet in G major rearranged for string orchestra. This is an arrangement that is so rich, melodic and emotionally powerful that Richard Tognetti has termed it Fifth Symphony. In a not-to-be-missed event, the ACO will give the Australian premiere of a bold new take on the monumental Goldberg Variations. Bernard Labadie s orchestral arrangement of Bach s masterpiece provides an illuminating transformation of the work while remaining faithful to its feel, an approach that resonates with the ACO s distinctive style. As part of a wider celebration of the Variations, the ACO will present the original solo keyboard version of the work performed by 2017 Helpmann Award winner Erin Helyard. This is a Bach celebration that juxtaposes the old with the new in an utterly unique and illuminating way. The Orchestra will finish the year with a bang, in an all- Beethoven program featuring Richard Tognetti performing the composer s mighty Violin Concerto. It s been some 25 years since Richard Tognetti gave his first performance of the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the ACO back in 1993, and he last performed it with the Orchestra 11 years ago. There are so many things to say about the Beethoven Violin Concerto, Tognetti said. It s the first truly vast concerto; the first herculean concerto. It was the first concerto to position the soloist as a protagonist against the tutti part. The influence it has had on the repertoire cannot be over-emphasised. In addition to their regular touring season, the ACO will return to Hobart and Darwin for two special concerts. It s been 20 years since the ACO s last mainstage concert in Tasmania s capital and 40 years since the ACO last performed in Darwin. These concerts are guaranteed to reignite the senses and set sparks flying as Richard Tognetti and Egyptian-Australian oud player and composer extraordinaire Joseph Tawadros together take on Vivaldi s magnificent Four Seasons interspersed with Tawadros original works, in an arrangement praised by the Sydney Morning Herald as incisively brilliant. 2 MEDIA RELEASE

3 2018 Concert Season TOGNETTI TCHAIKOVSKY BRAHMS The Season Begins 1 February 16 February Maxime Bibeau Double Bass Ike See Violin Glenn Christensen Violin with Musicians from the Australian National Academy of Music TCHAIKOVSKY Serenade for Strings in C major MISSY MAZZOLI Concerto for Double Bass and Strings World Premiere* ANNA CLYNE Prince of Clouds Australian Premiere BRAHMS (arr. strings) String Sextet No.2 in G major *Commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Aurora Orchestra ALINA IBRAGIMOVA DEATH AND THE MAIDEN Schubert, Barber, Mozart 15 March 26 March Alina Ibragimova Guest Director & Violin BARBER Adagio for Strings MOZART Adagio and Fugue in C minor HARTMANN Concerto funèbre ARVO PÄRT Silouan s Song SCHUBERT (arr. strings) String Quartet in D minor NICOLE CAR Sings Mozart and Beethoven Heroines 8 April 24 April Nicole Car Soprano ACO Debut Satu Vänskä Violin HANDEL Overture and Dances from Alcina MOZART Basta, vincesti Ah, non lasciarmi, no BEETHOVEN Romance for Violin and Orchestra in F major BEETHOVEN Ah! perfido HILDEGARD (arr. strings) Ave Maria, O auctrix vite VERDI Ave Maria from Otello MOZART Misera, dove son! Ah! Non son io che parlo MOZART Symphony No.27 in G major 3 MEDIA RELEASE

4 STEVEN ISSERLIS PLAYS SHOSTAKOVICH Featuring Two World Premieres by Samuel Adams & Elena Kats-Chernin 23 June 4 July Steven Isserlis Cello SAMUEL ADAMS Concerto Grosso World Premiere* SHOSTAKOVICH Cello Concerto No.1 in E-flat major ELENA KATS-CHERNIN New Work World Premiere** HAYDN Symphony No.104 in D major London *Commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Stanford Live **Commissioned by Mirek Generowicz to share the dramatic story of his family s journey to Australia. OSBORNE TOGNETTI VALVE IN RECITAL Dvorˇák and July Steven Osborne Piano Richard Tognetti Violin Timo-Veikko Valve Cello Dvořák Piano Trio No.4 in E minor Dumky BRAHMS Piano Trio No.1 in B major GOLDBERG VARIATIONS Bach, Stravinsky, Adès 2 August 16 August Erin Helyard Harpsichord BACH (arr. Tognetti) Canons on a Goldberg Ground STRAVINSKY Three Pieces for String Quartet THOMAS ADÈS (arr. strings) Nightfalls from The Four Quarters BACH (arr. Bernard Labadie) Australian Premiere 4 MEDIA RELEASE

