After a year we will never forget, we are so excited to be returning to the concert hall!

A year away from the stage has reminded us how much we love making music with, and performing for, our dearest friends.

For the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra’s 2021 Concert Season, we are embarking on our largest-ever season. We are presenting this beautiful series of concerts to audiences in both Sydney and Melbourne as well as western Sydney, Canberra, Newcastle, Orange and the Blue Mountains.

Spanning some 200 years of music, from the beginnings of the Classical era to the mid-twentieth century, we aim to deepen and enhance your understanding and appreciation of the way music has developed over this time.       

In addition to our main concert series, our education programs nurture and develop the next generation of historically-informed musicians so that we may continue to offer historical perspectives and insights for many years to come.

At a time when international travel is beyond us, ILLUMINATE takes you on a journey through Europe without ever leaving the concert hall, through music by Bruch, Britten and Tchaikovsky . We are delighted to welcome back soprano Jacqueline Porter to perform Britten's remarkable song cycle Les Illuminations, with text by French poet Arthur Rimbaud.

Our second program plunges us into the early days of the nineteenth century, with two gorgeous works for winds and strings. Beethoven's Septet is perhaps the pinnacle of this particular genre, and it was so popular that his publishers demanded an arrangement for smaller forces – hence his Trio, Op.38. Franz Berwald's Grand Septet is an under-appreciated jewel from the era, one that will EVOKE village tunes and dances from a simpler time.

Finally, listen as the sound and style of the Classical era begins to EMERGE from the complex structures of the Baroque in a delightful program with works by Haydn, Mozart, and their contemporary Christian Cannabich. This program will also feature historical bassoon specialist Jane Gower, and a number of emerging artists from the Young Mannheim Symphonists, our youth orchestra program, being mentored alongside the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra’s historically-informed performance experts.

Thank you so much to everyone who supported us throughout 2020. To our incredibly generous donors, patrons and supporters, along with the government funding bodies – we are deeply grateful to you for enabling us to continue to inspire, educate and enlighten.

We cannot wait to see you back in the concert hall for our 2021 season!

Onwards and upwards,

Rachael Beesley & Nicole van Bruggen
Co-Artistic Directors
Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra