Latest news with #AustralianChamberOrchestra
ABC News
5 hours ago
- Entertainment
- ABC News
Drive Live with Alexander Gavrylyuk
Australian-Ukrainian pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk joins Vanessa Hughes in the Eugene Goossens Hall on Drive Live. He shares fond memories of growing up in countryside Ukraine, visiting his grandmother in the summer, and reflects on the sounds of the local folk music scene that were formative to his musicianship, alongside the strict practice routine that shaped him into the piano virtuoso that he is today. Alexander is making his debut with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in a program of Gershwin & Shostakovich, touring around Australia now. MUSIC: Piano Sonata No. 10 in C major, K. 330: I. Allegro moderato by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Étude in C-sharp minor, Op. 2, No. 1 by Alexander Scriabin Performed by Alexander Gavrylyuk (piano)
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
Piano virtuoso Alexander Gavrylyuk: ‘It is unfortunate to see music as a competition. It is a uniting force'
Youthful and rebellious is how Alexander Gavrylyuk describes Shostakovich's Piano Concerto No 1, the work with which he will mark his debut appearance with the Australian Chamber Orchestra on Friday. 'It's a work where he fights to be heard,' says the Australian-based virtuoso, speaking from a waterside cafe a stone's throw away from the ACO's Walsh Bay home. 'One gets a feeling that it's been written by someone cornered who is trying to remain an individual in resistance to the system.' And yet, bleak it is not. There is much humour to be found in the notoriously neurotic yet brilliant composer's early work, Gavrylyuk says: 'Laughter through clenched teeth, so to speak.' Like Shostakovich, Gavrylyuk quietly rejected the strictures of a regimented Soviet-era approach to artistry, but at a much earlier age. Coming to Australia as a teenager only seven years after the iron curtain fell, the sense of light, space and personal freedom he instantly experienced on arriving in Sydney was exhilarating. The Ukraine he had left behind was 'still very closed, still very Soviet' in most ways, he says; a country where gifted children were drilled with military precision and concert pianists were 'produced like in a factory'. 'It was a place where you did not express yourself,' he recalls. 'You followed the path that was given to you by the hierarchy, and that in itself is completely opposite to what music is all about – the freedom of expression, the freedom of creation.' Practising for up to 10 hours a day, Gavrylyuk gave his first concert performance at the age of nine. His fondest childhood memories are those of spending rare breaks away from the keyboard, such as visiting the countryside with his grandmother. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Gavrylyuk was only 13 when he arrived in Australia as part of a teenage troupe of gifted young pianists offered full scholarships by the privately run Australian Institute of Music. The teenager and his four young Ukrainian peers dazzled audiences at school with their precocious virtuosity. At 15, Gavrylyuk returned to his homeland to collect first prize and the gold medal at the Vladimir Horowitz competition. By the age of 21 he had achieved a trifecta, having won the Hamamatsu and Arthur Rubinstein international piano competitions. Back then, winning was everything, and competitions were considered a stress-riddled rite of passage. Much like its athletes, musically gifted prodigies were held up to the capitalist world as symbols of Soviet superiority. But in many cases, Gavrylyuk says, the system churned out 'broken individuals'. '[Competitions] open doors, they can be really helpful. But it is unfortunate to see music as a competitive activity,' he says. 'Music is a uniting force … if one sees it as a festival, rather than a competition, then that is wonderful.' In any Gavrylyuk performance, there remains plenty of old Russian school-style keyboard pyrotechnics – but as the Times' Anna Picard wrote in her review of his BBC Proms performance of Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No 3 in 2017, there is much more to him than just technical brilliance: 'It is emotionally gripping, structurally thoughtful, and deeply musical,' she wrote of the performance. As Classical Source music critic Peter Reed put it, Gavrylyuk's 'presence harks back to the old, formal Russian style of pianism – white tie and tails, impeccable stage manners, and plenty of old-fashioned performance histrionics – eyes gazing heavenwards, rapt expressions, the pianist as artwork – with playing that brings together grandeur, nobility, dazzling virtuosity and a sublime sense of style'. Here's a taste of Gavrylyuk playing 'the Rach 3' – a famously difficult piece which was popularised after the release of the film Shine. Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion Gavrylyuk considers the ACO's decision to pair Shostakovich with the joyful ode to jazz-era New York, Rhapsody in Blue – George Gershwin's self-described homage to the 'musical kaleidoscope of America, of our vast melting pot' – a masterstroke in programming. 'On one side you have this darker perspective from the Soviet era … and then you have this wonderful exuberance, the swagger … the lack of constraints, lack of regulation, lack of anything really,' he says. Despite his global career and 13 years living in Germany and the Netherlands, Gavrylyuk, his wife and their two daughters have called Sydney home since making the decision to 'wait the storm out' during the pandemic. 'But we got too attracted to Sydney. We loved it here too much, and the girls started schooling here, so we're staying.' Now approaching middle age, Gavrylyuk continues to set himself new challenges, including widening his focus beyond the Russian repertoire. 'I'm so fortunate to have a huge repertoire but I am passionate about diversifying,' he says. 'There's always a stigma attached to a name like mine to play Russian composers' works … well, maybe I shouldn't use such a strong term. But it's definitely something that comes with having my background.' Alexander Gavrylyuk's ACO debut Gershwin and Shostakovich is touring Australia 1-18 August; see here for dates.