5 TRANSFORMING STRAUSS & MOZART A Grand Musical Offering 8 September 19 September DOWLAND Lachrimæ Antiquæ WAGNER (arr. Sebastian Gürtler) Prelude from Tristan and Isolde BACH Ricercar a 6 from Musical Offering STRAUSS (arr. Rudolf Leopold) Metamorphosen MOZART Grande Sestetto Concertante GRINGOLTS PLAYS PAGANINI The Virtuosic Violin 30 September 8 October Ilya Gringolts Guest Director & Violin ACO Debut Timo-Veikko Valve Cello Julian Thompson Cello CPE BACH String Symphony C major PAGANINI (arr. Bernard Rofe) Violin Concerto No.1 in D major VIVALDI Concerto for Violin and 2 Cellos in C major BARTÓK Divertimento TOGNETTI S BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto & Fifth Symphony 8 November 21 November BEETHOVEN Violin Concerto in D major BEETHOVEN Symphony No.5 in C minor SONATAS FOR STRINGS Featuring Elgar, Walton and Sculthorpe 5 December SCULTHORPE Sonata for Strings No.1 DEBUSSY (arr. Richard Tognetti) The Girl with the Flaxen Hair and The Interrupted Serenade from Preludes Book I RAVEL (arr. Richard Tognetti) Two Hebrew Melodies ELGAR Serenade for Strings WALTON Sonata for Strings 5 MEDIA RELEASE

6 PREMIERES In keeping with their commitment to perform new music that pushes the boundaries of convention, the ACO will premiere new works by the following composers in the 2018 season: Missy Mazzoli Concerto for Double Bass and Strings World Premiere Brooklyn-born Mazzoli s world premiere composition was commissioned for our Principal Double Bass Maxime Bibeau, in honour of his 20 years with the Orchestra. Anna Clyne Prince of Clouds Australian Premiere Anna Clyne s Grammy Award-nominated double violin concerto, Prince of Clouds, has been described by the New York Times as Ravishing. Two of our newest stars, Ike See and Glenn Christensen, will perform as soloists in this reflective work celebrating musical lineage. Samuel Adams Concerto Grosso World Premiere A new work by one of the most original compositional voices in the world today. Adams modern retelling of the Concerto Grosso is a cocommission with Stanford University in the US. Elena Kats-Chernin New Work World Premiere Following the success of Singing Trees, which Kats-Chernin wrote expressly to show off the exquisite craftsmanship of the instruments played by the ACO, she will once again amaze audiences with her unique voice. Bach (arr. Labadie) Australian Premiere The ACO will give the Australian premiere of Canadian composer/conductor Bernard Labadie s orchestral arrangement of Bach s iconic keyboard work. A transformation of the original, that offers something refreshing and new. Cyrus Meurant New Work World Premiere A world premiere by one of our very own: ACO assistant librarian, Cyrus Meurant, who has composed something especially for the remarkable musicians in the ACO Collective. ACO COLLECTIVE ACO Collective combines musicians of the ACO with young professional musicians at the outset of their careers. Since the Ensemble began its musical journey in 2007, it has performed in more than 85 regional centres in every state and territory, all of Australia s state capitals, and has even toured to Japan. In 2018 this critically acclaimed 17-piece string ensemble will take in regional centres across New South Wales and Western Australia, showcasing the world s best music to a wide audience. With the brilliant violinist Pekka Kuusisto as its Artistic Director for a third year, ACO Collective will perform repertoire as diverse as Purcell to Britten, Corelli to Kurtág, Bach to Gubaidulina, Stravinsky to Vivaldi, as well as a world premiere of a new work by Australian composer Cyrus Meurant. NATIONAL EDUCATION PROGRAM The ACO s National Education Program is one of the strongest and most innovative programs of its kind in the country. We deliver engaging education events to young people all over Australia at every stage of their development, with the same commitment and energy we bring to the concert platform. Programs in primary and secondary schools such as the ACO Music & Art Program, partnership with the Australian Children s Music Foundation, $25 Schools Tickets and Schools Concerts offer accessible and inventive ways for students to learn about music, particularly those who may not otherwise have the opportunity to do so. Our Penrith Youth Orchestra Program, String Workshops, ACO Academy and Emerging Artists Program offer string students the opportunity to learn the best chamber music techniques from ACO musicians. The ACO engages with young people with disabilities through our ACO Move Program and also engages with students at the Royal Children s Hospital Education Institute, Melbourne and Worawa Aboriginal College, Healesville. In addition to these programs, the ACO Inspire Quartet tours regional Australia giving concerts and workshops. For further information about the ACO s National Education Program, visit aco.com.au/education 6 MEDIA RELEASE

