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The Australian Chamber Orchestra turns 40!

The ACO champions a diverse musical repertoire in celebration of its 40th anniversary in 2015.

26 Aug 2014 12:00

Troy Nankervis

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ACO Artistic Director Richard Tognetti. Image: Gary Heery, courtesy ACO.

It will be the year of performing gloriously.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra is set to celebrate two important anniversary milestones next year – 2015 will not only be the Orchestra’s 40^th year, it will also mark 25 years at the helm for Artistic Director Richard Tognetti, whose keen direction and inspired vision has shaped the Orchestra into one of the most dynamic and innovative chamber ensembles of diverse repertoire on the international stage today.

Since 1975, the ACO has balanced its programming appeal across all audiences.

It continues this theme for 2015, with a captivating program – everything from Baroque concertos to motifs inspired by the 100-year anniversary of Gallipoli – designed to entice while the ACO travels across all Australian states and territories.

Performances across eight Australian cities will take on more than 450 years of music from 28 separate composers, with works from Carl Vine to Vivaldi.

With such a broad palette of musical tastes and interests, Tognetti is confident that he’s struck the right balance to appeal to all audiences. Still, he said, ‘the essence involves not in trying to accommodate audiences, but rather to enliven or spark the imagination.’

The Gallipoli anniversary – an event dear to the hearts of many Australians – will undoubtedly be one of the most anticipated performances on the program.

While Tognetti said Turkey’s modern founding father Mustafa Kemal Atatürk provided the inspiration for bringing the commemorative ANZAC story to the stage, audiences could expect to hear a different angle to one of the country’s most significant chapters.

‘That’s obviously an important moment for all Australians and Turks, and anyone who is interested in the Great War,’ he said.

‘When speaking with Neil Armfield and Carl Vine, they liked the idea and thought that it had wings. We thought, let’s draw a line in the sand and commit to it.’

ACO Principal Violist Christopher Moore. Image: Gary Heery, courtesy ACO.

Tognetti said it was interesting that the ACO’s first two programs – The Four Seasons and Reflections on Gallipoli – focused on Asia Minor and the Islamic world and their musical relationships with Europe.

‘I wanted to confirm that there were connections within the musical worlds, and it’s proving kind of hard to conclude that there are, except through listening.’

Tognetti sought out these connections in The Four Seasons, where he has attempted to find links between Middle Eastern and Baroque composers.

Here, ‘I was toying with the idea of marrying The Four Seasons with the notion of Islamic and Middle Eastern music, and ending with the Ottomans. The Ottomans had an enormous impact on European music, it was incredible the impact they had. It’s interesting that we have these explorations in these first two programs,’ he said.

The ACO is joined by an impressive line-up of international guests in 2015 and turns impresario in hosting the Australian debut of the Basel Chamber Orchestra.

‘It’s been a bit of a dream of mine to create a union of like-minded chamber orchestras throughout the world, where we can swap ideas and evolve as beasts, especially considering the homogeneity of the symphony orchestras,’ said Tognetti. This chamber music exchange will see the ACO perform in Switzerland in 2016.

ACO Violist Caroline Henbest. Image: Gary Heery, courtesy ACO.

Grammy Award-winning songstress Susan Graham will perform personal favourites from Le Belle Epoque in A French Celebration. ‘Susan Graham is regarded as one of the greatest – if not the greatest – mezzos on the planet,’ said Tognetti.

Accomplished conductor and pianist Olli Mustonen – who Tognetti described as ‘a very special, unique pianist, but also a terrific composer’ – will play with the ACO during Olli Mustonen, Bach & Shostakovich.

Mozart’s Last Symphonies will bring fond memories back to Tognetti – the Orchestra performed the exact same repertoire in his first year with the Orchestra.

‘If I had to choose one symphony to take to an alien planet, I would choose the [Symphony No. 41] “Jupiter”,’ he said.

ACO Principal Double Bassist Maxime Bibeau. Image: Gary Heery, courtesy ACO.

The ACO’s 2015 Season tickets are available on subscription now. Watch out for their fantastic Under 30s subscription offer where you can save up to 50% on the price of your tickets. And as if that wasn’t enough, if you subscribe before 22 September, you will automatically be entered into the draw to win a rather fabulous trip to NYC to hear the ACO perform in Carnegie Hall.

2015 ACO National Concert Season Overview