The Age
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- The Age
Unflinching insight into psychotic illness a remarkable immersive theatre event
In fact, it almost portrays mental illness as a kind of escape room… one with no escape, and a profusion of clues everywhere you look. Each space is engagingly designed, and there's a haunting quality to the voice acting and the polyphonic script, some of which sounds as if taken verbatim from people with schizophrenia. Hallucinatory audiovisual tricks keep you on edge, painfully vigilant, and one section involves a responsive AI program, as a grandiose delusion tightens its grip. Exploring psychosis through mixed reality tech is a fabulous idea, and The Door in Question really does feel at the forefront of a brave new kind of artmaking. But it's the human element that makes it work – the profound authenticity of lived experience, and the unflinching insight into the danger and distress, as well as the wildcard beauty – and, yes, the love – amid the deranged tangle of psychotic illness. Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead MUSIC ACO Unleashed, ★★★★ Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hamer Hall, June 22 Undaunted by the withdrawal of injured Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja from its current tour, the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) took the opportunity to draw soloists from its own ranks in a program confirming all its appealing strengths. In the absence of artistic director Richard Tognetti, longstanding violinists Helena Rathbone and Satu Vanska shared direction of the orchestra. They were joined by the ACO's newest member, Anna da Silva Chen, in a buoyant account of Bach's Concerto for Three Violins. Clearly delighting in their collaboration, they wove the music's contrapuntal strands into a richly detailed tapestry, abetted by the ACO's customary rhythmic drive. Vanska brought an edgy bravura to Bernard Rofe's arrangement of Ravel's Tzigane to which the presence of the celesta in the accompanying forces contributed an additional exotic touch. Exemplary ensemble and beauty of tone graced Tognetti's arrangement of Beethoven's String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 'Serioso'. Nuanced variations of texture reinforced both the original's urgency and intimacy. Schubert's Quartet Movement in C minor, D. 703 shimmered like a jewel, full of light and shade, where dramatic and lyrical elements were held in admirable balance. Giving the Melbourne premiere of Jaakko Kuusisto's Cello Concerto, principal cellist Timo-Veikko Valve gave a passionate tribute to the late composer, a longtime family friend and fellow Finn. Kuusisto, who died of brain cancer in 2022, aged 48, conceived this well-crafted work with Valve's considerable technical and expressive prowess in mind. Like Sibelius, Kuusisto often sets his emotional lyricism in sparse surroundings. Here, some percussion freshened the orchestral palette, further enticing the listener's close attention. Empathetically supported by his fellow players, Valve's advocacy of this score may well make it a 21st-century classic. A welcome, if unforeseen, element of its fiftieth anniversary season, this program celebrated the abundant talent of a great chamber orchestra.
