CSO 2021

“When I was first approached to curate this selection, I found it difficult to find a cohesive theme for my picks. That was until I thought, rather than picking works that really impact me when I listen to them, how about I choose works that I’ve performed during my career so far, that have left a lasting impression? And so, this list took shape.”

“I have always been drawn to the intimate and vulnerable nature of chamber works, so this collection is an ode to the introverts out there. These smaller-scale works and soaring lines offer glimpses into sound capsules of different worlds – I hope you’ll find moments of incredibly moving depth and stillness.”

Celebrate the changing seasons and the return to live performance with a selection of CSO digital projects conceived in the ACT’s nine-week lockdown.

“Music is the conduit through which I live my life. It’s the way I view my challenges, my successes.” Meet CSO Concertmaster, Kirsten Williams, who will direct the upcoming Classic Afternoon: The Elements, presented by Canberra Weekly.

Leah Curtis: “In To Rest in Peace, I saw a visually stunning film capturing a moment of time in Kuwait during the tensions of the 1990 Iraqi invasion. I wrote a score to resonate with the humanity of the main character.”

“Mozart was a crucial turning point in the entire history of opera and musical drama,” says conductor Dane Lam, joining National Opera and the CSO to present La Clemenza di Tito.

Australian composer Holly Harrison’s genre-defying “Fizzin’ Fury” is inspired by musical genres associated with moshing and upbeat movement. The fury side embraces the heaviness of doom metal, punk, and progressive rock, while the fizz captures the energy of electronic dance music, disco, and dixieland.

Kirsten Williams and Susanne Powell opened the performance with Clara Schumann’s yearning first Romance for violin and piano, with sunlight streaming through the windows of Canberra’s historic Albert Hall.

Concertmaster Kirsten Williams on the joy of chamber music – the music of friends – and its role in orchestral development.

“Music and imagination go hand in hand, be it composing, performing or conducting.” Jessica Cottis discusses the compositional process with Elena Kats-Chernin.