7 FESTIVALS AND EVENTS In 2018, the ACO returns to two of our favourite destinations for our popular and intimate weekend-long festivals: the TarraWarra Museum of Art in the Yarra Valley (3-4 March) and the Vasse Felix Festival in Western Australia s picturesque Margaret River region (7-9 December). The ACO will also reunite with Egyptian-Australian oud player and composer extraordinaire Joseph Tawadros for special concerts in Darwin (16 June) and Hobart (13 May) ABOUT THE AUSTRALIAN CHAMBER ORCHESTRA If there s a better Chamber Orchestra in the world today, I haven t heard it. THE GUARDIAN (UK) From its first concert in November 1975 to today, the Australian Chamber Orchestra has travelled a remarkable road. With inspiring programming, unrivalled virtuosity, energy and individuality, the Orchestra s performances span popular masterworks, adventurous cross-artform projects and pieces specially commissioned for the ensemble. Founded by cellist John Painter, the ACO originally comprised just 13 players, who came together for concerts as they were invited. Today, the ACO has grown to 21 players (four part-time), giving more than 100 performances in Australia each year, as well as touring internationally: from red-dust regional centres of Australia to New York night clubs, from Australian capital cities to the world s most prestigious concert halls, including Amsterdam s Concertgebouw, London s Wigmore Hall, Vienna s Musikverein, New York s Carnegie Hall, Birmingham s Symphony Hall and Frankfurt s Alte Oper. Since the ACO was formed in 1975, it has toured Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Japan, New Zealand, Italy, France, Austria, Switzerland, England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, China, Greece, the US, Scotland, Chile, Argentina, Croatia, the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Brazil, Uruguay, New Caledonia, Czech Republic, Slovak Republic, Spain, Luxembourg, Macau, Taiwan, Estonia, Canada, Poland, Puerto Rico and Ireland. The ACO s dedication and musicianship has created warm relationships with such celebrated soloists as Emmanuel Pahud, Steven Isserlis, Dawn Upshaw, Imogen Cooper, Christian Lindberg, Joseph Tawadros, Melvyn Tan and Pieter Wispelwey. The ACO is renowned for collaborating with artists from diverse genres, including singers Tim Freedman, Neil Finn, Meow Meow, Katie Noonan, Paul Capsis, Danny Spooner and Barry Humphries and visual artists Michael Leunig, Bill Henson, Shaun Tan and Jon Frank. The ACO has recorded for the world s top labels. Their recordings have won three consecutive ARIA Awards and documentaries featuring the ACO have been shown on television worldwide and won awards at film festivals on four continents. The ACO is supported by the Australian Government through the Australia Council for the Arts and the New South Wales Government through Create NSW. AustralianCO CONTACT For further information, photos or to arrange interviews, please contact: Caitlin Benetatos ACO Communications Manager E caitlin.benetatos@aco.com.au T M MEDIA RELEASE

8 2018 CONCERTS BY CITY Adelaide Town Hall Brisbane, QPAC Concert Hall Canberra, Llewellyn Hall Melbourne, Arts Centre Melbourne Tue 6 Feb 7.30pm Mon 12 Feb 7pm Sat 3 Feb 8pm Sun 4 Feb 2.30pm Tue 26 Jun 7.30pm Mon 16 Apr 7pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Sat 17 Mar 8pm Mon 5 Feb 7.30pm Tue 7 Aug 7.30pm Tue 11 Sep 7.30pm Tue 2 Oct 7.30pm Tue 13 Nov 7.30pm Sun 29 Jul 2.30pm Osborne, Tognetti, Valve in Recital Mon 13 Aug 7pm Mon 8 Oct 7pm Mon 19 Nov 7pm Sat 23 Jun 8pm Sat 4 Aug 8pm Sat 8 Sep 8pm Sat 10 Nov 8pm Sun 18 Mar 2.30pm Mon 26 Mar 7.30pm Mon 9 Apr 7.30pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Sun 22 Apr 2.30pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Sun 24 Jun 2.30pm Mon 25 Jun 7.30pm Sun 5 Aug 2.30pm Mon 6 Aug 7.30pm Sun 30 Sep 2.30pm Mon 1 Oct 7.30pm Sun 11 Nov 2.30pm Mon 12 Nov 7.30pm 8 MEDIA RELEASE

9 Melbourne Recital Centre Newcastle City Hall Perth Concert Hall Sydney Opera House Fri 27 Jul 7.30pm Osborne, Tognetti, Valve in Recital Mon 10 Sep 7.30pm Wed 5 Dec 7.30pm Sonatas for Strings Thu 15 Mar 7.30pm Thu 2 Aug 7.30pm Thu 8 Nov 7.30pm Wed 11 Apr 7.30pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Wed 27 Jun 7.30pm Wed 25 Jul 7.30pm Osborne, Tognetti, Valve in Recital Wed 3 Oct 7.30pm Sun 11 Feb 2pm Sun 25 Mar 2pm Sun 8 Apr 2pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Sun 1 Jul 2pm Wed 14 Nov 7.30pm Sun 12 Aug 2pm Sun 7 Oct 2pm Sun 18 Nov 2pm Sydney, City Recital Hall Sat 10 Feb 7pm Tue 13 Feb 8pm Wed 14 Feb 7pm Fri 16 Feb 1.30pm Tue 20 Mar 8pm Wed 21 Mar 7pm Fri 23 Mar 1.30pm Sat 24 Mar 7pm Sat 14 Apr 7pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Wed 18 Apr 7pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Fri 20 Apr 1.30pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Tue 24 Apr 8pm Mozart and Beethoven Heroines Sat 30 Jun 7pm Tue 3 Jul 8pm Wed 4 Jul 7pm Wed 8 Aug 7pm Fri 10 Aug 1.30pm Sat 11 Aug 7pm Tue 14 Aug 8pm Sat 15 Sep 7pm Tue 18 Sep 8pm Wed 19 Sep 7pm Fri 5 Oct 1.30pm Sat 17 Nov 7pm Tue 20 Nov 8pm Wed 21 Nov 7pm Wollongong Town Hall Thu 1 Feb 7.30pm Thu 16 Aug 7.30pm Thu 13 Sep 7.30pm 9 MEDIA RELEASE