Sydney Morning Herald
23-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Sydney Morning Herald
Unflinching insight into psychotic illness a remarkable immersive theatre event
In fact, it almost portrays mental illness as a kind of escape room… one with no escape, and a profusion of clues everywhere you look. Each space is engagingly designed, and there's a haunting quality to the voice acting and the polyphonic script, some of which sounds as if taken verbatim from people with schizophrenia. Hallucinatory audiovisual tricks keep you on edge, painfully vigilant, and one section involves a responsive AI program, as a grandiose delusion tightens its grip. Exploring psychosis through mixed reality tech is a fabulous idea, and The Door in Question really does feel at the forefront of a brave new kind of artmaking. But it's the human element that makes it work – the profound authenticity of lived experience, and the unflinching insight into the danger and distress, as well as the wildcard beauty – and, yes, the love – amid the deranged tangle of psychotic illness. Reviewed by Cameron Woodhead MUSIC ACO Unleashed, ★★★★ Australian Chamber Orchestra, Hamer Hall, June 22 Undaunted by the withdrawal of injured Moldovan violinist Patricia Kopatchinskaja from its current tour, the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) took the opportunity to draw soloists from its own ranks in a program confirming all its appealing strengths. In the absence of artistic director Richard Tognetti, longstanding violinists Helena Rathbone and Satu Vanska shared direction of the orchestra. They were joined by the ACO's newest member, Anna da Silva Chen, in a buoyant account of Bach's Concerto for Three Violins. Clearly delighting in their collaboration, they wove the music's contrapuntal strands into a richly detailed tapestry, abetted by the ACO's customary rhythmic drive. Vanska brought an edgy bravura to Bernard Rofe's arrangement of Ravel's Tzigane to which the presence of the celesta in the accompanying forces contributed an additional exotic touch. Exemplary ensemble and beauty of tone graced Tognetti's arrangement of Beethoven's String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 'Serioso'. Nuanced variations of texture reinforced both the original's urgency and intimacy. Schubert's Quartet Movement in C minor, D. 703 shimmered like a jewel, full of light and shade, where dramatic and lyrical elements were held in admirable balance. Giving the Melbourne premiere of Jaakko Kuusisto's Cello Concerto, principal cellist Timo-Veikko Valve gave a passionate tribute to the late composer, a longtime family friend and fellow Finn. Kuusisto, who died of brain cancer in 2022, aged 48, conceived this well-crafted work with Valve's considerable technical and expressive prowess in mind. Like Sibelius, Kuusisto often sets his emotional lyricism in sparse surroundings. Here, some percussion freshened the orchestral palette, further enticing the listener's close attention. Empathetically supported by his fellow players, Valve's advocacy of this score may well make it a 21st-century classic. A welcome, if unforeseen, element of its fiftieth anniversary season, this program celebrated the abundant talent of a great chamber orchestra.
Glasgow Times
08-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Glasgow Times
Scottish Ensemble unveils Glasgow shows for 2025/26
Coming together with other venues across Scotland, these performances aim to provide an exhilarating range of musical experiences for the audience. The ensemble is shifting focus this autumn onto composer Anna Meredith, recognised for her boundary-pushing style. (Image: Tiu Makkonen) Among the schedule is Shifting Patterns, running from October 25 to 29 and presenting a unique blend of Meredith's energetic compositions and Henryk Górecki's emotionally rich Quasi una Fantasia. The performance will administer a combined feast of sound and visuals with tailor-made projections by animator Ewan Morris Jones. Read more: New Rangers manager Russell Martin outlines transfer plans ahead of key tie Warning to drivers as Glasgow's M8 roadworks at busy junction delayed Russell Martin outlines Rangers ambitions in Celtic comparison The Concerts by Candlelight tour from December 2 to 11 will present the UK premiere of a new piece by Ukrainian composer Valentin Silvestrov. The piece, Moments of Memory VI, was co-commissioned by the Scottish Ensemble, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Arctic Philharmonic, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, and the Witold Lutosławski National Forum of Music for NFM Leopoldinum Orchestra. The Young Artists programme also continues, allowing string students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland to work closely with the ensemble's musicians. Performances in Glasgow on January 16 and 17 will showcase the output of this partnership. Lauren Jack and Annabel Stevens, stand-out performers in the 2024 residency, will also make their Scottish Ensemble debuts in the autumn/winter series. The ensemble also continues their work in helping people with music, Music for Wellbeing, a series of sessions leaders hope will provide calmness, combat stress, and uplift emotions. This scheme will revisit Maggie's centres this autumn in continuation of a long-running partnership with the charity. The scheme will also be present in schools, focusing on aiding pupils develop mindful listening skills. To find out about Scottish Ensemble's autumn and winter 2025/26 performances head to
