The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra celebrates its first 10 years with its most ambitious touring project to date.
The life of a musician is inextricably bound up with travel. This year, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra celebrates its first 10 years with its most ambitious touring project to date; Midsummer Dreams, an east coast tour with 41 musicians on the road playing venues in Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle and Sydney.
Jason Blake, Limelight (3 August 2023)
Image: Bradley Kanaris
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We're celebrating our 10th anniversary! It's been 10 years of innovation, triumph, meeting challenges and creating a world-class national orchestra. To celebrate this decade, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra co-directors, musicians, board, staff and supporters met to raise a glass together after our final concert of the "Midsummer Dreams" tour at The Concourse, Chatswood. Thank you to everyone who was there with us, and happy birthday, ARCO!
Weren't at the party? Here's what was said by our fabulous co-directors Rachael Beesley and. Nicole van Bruggen…
Image: Robert Catto
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Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra – Simply put, a treat
…The artistic direction of the orchestra is shared by Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen and their dedication to detail and the authentic performance of these works is to be highly commended.
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Beginning with the four delicate woodwind chords in the overture, we were treated to a sense of expectation for the whole concert with excellent intonation and balance…
Peter Hagen, classikON , 8 August 2023
Photo: Ken Nakashini
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…Nor was it difficult to be captivated by the conducting of the Australian Romantic & Classica Orchestra’s co-Artistic Director, Rachael Beesley, who conducted each of the works from her violin…
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For this final Canberra concert in its 2023 10th Anniversary season, presented in Canberra’s historic Albert Hall, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra offered a dazzling performance of works by Mendelssohn and Beethoven for which it had gathered together 41 of Australia’s finest early music exponents.
Bill Stevens OAM, Australian Arts Review (3 August 2023)
Image: Peter Hislop
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The Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra treated the audience to a special program of Mendelssohn and Beethoven.
Opening with Mendelssohn’s “Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Op.61”, a shimmering array of chords were elegantly played by the woodwinds. They were then suddenly whisked away in the wind by the strings who entered with a gentle whisper, gradually intensifying into a wonderful, almost dance-like theme. The musical line was then developed throughout the orchestra and was concluded by the repetition of the crystal-clear intonation of the opening chords in the woodwinds.
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…They are like a magical, musical engine; made up of many individual parts but operating as one whole. The virtuosity of the entire orchestra was remarkable
Canberra City News (2 August 2023)
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For this concert, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra boasted musicians from all Australian states and territories together with several Australian expats from all over Europe and the USA, and what a fine band it was for this first concert of the Orchestra’s current eastern seaboard tour.
Titled Midsummer Dreams, the program opened with Mendelssohn’s Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream, followed by two symphonies: Beethoven’s 8th, with Mendelssohn’s 3rd, Scottish, following interval.
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Again, leading from the violin, Beesley produced some very refreshing interpretations of volume, note values, phrasing and timing. Like the Overture, Beesley led at a lively tempo all the way through. The orchestra responded superbly to every one of her calls of expression, colour and textures.
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…with sustained applause for the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra. Its founder, the late Richard Gill, would have been proud.
Clinton White, Limelight (31 July 2023)
Photo: Bradley Kanaris
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