Concert Series

Friday 21 March

Songs of Travel and Distance

Anna Goldsworthy  piano
Teddy Tahu Rhodes  baritone

Vaughan Williams  Songs of Travel
Beethoven  An die ferne geliebte, Op. 98

In setting Alois Jeitteles’s An die ferne geliebte (To the Distant Beloved) to music, Beethoven did much to immortalise the quintessential Romantic wayfarer, whose reflections on the metaphysics of love, longing and loneliness exerted an enduring influence on many of the great song cycles to follow, from Schubert’s Die schöne Müllerin to Schumann’s Liederkreis. Almost one hundred years later, Ralph Vaughan Williams infused Robert Louis Stevenson’s Songs of Travel and Other Verses with his own vastly different harmonic language, producing a career-defining work that continues to hold a unique place in the hearts of audiences.

Fresh from his appearance in Kaija Saariaho’s Innocence (the headline opera of the 2025 Adelaide Festival), baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes (our newest staff member) joins forces with Professor Anna Goldsworthy (Director of the Elder Conservatorium) to open our 2025 concert series with a poignant sojourn through the spatial and temporal landscapes of self-discovery.

Bookings

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Friday 28 March

Veiled Disclosures

Elizabeth Layton  violin
Sofia Tortorelli  violin
CarlaMaria Rodrigues  viola
Tim Tran  viola
Samvel Berberyan  viola
Edith Salzmann  cello
Henry Say  cello
Frank Bridge  Lament for Two Violas
Brahms  Sextet in G major, Op. 36

Elegant, wistful and deeply expressive, Bridge’s eight-minute Lament was one of two duos performed by the composer and his teacher in 1912, and is today recognised as one of the most haunting musical dialogues ever written. Contrasting cheerful exuberance and a darker, veiled beauty of its own, Brahms’s second String Sextet in G major, Op. 36 (‘the most ethereal of Brahms’s longer works’, according to Sir Donald Tovey) provides the ideal companion piece, containing within its first movement a hidden cypher for Agathe von Siebold, to whom the composer had been engaged (but was destined never to marry) six years prior.

Bookings

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Friday 4 April

Echoes and Horizons

Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Luke Dollman  conductor
Charles Bodman Rae  conductor*
Lloyd Van’t Hoff  clarinet*

Charles Bodman Rae  Clarinet Concerto (World Premiere)*
Respighi  Pines of Rome

Respighi’s Pines of Rome paints a vivid portrait of Italy’s eternal city, from its serene groves to its triumphant marches, using lush orchestral colors and evocative imagery. Charles Bodman Rae’s Clarinet Concerto is based on the composer’s Partita Dalriada, which has at its heart an ancient Scottish melody. This world-premiere performance features the Elder Conservatorium’s Head of Woodwind, clarinettist Lloyd Van’t Hoff.

Bookings

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Wednesday 9 April

Honours Jazz Ensemble

Join us for an afternoon of jazz brilliance as the Elder Conservatorium’s jazz honours students bring the music of the legendary Billy Strayhorn to life. Strayhorn is well known for his collaborations with Duke Ellington and leaving an indelible mark on the jazz world. His compositions – rich with sophisticated melodies and lush harmonies – will be celebrated in this dynamic performance. From iconic classics, such as Take the A-Train and Lush Life, to lesser-known gems, experience the genius of one of jazz’s most influential composers, as these emerging musicians showcase their artistry and passion.

Bookings

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Friday 11 April

Passion and Poetry

Australian String Quartet
with Aura Go  piano

Kodály  Serenade for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 12
Beach  Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67

Experience the magnetic artistry of pianist Aura Go as she joins the University of Adelaide’s Quartet-in-Residence, the Australian String Quartet, for a lunchtime concert of works by Zoltán Kodály and Amy Beach. Kodály’s Serenade for Two Violins and Viola, Op. 12 is a vibrant Hungarian masterpiece rich with folkloric charm and fiery musical interplay. Amy Beach’s powerful Piano Quintet in F-sharp minor, Op. 67 is celebrated for its lush Romantic textures and dramatic scope. Aura Go’s virtuosic touch breathes life into this deeply expressive work, delivering both tenderness and intensity in equal measure.

