Latest news
A Cello And A Chair: Giovanni Sollima Tours With The Australian Chamber Orchestra
Giovanni Sollima surmises that if he landed on earth from another world and were handed a cello without being told what it was, he would probably use it to sail in. An interesting abstraction from the virtuoso Italian cellist who is touring with the Australia Chamber Orchestra this month. The cello as a sailing…
Married To The Quartet
The dynamics of a small music ensemble have always been intriguing – remember Vikram Seth’s 1999 novel An Equal Music? More recently movies like Quartet and A Late Quartet have revisited the theme. Zoe Knighton, cellist with the Flinders Quartet writes about her experiences in Classic Melbourne. The Flinders Quartet performs at the Utzon…
Mother’s Day Gift From The Willoughby Symphony
The Willoughby Symphony Orchestra is offering a special Mother’s Day gift package which features four Willoughby Symphony concerts and a Subscriber’s Card offering year round discounts to selected restaurants on The Concourse. The concerts are conducted by Dr Nicholas Milton and comprise Romeo and Juliette – A Dramatic Symphony, 21 and 22 JunePictures at an Exhibition – The Russian Masters, 9…
The Success of Happy
Regardless of your taste in music, there are no doubt numerous times when that earworm burrows deeper and deeper into your cortex. American singers and producer Pharell Williams’ song Happy has enjoyed astronomical worldwide success. In this feature, experts in composition, a DJ, an academic and BBC 1’s head of music look at what makes a…
Hold The Sound – Are Downloads declining In Popularity?
Are music downloads declining in popularity with a return to the hallowed CD? The people who were surveyed in this feature seem to overwhelmingly prefer to spend their money on music they can hold.
A Million Dollar Smile – The Vienna Philharmonic Wins The 2014 Birgit Nilsson Prize
The board of the Birgit Nilsson foundation has announced that the 2014 Birgit Nilsson Prize has been awarded to the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra. The tri-ennial prize which is being awarded for only the third time in history, is a purse of $1 million for outstanding achievement in opera, concert, Lieder or oratorio. Previous winners are Placido…
Latest reviews
CD Review: Pilgrimage to Montserrat/The Renaissance Players
It’s very likely that hundreds, if not thousands of Australians have retraced the legendary journeys undertaken by medieval pilgrims to sacred sites in the Iberian peninsula. The shrine of St James the apostle, Santiago de Compostela in Galicia and the Benedictine monastery of Santa Maria at Monserrat near Barcelona, have held a lasting fascination for…
Concert Review: Gazpacho Andaluz/The Renaissance Players
Gazpacho Andaluz The Renaissance Players, The Great Hall, Sydney University, October 5th, 2014 A shot of gazpacho was the perfect antidote to a sweltering Sydney Sunday afternoon as The Renaissance Players directed by founder Winsome Evans, BEM, OAM, presented Gazpacho Andaluz within the cooling stones of the Great Hall at Sydney University. The Renaissance Players…