Michael Morton-Evans picks some of the musical highlights of the year to come from a few of our leading arts organisations.
The Australian Chamber Orchestra:
The ACO celebrates its 50th birthday in 2025, its leader Richard Tognetti marking 35 years at the helm with one of the pinnacles of the violin repertoire, Brahms’ Violin Concerto. Performing at the City Recital Hall from February 11-15 and at the Opera House on February 16, the concert will also include Beethoven’s Symphony No 7.
April brings the international cello sensation, Abel Selaocoe to Australia, together with his regular percussionist Sidiki Démbéle. The pair deliver a fascinating harmony of classical cello, African traditions, and throat singing. There’ll be works by Nigel Westlake, Igor Stravinsky and Giovanni Piatti among others. Sydney City Recital Hall, April 5, 8 & 9 and the Opera House, April 6.
May brings music from Bach to the Beach Boys, as the ACO explores the soundworld of the theremin, the world’s first electronic instrument. German musician Carolina Eyck is recognised as the renowned superstar of the theremin. It is a sight to be seen, and a sound you may never have heard before. Also in the concert the ACO and pianist TamaraAnna Cislowska will perform works by Offenbach, Glinka and many more. City Recital Hall, May 10, 13,& 14 and Opera House, May 11.
In June, after more than a decade, the Moldavian violinist Patricia Kopatchinskya returns to lead the ACO in a programme that contains music by Ravel, Biber and, as the highlight, Schubert’s String Quartet No 14 in D minor “Death and the Maiden.” City Recital Hall, June 28 & July 1,2. Opera House, June 29.
August brings together Richard Tognetti and pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk in a programme of Gershwin and Shostakovich. Highlights include Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No 1 in C minor. City Recital Hall, Aug 1,2,5,6. Opera House, Aug 3.
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra:
Chief Conductor Simone Young has assembled an exciting series of concerts for 2025 starting in March with the return of Canadian violinist James Ehnes and Brahms’s Violin Concerto, Rimsky Rorsakov’s Spanish Capriccio and Ravel’s complete Mother Goose Suite. March 7, 8 in the Utzon Room, followed by Boccherini’s String Quintet in E at the City Recital Hall on March 20 April sees the visit of French classical pianist Lise de la Salle and she’ll be playing Mozart’s Piano Concerto No 19 at the City Recital Hall, April 7 and a programme of Chopin and Liszt at the Opera House on April 11.
May brings the talented young 23-year-old Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich to our shores and he’ll be playing Sibelius’ Violin Concerto as part of the Emirates Masters Series on May 7, 9 & 10.
Also in May pianist, Sir Stephen Hough returns to play Brahms’s Piano Concerto No 1 at City Recital Hall, May 22 and Mendelssohn’s Piano Concerto No 1 at the Opera House, June 4, 6 & 7.
Also in June international concert pianist Lang Lang will come to play the very tricky Saint-Saens Piano Concerto No 2. That’s at the Opera House, June 22.
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra:
From a male soprano who will dazzle you with energy and colour, to the Brandenburg soloists showcasing their virtuosity, to the raw power of the entire orchestra, to the interplay between musical and physical storytelling in collaboration with Circa, and to the profound depths and heights of the Brandenburg Choir, Season 2025 promises a powerful and moving journey through the Baroque. Thus begins their 2025 brochure.
The season starts in February with the return of amazing Venezuelan male soprano Samuel Marino. Highlights of his recital include the arias Aria Ma quando tornerai from Alcina, Aria Ah me! I now repent from Semele, Voi che, mie f ide ancelle from Giulio Cesare in Egitto and Brilla nell’ alma un non intenso ancor from Alessandro, all by Handel. City Recital Hall, Feb 18, 19, 21, & 22.
Late March and early April will appeal to Bach lovers as the Brandenburg play the four marvellous orchestral suites, including of course No 3 which includes as its 2nd movement the much-loved Air on a G string. The four suites will begin with Orchestral Suite No. 3 in D Major, BWV 1068, then follows Orchestral Suite No. 1 in C major, BWV 1066, Orchestral Suite No. 2 in B minor, BWV 1067, and finishes with Orchestral Suite No. 4 in D major, BWV 1069. City Recital Hall, March 28 & 29, Apr 1 & 2.
A collaboration between Brandenburg and the Brisbane based circus troupe Circa is always to be looked forward to. Using Bach’s The Art of Fugue as their base, August will see all these amazing performers, gymnasts and musicians perform in a way that brings a whole new meaning to Bach and the Baroque. City Recital Hall, Aug 12, 13, 15 &16. October brings a celebration of water, as the Brandenburg explores an homage to water’s spiritual and cultural significance as the foundation of our existence and survival: the essential element of life. Rrawun Maymuru, an ocean and waterway custodian hailing from East Arnhem Land debuts an original composition created with Nick Wales, a classically trained contemporary composer. Sung in the language of the Yolngu people, this heartfelt ode to water promises to echo deep within the soul of every listener. City Recital Hall, Oct 14, 15, 17 & 18.
Later in the year, in September, Canadian pianist Marc Andre Hamelin will be here to perform Beethoven’s Hammerklavier, the Piano Sonata No 29 as well as Rachmaninov’s Sonata No 2. That’s at the Opera House, Sept 18, 19 & 20.
October brings one of the world’s greatest cellists to Sydney when Daniel Müller-Schott comes to perform Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococo Theme.
At year’s end Simone Young will conduct the orchestra and singers from Opera Australia in a concert production of Wagner’s Siegfried. The concert includes Simon O’Neill as Siegfried, Warwick Fyfe as Alberich, and Teddy Tahu Rhodes as Fafner. That’s at the Opera House, November 26, 27, 28 & 29.
This article is also published in the December issue of the Fine Music Magazine