Bookings

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Friday 2 May

The Touch of Dreams

Mitchell Berick  clarinet
Kyle Stegall  tenor
Penelope Cashman  piano

Schubert  Romanze ‘Ich schleiche bang und still herum’, D. 787 No. 2
Johann Sobeck  Meine Hemat
Martin Kennedy  The Touch of Dreams
Louis Spohr  Six German Songs for Voice, Clarinet and Piano, Op. 103

Mitchell Berick studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London and the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), before taking up the position of Principal Bass Clarinet with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra in 2010. Known especially for his portrayal of the Bach Evangelists, tenor Kyle Stegall studied under legendary evangelist singer James Taylor at the Institute for Sacred Music, Yale University. Renowned Adelaide-based collaborative pianist and vocal coach Dr Penelope Cashman holds degrees from the Musik und Kunst Privatuniversität der Stadt Wien (Austria), the Conservatorium van Amsterdam (The Netherlands), the Australian National University, and the University of Adelaide. These three outstanding musicians come together to explore the unusual combination of clarinet, tenor and piano in a concert culminating with Louis Spohr’s Six German Songs, generally regarded as his finest contribution to the Lieder genre.

Bookings

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Friday 9 May

Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde

Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra
Elizabeth Layton  director / violin
Adina Lopez  violin
Javier Goh  violin
Arjun Singh  cello
Henry Say  cello

J.S. Bach  Concerto for Two Violins in D minor, BWV 1043
Enjott Schneider  Concerto for Two Cellos and String Orchestra Dr Jekyll & Mr Hyde
Kurt Atterberg  Intermezzo for String Orchestra

A concert spanning Baroque brilliance, modern storytelling and romantic beauty. Bach’s timeless Concerto for Two Violins in D minor is overflowing with elegance. Schneider’s Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde brings drama and intrigue to life through the voices of two cellos and string orchestra, while Atterberg’s lush and lyrical Intermezzo for String Orchestra, brimming with warmth and charm, will ensure you leave Elder Hall uplifted.

Bookings

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Friday 16 May

Folklore

Nexas Quartet
with Lloyd Van’t Hoff clarinet
and Elder Conservatorium students

Bartok – Romanian Dances
Guillermo Lago – Ciudades / Sarajevo / Addis Ababa
Jacques Ibert – Histoires
Elena Kats-Chernin – Russian Rag
Witold Lutosławski – Dance Preludes
Gavin Whitlock – Celtic Suite
Percy Grainger – Molly on the Shore
Antonin Dvorak – Slavonic dance 

The Sydney-based Nexas Quartet is a trailblazing saxophone ensemble known for redefining the boundaries of chamber music. Comprising saxophonists Michael Duke, Andrew Smith, Nathan Henshaw, and Jay Byrnes, the quartet has garnered widespread recognition for their exceptional musicianship and unique artistic approach. United by the folkloric influences inherent in a diverse selection of music from Bartók, Guillermo Lago, Jacques Ibert, Elena Kats- Chernin, Lutosławski, and Annbjørg Lien, their recital includes two collaborations with our Head of Woodwind, Lloyd Van’t Hoff, and concludes with performances of Grainger and Dvořák performed alongside students of the Elder Conservatorium.

Bookings

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Friday 23 May

Worlds within Worlds

Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra
Lloyd Van’t Hoff  conductor
Euan Safey  conductor

Malcom Arnold  Four Scottish Dances, Op. 59
John Barnes Chance  Variations on a Korean Folk Song
Eric Whitcare  Lux Aurumque
Sally Greenaway  Worlds within Worlds
Frank Ticheli  Vesuvius

This captivating program celebrates the rich diversity of musical traditions and expressions from around the globe. From Malcolm Arnold’s vibrant Four Scottish Dances, evoking the lively spirit of the Scottish Highlands, to John Barnes Chance’s Variations on a Korean Folk Song, which brings ancient melodies to life, each piece tells a unique story. Eric Whitacre’s ethereal Lux Aurumque offers a moment of luminous serenity, while Sally Greenaway’s imaginative Worlds within Worlds takes listeners on an introspective journey through layered soundscapes. The fiery intensity of Frank Ticheli’s Vesuvius closes the program with a thrilling eruption of rhythm and energy.

