Taking on two formidable figures of orchestral music, the Australian Youth Orchestra are set to be present a powerful performance.
The Australian Youth Orchestra (AYO), Australia’s most prestigious youth ensemble, returns to Victoria for two powerful performances with Mood: Mahler and Wagner, on Saturday, 13 July at Costa Hall, Geelong/Djilang and Sunday, 14 July at Hamer Hall, Melbourne/Naarm.
Mood: Mahler and Wagner Performance Details
- Saturday, 13 July, 3PM – Costa Hall, Geelong/Djilang
- Sunday, 14 July, 5pm – Hamer Hall, Melbourne/Naarm
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Nothing quite says winter like rugging up in your warm fur coat to go see a moody orchestral piece presented by a fiery orchestra. That is exactly what is in store for both Geelong and Melbourne audiences this July as the Australian Youth Orchestra speed into town. Under the baton of Nicholas Carter, almost 100 of Australia’s best and brightest young musicians assemble for some of the most momentous works of the orchestral world: Mood: Mahler and Wagner.
The program billing opens with a world premiere of ‘Overt’ by Australian composer Iain Grandage, a dedicated piece written in honour of Colin Cornish AM, who led the AYO from 2005 until 2023. This concerto for orchestra is set to see the students shine from the get-go. It is then followed by Wagner’s transcendent ‘Prelude und Liebestod’, a harrowing rumination on the perils of love with trembles of anticipation. Think grand emotions, big sounds, and boundary pushing builds, all stirring from the opening touch of cello.
Sending out the monster night is Mahler’s ‘Symphony No.5’. This bold piece leans in with a solo trumpet, immediately commanding upright attention before twisting and turning through tension and tenderness – a light and shade beautifully contrasted. Out of the anguish of a funeral march unfurls the heart-rending release of the symphony’s Adagietto, one of history’s greatest love letters, rich with eternal yearning.
Across 70 minutes of music, joy, grief and hope vie for their place in the spotlight. It’s glorious, brazen and captivating; impeccably nuanced pieces for the Australian Youth Orchestra to tackle.
Tickets to witness the upcoming Costa Hall performance can be purchased here, while tickets for the Hamer Hall experience can be collected here.
