18+ hour, 21+ min ago   (536+ words) A demanding 20th anniversary program finds hope amid three profound meditations on mortality. This year marks the 20th anniversary of the Melbourne Bach Choir. Formed principally to celebrate the work of JS Bach, its debut performance was the St Matthew Passion in…...

3+ day, 17+ hour ago   (710+ words) Sally-Anne Russell interprets the title role in Handel’s fictional romp about Persian king Xerxes. Until a week ago, Handel’s opera Serse (aka Xerxes) had not been performed in Melbourne since Victorian Opera’s 2009 production. Now it’s déjà vu, with the University…...

3+ day, 21+ hour ago   (913+ words) The British pianist celebrates connections found in the most far-flung of places. The Limelight Recording of the Month for September is Stephen Hough’s Piano Postcards, the latest release from the musically omnivorous British virtuoso. It’s a charmer of an album,…...

4+ day, 18+ hour ago   (670+ words) An evening that began with introspection ended in jubilation. Over two centuries after Mozart began composing his Requiem in D minor, K 626 in 1791, it remains one of the most profoundly moving and brilliant pieces in the repertoire, a testament to…...

5+ day, 10+ hour ago   (278+ words) National section open to instrumentalist residents of Australia between the ages of 17 and 25. A mixed instrument competition where 8 finalists vie for first prize of a $20,000 Overseas Study Scholarship, second prize of $5,000 and a paid engagement at the Athenaeum Club, Melbourne,…...

6+ day, 21+ hour ago   (531+ words) Danish-Australian musician Georg Pedersen, who taught generations of young cellists at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, has died aged 80. Limelight learned late last week of the death of Georg Pedersen, a performer, teacher, chamber musician and member of the Sydney…...

1+ week, 2+ day ago   (474+ words) Two pianos, sparkling chemistry and a thrilling Respighi make for a thrilling SSO Symphony Hour. Lucas and Arthur Jussen have been causing a stir on their New Zealand and Australian tour. They’re young, fiery, and their lighthearted sibling energy invigorates…...

1+ week, 4+ day ago   (327+ words) Handel’s London. 1741. King George II is on the throne and desperate to radiate legitimacy for the House of Hanover. The town’s theatre scene has just been rocked by a salacious scandal that left once angelic leading lady Sussanah Cibber in…...

1+ week, 6+ day ago   (427+ words) Piers Lane, Emily Sun, Li-Wei Qin and the Chroma and Orava quartets to gather in Hobert for TCMF's seventh edition. The Tasmanian Chamber Music Festival returns to Hobart from 22–25 October, with leading international soloists and Australian artists and ensembles playing…...

2+ week, 2+ day ago   (442+ words) A program of Mozart, Schubert, Mendelssohn and Stravinsky showcases these very special sibling talents. It would be unusual for two brothers in adulthood to spend as much time together as Lucas and Arthur Jussen. Even more unusual is that the…...