The Hilliard Ensemble Bids Farewell At The Sydney Festival

The late maestro Nikolaus Harnoncourt conducts his ensemble Concentus Musicus Wien, led by concertmaster Alice Harnoncourt.

  Strictly speaking, we only get to celebrate Rossini’s birth anniversary every 4 years. Gioachino Antonio Rossini was born on February 29th 1792 (d 1868). He had a reputation as a bon vivant as you can tell from his portraits –but found the time to compose 39 operas – which are still amongst the most often performed…

Check out this video clip from the BBC of the recent world premiere of the newly discovered piano work by Johannes Brahms and given the name ‘Albumbatt’ by Christopher Hogwood, who discovered it in the Princeton University library. Pianist Andras Schiff performed the work on radio last weekend.

This clip from YouTube revisits the Wagner gala concert conducted by Sir Charles Mackerras at the opening of the Sydney Opera House. Two of the SSO’s present musicians Colin Piper and Ronald Prussing performed in that concert and recollect what it was like. Simone Young talks about inheriting the mantle from from Sir Charles.