In January 2019, the Young Mannheim Symphonists, directed by Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen, plunged into the Romantic era with Beethoven and his contemporary Anton Eberl at the Melbourne Youth Orchestras Summer Camp.

Beethoven’s first symphony is a landmark work written in 1800: a turning-point in the tumultuous shift from restrained classicism to individual expression. Musical audiences and tastes were changing. In response, composers, instrument makers, and performers were pushing the limits.

During their lifetimes, Eberl was found by many to be a superior composer to Beethoven. His first symphony was premiered on the same evening as Beethoven's famous 'Eroica' Symphony and was lauded as the greater work. Performing these composers' works side by side will be a fascinating journey.

The Young Mannheim Symphonists is a unique series of rehearsals, tutorials, and workshops, held over five days at the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. Students will learn first-hand how Beethoven embodied Romantic expressive ideals. They will discover how different this music sounds when played using historically-informed style. Most importantly, students will leave this course equipped to continue on their own paths of discovery.

Young Mannheim Symphonists tutors are members of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra - professional musicians who specialise in playing period instruments. Their knowledge of musical styles, articulations, and embellishments comes from years of experience performing; reading treatises and studying scores; experimenting with instruments and interpretations; and sharing with their peers and their students. They are passionate about understanding our musical heritage in the context in which it was created, and they are even more passionate about inspiring and enlightening others.