If you’re a sports fan, you’ll understand what a representative team is. Basically, the best available players are brought together for a specific game or tournament. The same idea has been applied to music by the Australian World Orchestra. And this month, lovers of classical music can see the AWO’s select “dream team” as it kicks off its new national tour.
Under the banner AWO Chamber 8, the tour presents an ensemble of Australia’s finest musicians in a series of intimate chamber concerts. The tour will include AWO’s first performances in Perth and Brisbane. It also travels to Sydney and Melbourne.
Each of the musicians is based in a prestigious international or national orchestra. Andrew Bain (horn) plays with the LA Philharmonic Orchestra. David Berlin (cello) is with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Violinist Natalie Chee is the first Concertmaster with the Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stuggart. On clarinet, Paul Dean is the Senior Lecturer of Clarinet and Head of Woodwind at the Queensland Conservatorium. Artistic Director and leader of Festival Strings Lucerne Dan Dodds also plays violin in the ensemble. Tahlia Petrosian on viola is with Gewandhaus Leipzig; while Matthew McDonald is the principal double bassist with the legendary Berlin Philharmonic. And Lyndon Watts (bassoon) was formerly with the Munich Philharmonic before recently returning to Australia.
AWO Chamber 8 will perform a program of two pieces. First up is Beethoven’s Septet in E-flat major, Op.20; followed by Dvořák’s String Quintet No.2, Op.77.
Since its inaugural concert series in 2011, the AWO has established itself as one of the world’s leading orchestras. Over the last six years, the orchestra has performed in Australia, India and Singapore. They’ve attracted guest conductors including Sir Simon Rattle, Stanley Dodds, and Maestro Zubin Mehta.
Dates and venues are:
BRISBANE – Queensland Performing Arts Centre, Monday 24 July
Bookings: qpac.com.au, ph 136 246
SYDNEY – City Recital Hall, Tuesday 25 July
Bookings: cityrecitalhall.com, ph 02 8256 2222
MELBOURNE – Melbourne Recital Centre, Thursday 27 July
Bookings: melbournerecital.com.au, ph 03 9699 3333
PERTH – Perth Concert Hall, Monday 31 July
Bookings: perthconcerthall.com.au, ph 08 9231 9999
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David Edwards is the editor of The Blurb and a contributor on film and television