Bookings

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Friday 30 May

Best of Brazil

Featuring students from the Elder Conservatorium Jazz Department

Best of Brazil brings the vibrant rhythms and rich musical traditions of Brazil to the stage, featuring talented students from the Elder Conservatorium’s Jazz Department. From the infectious grooves of samba and Bossa nova to the complex harmonies of Brazilian jazz, this concert will showcase the skill and creativity of these emerging musicians as they pay homage to Brazil’s iconic compositions like Antônio Carlos Jobim’s The Girl from Ipanema and Luiz Bonfá’s Black Orpheus. Join us for a day of passionate, energised, and masterful performances that capture the heart and soul of Brazil’s diverse musical landscape.

Bookings

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Friday 6 June

Contrasts

Ensemble Lumen

Nadia Boulanger  Trois Pièces for Cello and Piano
Bartók  Contrasts, Sz. 111
Brahms  Horn Trio, Op. 40

This program, featuring our new staff ensemble, Lumen, delves into the interplay of sound and emotion, showcasing how composers use chamber music to express a spectrum of colours and textures. We begin with Nadia Boulanger’s Trois Pièces, a trio of lyrical vignettes that reflect the refined charm of early 20th-century French music. Bartók’s Contrasts, written for Benny Goodman, blends jazz and Hungarian folk traditions in a dynamic and spirited exchange of ideas. To conclude, Brahms’s Horn Trio unfolds as a rich, soulful dialogue, filled with warmth, depth, and moments of striking beauty. Through these three pieces, we experience how different musical voices, both intimate and bold, can converge to create a rich cornucopia of sound and emotion.

Bookings

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Friday 13 June

Autumn Grace

The Catherine Fraser Trio
Catherine Fraser  violin
Rachel Johnston  cello
Trent Arkleysmith  guitar

‘Only a handful of players can capture the true spirit of the Scottish dance… one of those is Catherine Fraser.’

– ABC TV

Acclaimed Scots/Australian fiddler Catherine Fraser is a vibrant and passionate exponent of the music of her heritage, and was the Director of the Southern Hemisphere International School of Scottish Fiddle for eleven years. Steeped in the Scottish fiddle tradition, the Catherine Fraser Trio perform repertoire from the wealth of Scottish collections – some dating as far back as the 1690s – as well as writing and arranging their own contemporary compositions.

Bookings

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Friday 29 August

Ravel 150

Roy Howat  piano

Ravel  Oiseaux tristes from Miroirs
Ravel  À la manière de Borodine
Chopin  Étude in E major, Op. 10 No. 3
Ravel  À la manière d’Emmanuel Chabrier
Emmanuel Chabrier  Mélancolie
Emmanuel Chabrier  Improvisation (from Pièces pittoresques)
Ravel  Valses nobles et sentimentales
Chopin  Waltz in A-flat major, Op. 42

Visiting Professor and longterm friend of the Elder Conservatorium, Roy Howat is internationally celebrated as one of the world’s leading scholars of French piano music. Known for his seminal monographs, reference-quality recordings, and authoritative urtext editions of the music of Debussy, Fauré and (most recently) Chopin, Roy channels a lifetime of research, wisdom and maturity into each performance. In a concert commemorating the 150th anniversary of the birth of Maurice Ravel, Roy offers an exquisite selection of works highlighting the intriguing connections between Ravel, Chopin and Chabrier.

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Friday 5 September

Airs and Graces

The Bowerbird Collective
Simone Slattery  baroque violin
Brendan O’Donnell  baroque recorders
Anthony Albrecht  baroque cello
Hannah Lane  baroque harp
Nicholas Pollock  theorbo / baroque guitar

Nicola Matteis  selected compositions

A fun and fiery display of baroque virtuosity by five of Australia’s leading period performers. Nicola Matteis was a Baroque composer and virtuoso violinist, originally from Naples, who rose to prominence in the late 17th century. Renowned for introducing the expressive and technically demanding Italian violin style to English audiences, his contributions significantly shaped the development of violin music in England.

