Concertante

— A regular on Australian stages as a concert pianist but equally acclaimed as a leading compositional voice, Finnish composer Olli Mustonen's music is greatly influenced from his own performance practice, including early studies on the harpsichord. His Nonetto II takes up ideas from the 17th and 18th centuries, with gorgeous, warmly expressive melodies and delicate interplay, eventually building to a riveting rhythmic finale.

— A new Australian voice with significant recent accomplishments to his name, Harry Sdraulig's music is at turns serious, playful, contemplative and exuberant. In his first commission for Omega Ensemble, Sdraulig delivers a driving tour-de-force, characterised by passionate lyricism and harmonic richness.

— Classical music's greatest showman, Frédéric Chopin was also a notorious introvert, preferring the dark and smoky salons of Paris to grand concert halls, and often arranging his own concertos to perform in these intimate settings. In this tradition, Chopin’s first piano concerto is reshaped for just ten musicians, unlocking new raw and emotive power from one of the most expressively beautiful works.

Vatche Jambazian piano solo
David Rowden clarinet
Peter Clark violin
Zoe Freisberg violin
Thibaud Pavlovic-Hobba violin
Anna McMichael violin
Neil Thompson viola
Andrew Jezek viola
Paul Stender cello
Rowena Macneish cello
William Hansen double bass

Presented in association with the 2024 New Annual Festival (Newcastle).