AYO Autumn Season Concert - Turbulent Times

Step into a musical time machine as our flagship orchestra transports you to an era of great societal upheaval and political uncertainty. And no, it is not 2020.

Conductor Alexandre Bloch with soloist Satu Vänskä

• RAVEL La Valse
• SZYMANOWSKI Violin Concerto No.2
• PROKOFIEV Symphony No.5

Over a century ago, composers were responding to major historical events that would change society forever. World Wars I and II compelled composers to create music that told the stories of those times. Ravel and Debussy, musical trailblazers, used innovative harmonies and lively orchestrations to break free from traditional music rules.  Between the wars, Szymanowski mixed in Polish folk tunes into his Violin Concerto, capturing in amber his emotional tribute to his country.  Prokofiev's Symphony No.5 is like a victory dance, full of energy and spirit. 

This concert is a journey through the sounds of these amazing composers, each with their own style, pushing the boundaries of what music can be and capturing the essence of the most turbulent of times - before our own.

Satu Vänskä

Finnish-born Satu Vänskä, Principal Violinist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) for two decades, has garnered international acclaim for her versatile artistry. Recognized as one of the world's premier chamber orchestras, the ACO under Satu's leadership has delivered transformative musical experiences globally. Beyond her orchestral role, Satu has embraced solo projects, performing with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, at the Sydney Opera House, and as part of Mona Foma festival. She has collaborated with London's Aurora Orchestra and the Arctic Chamber Orchestra, showcasing her dynamic programming and genre-blurring collaborations. Satu is also the Founder and Curator of Satu in the Beyond, an electro-infused group, featuring collaborations with artists like Jim Moginie and Brian Ritchie. Trained at the Lahti Conservatorium, Sibelius Academy, and Hochschule für Musik in Munich, Satu continues to captivate audiences with her passion for evolving as a musician. She performs on the 1726 Belgiorno Stradivarius Violin.

Alexandre Bloch

French-born Alexandre Bloch is Music Director of Orchestre National de Lille, a position he has held since 2016/17. Highlights of Alexandre’s final season as Music Director in Lille include a full Sibelius symphony cycle, concert performances of George Benjamin’s Written on Skin and collaborations with internationally acclaimed soloists, including Patricia Kopatchinskaja and Alice Sara Ott. He will conclude his tenure with a performance in Amsterdam’s Concertgebouw. From 2015 – 2021, Alexandre was also Principal Guest Conductor of Düsseldorfer Symphoniker. Highlights of the 23/24 season includes debuts with City of Birmingham Symphony, Deutsche Oper Berlin, European Union Youth Orchestra, George Enescu International Festival, Rotterdam Philharmonic & Hamburger Philharmoniker. He returns to Israel Philharmonic, Orchestre Philharmonique de Radio France, Dusseldorfer Symphoniker and Dresdner Philharmonie, with whom he enjoys a regular relationship. Last season saw his return to Opera de Lyon with Le Nozze di Figaro, and next season he returns to Bayerische Staatsoper to conduct Carmen. Alexandre works with a wide range of soloists, including Nemanja Radulovic, Boris Giltburg, Alice-Sara Ott, Isabelle Faust, Pierre-Laurent Aimard & Alexander Gavrylyuk.

About AYO

The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO) has a reputation for being one of the world’s most prestigious and innovative training organisations for young pre-professional musicians.

Our training pathway has been created to nurture the musical development of Australia’s finest young instrumentalists across metropolitan and regional Australia: from the emerging, gifted, school-aged student to those on the verge of a professional career. AYO presents tailored training and performance programs each year for aspiring musicians, composers, arts administrators and music journalists aged 12 to 30.

When Professor John Bishop OBE and Ruth Alexander convened the first National Music Camp in 1948, they created an institution that would fire the imaginations of over 12,000 young Australian musicians, see its orchestras tour the globe and instil in its participants a love of music and a dedication to the highest standards of performance.

AYO occupies a special place in the musical culture of Australia, where one generation of brilliant musicians inspires the next, where aspiring musicians get a taste of life as professional musicians, and where like-minded individuals from all over the country gather for intense periods to learn from each other, study and perform. On the world stage, AYO has established itself as a cultural ambassador for Australia on twenty-three international tours since its first in 1970.

Today, countless AYO alumni are members of some of the finest professional orchestras worldwide.

26 under, pension and concession card holder

Please show your ID and/or concession card at the entrance of the event.

Car Parking

On-site parking is available; charges apply. Market Place Car Park is open 24 hours, and there is both metered and voucher parking within close proximity to the hotel