Bookings

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Friday 12 September

Rhythms of Celebration

Elder Conservatorium Wind Orchestra
Lloyd Van’t Hoff  conductor

Shostakovich  Festive Overture, Op. 96
Jack Frerer  Zoom for Wind Ensemble
Arturo Márquez  Danzón No. 2
Omar Thomas  Come Sunday

This program is a jubilant celebration of rhythm, spirit, and energy. Opening with Shostakovich’s exhilarating Festive Overture, a whirlwind of dazzling orchestral brilliance, the concert bursts forth with joy. The pace intensifies with Zoom by Jack Frerer, a kinetic and electrifying work that propels listeners through its vibrant textures. Márquez’s beloved Danzón No. 2 invites the audience to bask in the elegance and passion of traditional latin American dance rhythms. Finally, Omar Thomas’s powerful Come Sunday offers a soulful and reverent tribute to the Black church, blending gospel and jazz influences into a heartfelt finale.

Bookings

Friday 19 September

Pictures and Dances

Simón Pazos Quintana  piano

Dvorák  Selections from Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85
Turina  Danzas fantásticas, Op. 22

‘The perfume of the flowers merged with the odour of manzanilla, and from the bottom of raised glasses, full of the incomparable wine, like an incense, rose joy.’ – José Más, La orgía

Spanish-born Australian pianist Simón Pazos Quintana – a recent doctoral graduate of the Elder Conservatorium – is rapidly building a reputation as one of South Australia’s busiest musicians, appearing regularly as a collaborative pianist, chamber musician, recitalist, and concerto soloist. In his debut solo recital in our Elder Hall series, he performs eight vignettes from Dvořák’s rarely-heard Poetic Tone Pictures, Op. 85 (‘the great forgotten cycle of 19th-century piano music’, according to Leif Ove Andsnes) and concludes with a tour of his homeland through Turina’s irresistible Danzas fantásticas, Op. 22.

Bookings

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Friday 26 September

Cycles of Life

Andrew Haveron  violin
Anna Goldsworthy  piano

Beethoven  Sonata for Piano and Violin in G major, Op. 96
César Franck  Sonata for Violin and Piano in A major

Professor Anna Goldsworthy (Director of the Elder Conservatorium) and Andrew Haveron (Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra) both possess that rare quality necessary for all enduring artistic partnerships: an irrepressible energy that becomes atomic in one another’s company. Their previous Adelaide performances have all been defined by a scintillating intensity, never more apparent than in their critically-acclaimed ‘After Kreutzer’ collaboration in the 2022 Adelaide Festival. It will be a special pleasure to see them reunite in Elder Hall to perform sonatas by Beethoven and Franck: two of the greatest monuments of the literature, both demanding musicians at the peak of their powers, and both expressing the full gamut of human experience.

Bookings

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Friday 3 October

Orchestral Pianos

Michael Ierace  piano
Vatche Jambazian  piano

Tchaikovsky  The Nutcracker Suite (arr. Nicholas Economou)
Lutosławski  Concerto for Orchestra (arr. for two pianos by Joe Chindamo) [Premiere]

The unique sonic alchemy of two pianos has long served as one of the most reliable vehicles through which to faithfully reproduce orchestral sonorities and textures. Liszt, Brahms, Ravel and Rachmaninoff (to name only a few celebrated examples) all initially turned to four hands as the medium for a composition that was later expanded for full orchestra. In a recital that opens with a sparkling arrangement of Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker Suite for two pianos, staff pianist Michael Ierace is joined by Sydney-based pianist Vatche Jambazian (a Masters graduate of The Juilliard School in New York) to explore the inverse of this process, culminating in the premiere of a new two-piano version of Lutosławski’s Concerto for Orchestra by Dr Joe Chindamo OAM.

Bookings

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Friday 10 October

The Trout

Elizabeth Layton violin
Mark Menzies viola
Edith Salzmann cello
Rob Nairn double bass
Michael Endres piano

Schubert Piano Quintet in A major, D. 667 The Trout

This special collaboration sees three of our faculty members team up with two very distinguished colleagues from overseas. Described by the Los Angeles Times as an ‘extraordinary musician’, Mark Menzies is a member of the LA Philharmonic, and is currently violin and viola professor at the Californian Institute of Arts. The German-born, New Zealand-based pianist Michael Endres has been described as ‘one of the most interesting pianists recording today’ (Boston Globe), and an ‘outstanding Schubert interpreter’ (Gramophone). He holds a Masters degree from The Juilliard School in New York; has won the prestigious Diapason d'Or three times; and is one of only three pianists to have recorded all 400 dances of Franz Schubert.

