Australian Chamber Orchestra Saturday 28 June, 2025 City Recital Hall Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) After the sudden cancellation due to injury of scheduled guest director and violinist, Patricia Kopatchinskaja, the ACO scrambled to come up with an alternative program for the tour branded ACO Unleashed. What they devised was a program of familiar […]
Sydney Opera House VOX (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs) Fri 27 June 2025 Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Eric Whitacre is the master of suspension. Not in the horror movie kind of way, but more in his ability to create musical tension through harmony, sustain it until you think it will burst, and then resolve it […]
Read More… from Review: Eric Whitacre & VOX – Eternity in an Hour
Utzon Room, Sydney Opera House Saturday 21 June, 2025. Sydney Symphony Orchestra Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) While the music was exceptionally good (as you would expect), being up close and personal with members of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was a unique experience in this latest offering from the Utzon Music Series. And the […]
Australian Brandenburg Orchestra City Recital Hall Tuesday 17 June 2025 Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) In “Baroque Unleashed”, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra rises to a whole new level in a concert of standard Italian Baroque music from the great composers of the era. Without a guest international star or any colourful staging or lighting, […]
Sydney Opera House Sydney Symphony Orchestra Saturday 17 May 2025 Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Conductor, Elim Chan, is one of the most exciting guest conductors the Sydney Symphony has worked under in some time. While slight in stature, her enthusiasm is contagious and large, her focus acute; her physicality elicited a great depth […]
Australian Chamber Orchestra Carolina Eyck (theremin) City Recital Hall Saturday 10 May 2025 Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) “The Theremin is often thought of as a novelty, but in the masterly hands of Carolina Eyck it becomes an instrument of classical majesty and contemporary brilliance.” (ACO program guide by Shaad D’Souza) This was the […]
Sydney Symphony Orchestra Sydney Opera House Friday 9 May 2025 Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Daniel Lozakovich is definitely a name to watch, as the star of this 24 year old Swedish violinist is sure to rise as he embarks on his solo career. His exotic good looks that stem from his Kyrgyzstan mother […]
Read More… from Review: Daniel Lozakovich performs Sibelius’ Violin Concerto
Thursday 6 March 2025 Sydney Symphony Orchestra Sydney Opera House London born conductor, Finnegan Downie Dear lead the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in tonight’s program of Ravel and Brahms. A one-time assistant to Simone Young, his tall lean frame leant itself to garnering a wide range of emotions and nuances from the musicians. And as SSO […]
Read More… from Review: James Ehnes performs Brahms’ Violin Concerto
Friday, 28 February, 2025. Sydney Opera House. Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Andrew Haveron (violin) It’s been a while since I’ve heard Carl Vine’s music in the concert hall. He’s been sorely missed since he relinquished the role of artistic Director at Musica Viva Australia, and now that he’s not busy running one of the world’s largest […]
Wednesday 13 November 2024 City Recital Hall Australian Chamber Orchestra Sean Shibe (guitars) The reason we go to see the Australian Chamber Orchestra is for musical excellence, innovative programming and mind-stretching new music. For some, Scotland Unbound with Scottish guitarist Sean Shibe might have exposed their limits of tolerance, but for many it was a […]
Wednesday 30 October, 2024 Sydney Symphony Orchestra Sydney Opera House Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Argentinian pianist, Ingrid Fliter gave a consummate demonstration of how to make the piano sing the way Frederic Chopin would have in her graceful performance of his 1st Piano Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Brazilian conductor Eduardo Strausser […]
Saturday 26 October, 2024 Sydney Opera House Sydney Youth Orchestra Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Festival Chorus Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) When a significant musical work lies largely dormant for over 100 years, the question begs “Is it any good?” Well, yesterday the Sydney Youth Orchestra and the Sydney Philharmonia Festival Chorus proved a century […]
Read More… from Review: Ode to Joy at the Sydney Opera House