THE AUSTRALIAN WORLD ORCHESTRA RETURNS TO INDIA FOR THREE EXTRAORDINARY CONCERTS IN SEPTEMBER 2018!
The Australian World Orchestra reunites for its second tour to India in September 2018 as a highlight of ‘Australia Fest’ – a festival of Australian culture and creativity taking place across the country.
Led by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Alexander Briger AO, the tour sees the Australian World Orchestra return to Chennai and Mumbai, and the first performance in Kerala of a western symphony orchestra, taking place in an unusual concert venue – the ballroom within the sumptuous surrounds of the newly opened Grand Hyatt Hotel, Cochin.
The programme, including operatic and symphonic works by Mozart, Bizet and Beethoven, will be performed by 52 of Australia’s finest musicians from the world’s leading orchestras including the Vienna and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras, the Antwerp and London Symphony Orchestras, and musicians from the Australian state orchestras.
A special highlight of the concerts will be a solo performance from the outstanding violinist Daniel Dodds (Artistic Director of Festival Strings Lucerne) of the virtuosic Rondo Capriccioso by Saint-Saëns performed on his 1717 Stradivarius violin.
The Australian World Orchestra is also delighted to announce mezzo-soprano Caroline Meng as guest soloist in Cochin and Mumbai where she will perform 3 famous arias from Bizet’s opera, Carmen. The Paris based Meng is acclaimed for her versatility across a variety of musical styles ranging from opera to recital and scared concerts.
The extraordinary undertaking of this tour continues to deepen the bilateral ties between India and Australia in the cultural sphere and build on the people-to- people links that are vital to promoting mutual understanding and respect between the two countries. ‘Australia Fest’ celebrates and showcases the focus by Australia on India following the visit of Prime Minister Turnbull to India last year.
Education is a core element of the AWO’s work, and the orchestra is thrilled to continue its association with the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation (MMMF), which commenced with the orchestra’s tour with Maestro Zubin Mehta in 2015. In conjunction with MMMF the AWO will deliver workshops and outreach music education programmes in Mumbai, culminating with a performance by the students and AWO together on stage at the Tata Hall, NCPA. This year’s education programme will extend to the Centre for Autism India in Kerala, where the AWO education team will travel to Tiruvalla to conduct workshops and performances with the children and their teachers to enhance the experiences and opportunities for these children. The Board of the Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall in Chennai supports many charities as its primary mandate and the AWO is delighted that the proceeds of these concerts will go back to educational and charitable organisations.
As part of its education focus, for each concert series the AWO Academy provides an early career professional Australian musician the opportunity to tour with the AWO and work side by side with its world-class musicians. The AWO 2018 Academy player for the Indian tour is violinist Sagar Nagaraj formerly of the Sydney Youth Orchestra, now with the NSW Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.
Australian World Orchestra India Tour 2018
Sun 23 September, 7.30pm Sir Mutha Venkatasuba Rao Concert Hall, CHENNAI
Tuesday 25 September 7.30pm Grand Hyatt, COCHIN
Friday 28 September 7.00pm National Centre for Performing Arts, MUMBAI
Repertoire
Mozart: Don Giovanni Overture
Saint-Saëns: Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Daniel Dodds, soloist
Arias from Bizet’s Carmen with mezzo-soprano Caroline Meng “Habanera”, “Seguidilla” & “Gypsy Song”
Beethoven: Symphony No.7 in A Major