Composed in 1819 when he was 22 years old, Schubert’s fabled quintet exchanged the second violin for the warmth and richness of a double bass. Probably the popular favourite among his chamber works and best known for the fourth movement’s shimmering variations on the earlier Lied ‘Die Forelle’ (The Trout; from whence this Quintet gained its popular epithet), this evergreen Quintet is defined by a blossoming of joyous conviviality that is unique in Schubert’s oeuvre.

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Friday 17 October

The Ringtone Cycle

Seraphim Trio
with Lorina Gore  soprano

Koehne  The Ringtone Cycle

This 2010 commission from the Seraphim Trio has a libretto from the Australian author Peter Goldsworthy. Subtitled a ‘cabaret quintet for soprano, violin, cello, piano and iPhone’, it is a mini-operetta that tells of a love affair starring a modern-day Brünnhilde and her phone. Koehne’s continuous flow of music recalls Wagner’s revolutionary ‘speech-song’, and members of the audience might need to brush up on tech jargon to fully appreciate the text! The score is also dotted with references to famous ring tones.

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Friday 31 October

French Guise

Cheryl Pickering  mezzo-soprano
Kate Macfarlane  soprano
Helen Ayres  violin
Thomas Marlin  cello
Glenys March  harpsichord

Works by Jean-Baptiste Lully, Henri Desmarets, André Campra, Chiara Margarita Cozzolani and Barbara Strozzi capture a musical expression of the life and times of Julie d’Aubigny, the 17th-century French sword-fighting opera singer. Today’s concert also includes the premiere of She Who Sings Strange Songs – a new song cycle by our Adjunct Lecturer in Composition, Dr Anne Cawrse.

Bookings

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Friday 7 November

Top Class

Our annual classical performance showcase concert, featuring top student performers from the Elder Conservatorium of Music. Supported by the Peter Brooker Prize for Musical Excellence.

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Friday 14 November

Past and Present

Australian String Quartet

Benjamin Betelli  New Work
Beethoven  String Quartet No. 2 in G major, Op. 18 No. 2

A lunchtime concert where past and present collide, celebrating the boundless creativity of the next generation of composers alongside one of history’s greats. An evocative new work by emerging composer and Elder Conservatorium student Benjamin Betelli receives its world premiere. Beethoven’s luminous String Quartet No. 2 is a sparkling testament to the genius of his early quartets, brimming with elegance and vitality.

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Saturday 12 April, 6:30pm

Dances and Dialogues

Georg Gulyas  guitar

Scarlatti  Sonata K 322 / L. 483
Agustín Barrios  Valse III
Francisco Tárrega  Capricho Arabe
Francisco Tárrega  La Mariposa
Francisco Tárrega  Alborada
William Walton  Five Bagatelles
Hans Werner Henze  Mad Lady Macbeth
Evert Taube  Brevet från Lillan
Evert Taube  Så skimrande var aldrig havet
Evert Taube  Min Älskling
Ángel Villoldo  El Choclo
Matos Rodríguez  La Cumparsita

Experience the vibrant world of solo guitar with a program that spans centuries and continents, from the intricate elegance of Scarlatti’s sonatas to the playful sophistication of Walton’s Five Bagatelles. Journeying through evocative works by Tárrega and Barrios, the lyrical charm of Evert Taube, and the bold modernity of Henze, the program culminates in the fiery passion of tango classics El Choclo and La Cumparsita, celebrating the guitar’s ability to transcend boundaries and tell timeless stories.

Watch Georg Gulyas perform La Cumparsita.

Bookings

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Sunday 27 April, 2:30pm

Fantasies for Twenty Fingers

Neeman Piano Duo
Stephanie Neeman  piano
Edward Neeman  piano

Schubert  Fantasia in F minor, D. 940
Esther Rofe  The Island
John Corigliano Gazebo Dances
Franck  Prélude, Chorale et Fugue, FWV 21
Helen Gifford  Shiva, the auspicious one
William Bolcom  The Serpent’s Kiss (arr. Edward Neeman)

The Neeman Piano Duo are a powerhouse husband-and-wife team: their twenty fingers have sounded together since 2008, at venues across the United States, Asia and Australia. Dr Stephanie Neeman has won virtually all major piano competitions in her native Indonesia. She received her Bachelor and Master of Music at the Manhattan School of Music in New York City, and her Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Cincinnati. Dr Edward Neeman has performed across five continents, and holds a Bachelor of Music from the Australian National University, a Master of Music from the Manhattan School of Music, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree from The Juilliard School.

