SHOSTAKOVICH

FORTY years of performing major symphonic works produces more than just music, it creates a community, and the National Capital Orchestra has built a wealth of musical talent in Canberra. CITY NEWS

The National Capital Orchestra is proud to bring its exciting 2025 season to the Snow Concert Hall. The 2025 season, centred around a theme of HARMONY, opens with one of the most impressive works in the symphonic repertoire, the incomparable Symphony No. 5 by Dmitri Shostakovich.

Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 5, a grand work for symphony orchestra, harmonized Shostakovich’s tumultuous relationship with the highly critical and oppressive Stalinist regime under which he worked. The symphony literally saved the lives of the composer and his family, and audiences will feel the depth of emotion that the composer poured into this incredible work. At the symphony’s premiere, the Largo movement inspired audience members to openly weep, while the triumphant finale movement resulted in an ovation that lasted nearly as long as the symphony itself.

The concert program opens with a work by Australian composer Ella Macens, The Space Between Stars. This ethereally beautiful piece will transport listeners away from their daily struggles here on Earth to experience the harmony of the celestial starscape on a musical voyage to the depths of space.

Rounding out the concert program is classical-era composer Carl Maria von Weber’s vibrant Bassoon Concerto, featuring virtuoso Australian Bassoonist and NCO 2025 Focus Artist Ben Hoadley. The concerto highlights the harmonic traditions of the Classical era, alternately dramatic and joyful, and shares the beauty of one of the orchestra’s loveliest yet often overlooked instruments.

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PROGRAMME

SHOSTAKOVICH

National Capital Orchestra

Louis Sharpe, Music Director

The Space Between Stars Ella Macens

Bassoon Concerto, Op. 75 Carl Maria von Weber
Ben Hoadley, Bassoon
INTERVAL

Symphony No. 5, Op. 47 Dmitri Shostakovich

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NATIONAL CAPITAL ORCHESTRA

In 2023 the National Capital Orchestra celebrated the 40th anniversary of its founding as the Canberra Pops Orchestra. Since its inception the orchestra has been an integral part of the Canberra musical community with members from all walks of life including current and former members of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra and the Canberra Youth Orchestra.

The NCO is one of only two full symphony orchestras in Canberra, and we are thrilled to be able to bring large-scale orchestral works to the Canberra community. From movie soundtracks to Australian premieres to the most famous works in the symphonic repertoire, the NCO provides audiences with a diverse and exciting selection of works each season.

We are pleased to be continuing our collaboration with the Snow Concert Hall for our exciting 2025 season. We pride ourselves on providing opportunities for talented musicians to participate as soloists and orchestra members.

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LOUIS SHARPE

A resident of Coombs, keen foodie and cook, cricketer during the summer, husband to his violist wife Alina and father to their son Felix and Proky the cat, Louis has been performing throughout Canberra for over 6 years.

Prior to moving to our nation’s capital, Louis was the Music Director of the Eastern Sydney Chamber Orchestra and when not playing with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra he was the assistant conductor to Chief Conductor Dr Nicolas Milton AM.

During high school in Melbourne Louis began conducting lessons and participated in masterclasses with some of Australia’s best educators. He founded the Hopkins Sinfonia in Melbourne to encourage young conductors to have a platform to learn in front of an ensemble.

Outside of Canberra, Louis continues to be the Assistant Conductor to the Australian World Orchestra, working with their Artistic Director Alexander Briger AO, and has worked with conductors such as Sir Simon Rattle and Maestro Zubin Mehta.

In the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, you’ll see Louis up the back in the percussion section, out the front as chorus master of the National Opera Chorus and in the pit at National Opera.

The National Capital Orchestra is Louis’ musical family and with grand plans in place for 2025 and beyond, he is looking forward to expanding their repertoire, bringing back old favourites and sharing the stage with local legends and guests from around the country and overseas.

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