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
Friday 20 & Friday 27 September, 2024 Sydney Opera House Sydney Symphony Orchestra Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Eminent British conductor and Sydney Symphony Principal Guest conductor, Sir Donald Runnicles presented two concerts of late Romantic and Impressionist music at the Sydney Opera House. Duruflé Requiem Fri 20 September The orchestration genius of Claude […]
Read More… from Review: Sydney Symphony Orchestra & Donald Runnicles
Wednesday 18 September, 2024 Roslyn Packer Theatre Sydney Dance Company Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) The Sydney Dance Company’s double bill, Twofold cements their reputation under the Artistic Direction of Rafael Bonachela as one of the premier contemporary dance companies in Australia. The opening work, Impermanence was choreographed by Bonachela and first conceived with […]
Read More… from Review: Sydney Dance Company’s Twofold at the Roslyn Packer Theatre
Friday 16 August, 2024 St. James’ Church Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Chamber Singers Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) The queue to get into the St James’ Church was moving slowly as the distant thunder was rumbling. Fortunately we were all seated by the time the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Chamber Singers filed in to the choir […]
Read More… from Review: Voices of the Italian Baroque at St James Church
Monday 12 August 2024 City Recital Hall Council: Pekka Kuusisto & Gabriel Kahane Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Council is the musical duo of Pekka Kuusisto & Gabriel Kahane. Their song-writing is original but somehow assuringly familiar and the songs are interspersed with classical music both old and ultra-modern. The overall effect is a […]
Wednesday 7 August 2024 Sydney Opera House Sydney Symphony Orchestra Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) Violinist Augustin Hadelich’s performance of the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra was a virtuosic performance of great proportion, it took our appreciation of this much loved concerto to a new level. From the opening bars we […]
Read More… from Review: Mendelssohn Violin Concerto at the Sydney Opera House
Saturday 3 August 2024 City Recital Hall Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Dance Company Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) In Silence & Rapture the ACO combines the music of JS Bach and Arvo Pärt with contemporary dance choreographed by Sydney Dance Company’s Rafael Bonachela, and the question I am pondering is was it a […]
Read More… from Review: Silence & Rapture at the City Recital Hall
Monday 29 July 2024 Sydney Opera House King’s College Choir, Cambridge Review by Paul Neeson (Arts Wednesday) I feel conflicted. When I look at the stage I see a couple of the boys fidgeting (they caught my eye because the rest of the choir were still, focused and disciplined). Fidgeting with their gowns, their hands, […]
Read More… from Review. King’s College Choir, Cambridge at the Sydney Opera House