Archived event
Performance details
Thursday 28 November 2024 at 7.30pm
Friday 29 November 2024 at 7.30pm
Saturday 30 November 2024 at 2pm
Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Featuring
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Jaime Martín conductor
Lauren Fagan soprano
Margaret Plummer mezzo-soprano^
Stuart Skelton tenor
Shenyang bass-baritone^
MSO Chorus
Warren Trevelyan-Jones chorus director
Auslan Choir
Program
James MacMillan Concerto for Orchestra*
Beethoven Symphony No.9 Choral
*Commissioned by the London Symphony Orchestra with the support of the Ernst von Siemens Music Foundation, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic Orchestra and the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra.
About this performance
Join us for the grand finale of our Beethoven Festival – featuring some of Australia’s best opera singers, the MSO Chorus, and a brand new MSO commission – under the baton of Chief Conductor Jaime Martín.
- Known for his exceptional choral music, the title of Sir James MacMillan’s Concerto for Orchestra is something of an enigma, in that a concerto is conventionally written for a solo instrument and orchestra, rather than for orchestra and… orchestra. Join us in cracking the code of this newly commissioned work from one of the UK’s most sought-after composers.
- After eight symphonies, Beethoven took his Ninth to a whole new level by composing the biggest symphony in existence – a beast of a work depicting the triumphant union of all mankind. Almost entirely deaf by this point, this landmark feat for choir and orchestra is best known for its epic finale of Ode to Joy. A star-studded line-up of soloists join the MSO and MSO Chorus for this rousing performance of the great choral symphony.
Duration: approx. 2 hours including interval
^Please note: Michaela Schuster and Sam Dale Johnson are unable to perform as originally scheduled.
The 2024 Auslan Choir
The 2024 Auslan choir was born from a seed planted back in 2011 when Karen Kyriakou led an Auslan choir at a community day event with the MSO. It was a single-day workshop that merely hinted at the possibilities of what a well-rehearsed choir could achieve.
The MSO Gala series is proudly presented by MSO Premier Partner, Ryman Healthcare.
The Auslan Choir is supported by the Australian Government Department of Social Services.