One of the most popular works for piano duet, Schubert’s Fantasia in F minor, D. 940 is almost symphonic in its breadth and scope: here we encounter everything from the loneliness and despondency of Wintereisse’s ‘stranger’; to unexpected turns to the major mode pervaded by the breath of spring; to joyous, Ländler-like dance episodes; all finally culminating with an astonishing fugal recapitulation. Schubert’s masterpiece is here complemented with a suitably adventurous and disparate selection of works – several of which have been specially arranged for the four-hand format by Edward Neeman.

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Friday 16 May, 7:00pm

Rapture

Australian String Quartet

Beethoven  String Quartet in F minor, Op. 95 Serioso
Vanessa Perica  String Quartet No. 1 No Feeling is Final (World Premiere)*
Janacek  String Quartet No. 2 Intimate Letters
Golijov  Tenebrae for String Quartet

Beethoven’s String Quartet No. 11 in F minor bursts forth, opening Rapture with unrivalled energy and intensity, setting the scene for a concert of remarkable contrasts. Experience the world premiere of Australian jazz composer Vanessa Perica’s No Feeling is Final, a four-movement quartet drawing inspiration from the composer’s own life and all its joys, twists and turns. Janáček’s Intimate Letters transports us to the fever dreams and passions of unrequited love, before Golijov’s tender Tenebrae reminds us of the wonder and fragility of human existence.

*Commissioned by the ASQ through its Australian Music Fund

Please visit asq.com.au for bookings, or call 1800 040 444 

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Saturday 24 May, 6:30pm
St Peter’s Cathedral

Ritual

Elder Conservatorium Chorale
Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Carl Crossin OAM  conductor

Duruflé  Requiem, Op. 9
Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla  Deus in adiutorium meum intende
Knut Nystedt  Immortal Bach
and more

From birth to death and every important occasion in between, rituals – small and large – are a vital part of our daily lives. This is a program of powerful, emotional and eloquent music connecting us to some of life’s important rituals. Duruflé’s iconic Requiem has been performed in Adelaide on many occasions in the most familiar version for choir, soloists and organ. This program however, features the first Adelaide performance of the Requiem in its full orchestral version.

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Saturday 30 August, 6:30pm

Beauty and Power

Timo-Veikko Valve  cello
Aura Go  piano

Beethoven Horn Sonata Op. 17 
Mozart Andantino for Cello and Piano KV ANH. 46 (347g) 
Mozart Allegro KV ANH. 48
Mozart Andante and Fugue KV402
Lisa Illean ever-weaver (2022/24)
Schubert Arpeggione Sonata

Elder Hall welcomes two of Australia’s most compelling musicians, pianist Aura Go and cellist Timo-Veikko ‘Tipi’ Valve, for an intimate evening of chamber music.

‘Beauty and Power’ spans centuries and styles, from the elegance of Mozart’s lesser-known gems and the lyrical warmth of Schubert’s beloved Arpeggione Sonata, to Beethoven’s bold and playful Sonata for Horn – performed here in a rare cello transcription revealing new depths. Contemporary Australian composition is represented by ever-weaver (2022/24), a recent work by Lisa Illean. This carefully curated program invites listeners on a journey of connection, contrast and rediscovery.

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Friday 12 September, 7:00pm

Classical meets Jazz: Crossing the Great Divide

Elder Conservatorium Studio Orchestra
Luke Dollman conductor

Gershwin Cuban Overture
Mark Simeon Ferguson Live and Die With the Butterflies
Ravel Bolero; Improvisations on Bolero

Gershwin’s Cuban Overture, a lively and rhythmically-charged celebration of Latin American influences, is filled with the composer’s signature flair. Mark Simeon Ferguson’s Live and Die With the Butterflies is an evocative work combining lyrical beauty with cinematic intensity. Ravel’s Bolero, a masterpiece of orchestral color and hypnotic rhythm, is performed here in its original form followed by a reimagined version featuring improvisations that breathe new energy and creativity into its iconic theme.

