Event description
Here in the era of extraordinary collective shifts, the world has been reminded of the sheer joy and intimacy of an exceptional live music experience.
Led by Concertmaster Sulki Yu, Orchestra Victoria’s 2023 Chamber Music Series extends a hand to audiences ready and willing to be moved by our state’s most exemplary musicians. From discoveries of Australia’s pre-eminent composers to intricate encounters with the most celebrated masterworks, your ticket to a musical journey rich in adventure, ingenuity and innovation awaits.
In 2023, each beautifully curated program of the Chamber Music Series features works that celebrate each section of Orchestra Victoria. Get up-close-and-personal with the unique textures, narratives and emotions created by our woodwind, brass, percussion and string players - an experience that only Victoria’s foremost pit orchestra can offer.
Why not mix-and-match concerts to indulge in your love of a particular style of repertoire, or bring a loved one along to enjoy a classic work for the very first time? Perhaps you’re drawn to a new experience: developing an intimate understanding of how each orchestral section works together to create the music you know and love. This year, the choice is yours.
Performed in Melbourne’s brand-new Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre (University of Melbourne) and featuring post-concert meet-and-greets with the musicians, our 2023 Chamber Music Series promises an inventive, first-hand experience with captivating classical music.
In 2023, join Orchestra Victoria as we fuse together the sights, sounds and experiences of a tradition rich in authentic musical storytelling.
We can’t wait to welcome you.
Concert 2 | Saturday 22 April, 7:30pm
Through the Looking Glass
Join the musicians of Orchestra Victoria as we unlock a technicolour world of transformation and tantalising subversion. Enter Through the Looking Glass, showcasing a triptych of works that trace a journey through the evolution of classical music.
Marrying Beethoven’s Wind Octet in E-flat with Caroline Shaw’s Entr’acte for strings and British composer-conductor Samuel Coldrige-Taylor’s nine-part Nonet, this concert serves as a stunning showcase of musical transformations through the ages, led by the string and wind sections of our world-class orchestra.
Program:
Ludwig Van Beethoven - Wind Octet in E-flat, Op. 103
Caroline Shaw - Entr’acte
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor - Nonet, Op. 2 ‘Gradus ad parnassum’
We open with Beethoven’s Wind Octet in E-flat, Op. 103, a keystone of wind repertoire composed while Beethoven was studying under his contemporary, Joseph Haydn. While Haydn’s own repertoire makes no appearance in this concert, his influence is keenly felt: assisted by Haydn, LVB reworked much of the Octet into his Op. 4 String Quartet which was only published posthumously.
If Beethoven, a true master, reminds us where we began, Caroline Shaw casts our eyes to the future. The New York-based composer’s Entr’acte presents a captivating work for strings written in 2011 after the composer experienced Haydn’s Op. 77 No. 2, performed by the Brentano Quartet (USA). A Grammy-winning singer in contemporary vocal group Roomful of Teeth (USA), in 2013 Shaw became the youngest-ever winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Music. “Riffing on the classical form, but taking it further,” as the composer describes, Entr’acte is - in every way - a thrilling remodelling of classical tropes and their unfolding through the ages.
The capstone of this concert rests in the hands of British composer and conductor, Samuel Colridge-Taylor and his Nonet Op. 2 ‘Gradus ad parnassum’. Combining into one the instrumentations of the two opening works, this curious marriage of strings and winds occurs in nine parts, a texture-rich adventure creating an emotional impact much greater than the sum of its parts.
Performed in the stunning surrounds of Melbourne’s Hanson Dyer Hall, Ian Potter Southbank Centre, and featuring post-concert meet-and-greets with the musicians, our 2023 Chamber Music
Series promises a profound, first-hand experience with history’s most captivating sounds and sights.
Program to be announced:
Concert 3 | Thursday 17 August, 7:30pm
Ticket Prices:
Listed prices are exclusive of booking fees.
Adult: $35 ($45 at the door)
Concession: $30 ($40 at the door)
Under-26: Free*
*Available from 1 hour prior to the performance only, subject to availability.
Box Office/Front of House opening hours:
The Foyer and Box Office will be open from one hour prior to each performance.
Accessibility information:
Click on the accessibility button at the top of this page for detailed information on accessibility in the venue, and accessible transport options, including parking information. Please note any requirements that you and your guests may have when prompted and checkout.
About the venue:
Hanson Dyer Hall is a concert space located on Level 3 of The University of Melbourne's Ian Potter Southbank Centre, on 43 Sturt Street Southbank. Ushers will be stationed on both the ground floor and level 3 to assist with way-finding to the hall.
FAQ:
Am I eligible for a concession ticket?
Concession tickets are available to holders of the following proof-of-concession cards provided that the card is valid at the time of purchase: Australian Government issued Seniors Card, Pension Card or Healthcare Card, State Government issued Seniors Card, or Public Transport Victoria Concession Card.
You may be asked to provide proof of concession to venue staff when attending performances.
Does Orchestra Victoria support the National Companion Card Scheme?
Yes, Orchestra Victoria supports the National Companion Card scheme. For more information about the Companion Card, visit www.companioncard.gov.au To book tickets using your Companion Card, please phone Orchestra Victoria on (03) 9694 3600.
Is there someone I can speak to about my or a family member's specific access requirements?
Yes, please phone Orchestra Victoria reception on (03) 9694 3600 or email us at orchestrainfo@australianballet.com.au to discuss your access needs.
What are the seating arrangements at the performance?
Audience seating for this performance is general admission.