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Wednesday 24 September, 7:00pm

Radiance

Ensemble Lumen

Mozart  Quintet for Piano and Winds, K. 452
Carl Vine  Sonata for Flute and Piano
Tchaikovsky  Souvenir de Florence, Op. 70

In its third concert for 2025, Ensemble Lumen draws the audience into a dance of light and shadow, where three remarkable works shimmer with their own unique brilliance. Mozart’s Quintet for Piano and Winds opens, glowing with graceful interplay and crystalline elegance. Carl Vine’s Flute Sonata follows, a beacon of modern intensity, where bold contrasts and virtuosic flourishes flow effortlessly between tender warmth and fiery energy. After the interval, Tchaikovsky’s Souvenir de Florence bathes the listener in the golden hues of sweeping melodies and vibrant textures, blending Russian fervour with the sunlit allure of Italy. Together, these works weave a radiant tapestry, each a facet of chamber music’s boundless expressive power.

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Friday 3 October, 7:00pm

A Birthday Celebration: Charles Bodman Rae

Konstantin Shamray  piano
Elizabeth Layton  violin
Mark Gaydon  bassoon
Joe Chindamo OAM  piano
Madeline Melrose  violin
Katherine Moorhead  flute
Charles Bodman Rae  piano

Bodman Rae
Golden Ring for Solo Piano
Fulgura Frango for Two Pianos
Toccata Agogica for Solo Flute
Partita Elegiaca for Solo Violin
Ceol Mor I for Violin, Clarinet, and Piano
Ceol Mor II for Solo Bassoon
Messiaen  Movements VI, VII, and VIII from the Quartet for the End of Time
Lutosławski  Paganini Variations
Rachmaninov  The Tears and Easter from Suite No. 1 in G minor, Op. 5

This concert marks the 70th birthday of our seventh Sir Thomas Elder Professor of Music, Charles Bodman Rae. The program features several of his own works alongside pieces by two significant composers with whom he had close personal associations, Olivier Messiaen and Witold Lutosławski. The performers – alongside the composer himself, as pianist – include several distinguished Australian musicians who have been his PhD students: the pianist Konstantin Shamray; the violinist Elizabeth Layton, the flautist Kathryn Moorhead; the violinist Madeline Melrose; the bassoonist Mark Gaydon (ASO); and the composer-pianist Joe Chindamo OAM. Three of the pieces incorporate Scottish themes, acknowledging his paternal highland heritage, and two of the pieces are inspired by the sounds of European bells.

Bookings

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Friday 17 October, 7:00pm

Convergence

Australian String Quartet

Mozart  String Quartet in D major, K. 575 Prussian
Ligeti  String Quartet No. 2
Schubert  String Quartet No. 14 in D minor, D. 810 Death and the Maiden

With a warm and welcoming embrace, the grace of Mozart’s lyrical Prussian Quartet in D major opens this concert of music familiar, daring and masterful. Ligeti’s groundbreaking String Quartet No. 2 is a kaleidoscopic journey through otherworldly textures and virtuosic writing for strings. The second half of Convergence reaches its emotional peak with one of the greatest quartets of all time, Schubert’s enduringly popular fourteenth quartet (Death and the Maiden) – a gripping celebration of life and death.

Please visit asq.com.au for bookings, or call 1800 040 444

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Saturday 25 October, 6:30pm

Guitarissimo

A delight for lovers of classical guitar, this annual showcase concert features an array of works for solo guitar and small chamber groups, culminating in a performance by the Elder Conservatorium Guitar Ensemble. Curated by Dr Oliver Fartach-Naini.

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Saturday 1 November, 8:00pm

From little things…

Elder Conservatorium Chorale
Carl Crossin OAM conductor
Karl Geiger piano
with Artist-in-Residence Timothy Wayne-Wright

Here are the Elder Conservatorium Classical Voice students and Chorale as you may not have heard them before! Artist-in-Residence Timothy Wayne-Wright guides the Elder Conservatorium’s Classical Voice students and Chorale through an exciting and diverse program of small vocal ensemble and choral music. Timothy Wayne-Wright is one of the UK’s most experienced ensemble coaches. In addition to many career highlights and achievements with a wide variety of the UK’s leading vocal ensembles, he sang for ten years as a countertenor with Grammy Award-winning British vocal sextet The Kings Singers. Between 2008 and 2018, he performed with The Kings Singers in over 1,500 concerts and leading more than 500 masterclasses and workshops worldwide. We are thrilled that, in 2025, Tim will share his knowledge, experience and insights with us.

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Wednesday 5 November, 7:00pm

Lumen Gala

Ensemble Lumen

Guillaume Connesson  Techno Parade
Debussy  Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun
Ian Munro  Schubertiades
Schubert  Octet in F major, D. 803

Our Lumen Gala ignites the stage with a program that celebrates the brilliance and boundless possibilities of chamber music. Guillaume Connesson’s electrifying Techno Parade launches the evening with pulsating energy and modern flair. Claude Debussy’s iconic Prelude to the Afternoon of a Faun, presented in a shimmering arrangement by Graeme Steele Johnson, casts an irresistible spell of dreamlike beauty. Ian Munro’s Schubertiades bridges past and present, offering a heartfelt homage to Franz Schubert’s spirit of intimate gatherings and poetic inspiration. The gala culminates with Schubert’s majestic Octet in F major, D. 803 – a masterpiece of expressive depth, Viennese elegance, and radiant lyricism that crowns this luminous celebration of music.

Bookings

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Saturday 22 November, 4:30pm

Born in Vienna

Elder Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra
Mark Wigglesworth  conductor

Beethoven  Leonore Overture No. 3
Mozart  Symphony No. 41 Jupiter

Celebrating Vienna as the birthplace of orchestral music as we know it, this special performance presents Mozart’s first and last thoughts, Beethoven’s dramatic arrival onto the stage, and Schubert’s ‘Great’ C major Symphony, a work that sums up the Viennese Classical tradition while simultaneously knocking on the door of the Romanticism that took its place. This concert showcases an exciting new generation of musicians emerging from the Elder Conservatorium of Music.

Bookings

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Thursday 5 June, 7.30pm

Big Band and Latin Ensemble featuring Dustan Cox

Scott Theatre

Alex Taylor director
Mark Simeon Ferguson director
Dustan Cox saxophones

The Elder Conservatorium's Big Band and Latin Ensemble are christening our new jazz venue – the Scott Theatre – with a concert featuring long-term lecturer Dustan Cox on saxophones! Expect a night of Big Band classics and Latin evergreens with a few original works by staff and students. Rounding out the program, the Big Band will present a new adaptation of Mark Ferguson's 1959: The Twin Precipice, which was written especially for Cox and was first performed by him and the Elder Conservatorium Studio Orchestra in 2019. 

BOOK TICKETS

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Thursday 18 September, 7.30pm

Ladies of Song

Scott Theatre

Elder Conservatorium Jazz Singers

Ladies of Song celebrates the timeless voices of jazz, including the legendary Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and Billie Holiday. Featuring the talented third-year jazz singers from the Elder Conservatorium, this captivating concert brings to life iconic hits from these three towering figures in jazz. With soulful renditions of classics like A Tisket, A Tasket, Misty, and All of Me, the students' powerful vocals and emotive interpretations pay tribute to these trailblazing women, revealing their extraordinary range and artistry. Join us for an unforgettable evening of jazz history, as these rising stars honour the music and legacy of some of the genre's greatest vocalists.

BOOK TICKETS

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Thursday 30 September, 7.30pm

Elder Conservatorium Jazz Singers

Scott Theatre

Elder Conservatorium Jazz Singers
with the Adelaide Connection and The Wardells
Lauren Henderson director

Join us for an unforgettable evening of jazz at the Elder Conservatorium's annual Choral showcase! The first set shines the spotlight on the newly formed choir The Wardells, named in honour of the great Anita Wardell. The Wardell's will present a mixture of jazz standards and original compositions by local and international female composers. The second set presents the Elder Conservatorium's premier jazz choir, the Adelaide Connection, known for their rich harmonies and intricate vocal arrangements. With a diverse repertoire spanning traditional and contemporary jazz, this concert promises an unforgettable night of creativity, skill, and passion – celebrating both exciting emerging talent and establishing excellence in the world of vocal jazz.

BOOK TICKETS

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