Australian Chamber Orchestra
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Random Audio Sample: Blithe bells : chamber orchestra by Percy Grainger, from the CD Australian Chamber Orchestra |
Artist website: http://www.aco.com.au
Since its founding in 1975, the Australian Chamber Orchestra has presented 1700 performances of over 250 works by 80 Australian composers. In this time the ACO has forged close relationships with a number of Australia's leading composers, several of whom it has commissioned to write works especially for the ACO. In particular it has championed the work of Carl Vine, Brett Dean, Roger Smalley and Peter Sculthorpe. A detailed listing of Australian works commissioned and performed by the ACO is available at http://www.aco.com.au/Default.aspx?url=/australianmusic.
Articles by and about Australian Chamber Orchestra
29 Oct 2009 The Girl with the Golden Flute: Sharon Bezaly with the ACO by Hannah Reardon-Smith
...The opening of Latvian composer Peteris Vasks' Vox amoris is pure magic - soft tremolo chords humming like a choir in an old movie; the soundtrack as a scene of wonder unfolds. The harmonies are sparse, but heavily perfumed with emotional impact. It is a moment of great beauty and depth...
Works commissioned by Australian Chamber Orchestra
Figures in a landscape by Roger Smalley
In pace requiescat by Larry Sitsky
Nourlangie by Peter Sculthorpe
Concerto for flute and strings by Anne Boyd
Arc of stars by David Lumsdaine
Le reveil de l'ange by Gerard Brophy
Pellucid days by Moya Henderson
Ad marginem by Michael Whiticker
The widening gyre by Andrew Ford
Piece : for flute and strings by Mark Isaacs
Divertimento by Simplicius Cheong
Out of the blue by Nigel Westlake
Shakhmat supremat by Michael Smetanin
Little requiem by Peter Sculthorpe
Zoom and zip by Elena Kats-Chernin
Manhattan epiphanies by Andrew Ford
Sonata for strings No. 1 by Peter Sculthorpe
Sonata for strings No. 2 by Peter Sculthorpe
Little suite for strings by Peter Sculthorpe
Restless night by James Ledger
Carlo by Brett Dean
Motherwell at the Guggenheim by Andrew Ford
Black is the night by Ian Munro
Getting and spending by Robert Davidson
Thinking About Forever by Matthew Hindson
to taste dark water by Jack Symonds
Works commissioned and written for Australian Chamber Orchestra
Port Essington by Peter Sculthorpe
Little serenade by Peter Sculthorpe
Fantasia No. 3 : in memory of Don Banks by Larry Sitsky
Goldengrove by Nigel Butterley
We won't let you down by Natalie Nicolas
Crime and punishment by Matthew Hindson
Little suite for strings by Peter Sculthorpe
Singing Trees by Elena Kats-Chernin
So dream thy sails by Gordon Kerry
CDs, Books and Kits featuring Australian Chamber Orchestra
CD: Music Now! / Australian Chamber Orchestra
CD: Peter Sculthorpe / Australian Chamber Orchestra.
CD: Pipe dreams / Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Digital Audio Album: Homeward / Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
CD: Peter Sculthorpe / Australian Chamber Orchestra ; Richard Tognetti.
Audio tape: River : original motion picture soundtrack / Australian Chamber Orchestra.
CD: Australian Chamber Orchestra : celebrating 20 years together / Richard Tognetti
CD: Anthology of Australian music : Australian Chamber Orchestra, Canberra Horn Consort.
Events featuring Australian Chamber Orchestra
13 May 2021 NSW: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
7 May 2021 NSW: Wilfrid Gordon McDonald Partridge
23 Aug 2020 : There's a Sea in My Bedroom
30 Oct 2019 WA: ACO: Bach & Dean
World premieres given by Australian Chamber Orchestra
We won't let you down : string orchestra by Natalie Nicolas— 16 Dec 18 (CIty Recital Hall, Sydney NSW)
A Knock One Night : string orchestra by Elena Kats-Chernin— 23 Jun 18 (Llewellyn Hall ANU School of Music, ACT)
Entwinings : chamber orchestra by Ross Edwards— 1 Sep 17 (City Recital Hall Angel Place, NSW)
The Natural Order of Things : string orchestra by James Ledger— 5 May 17 (Wollongong Town Hall, NSW)
So dream thy sails : Concerto for solo violin, horns, harp and strings by Gordon Kerry— 30 Oct 16 (Hamer Hall, VIC)
Singing Trees (string orchestra with multiple soloists) by Elena Kats-Chernin— 16 Oct 16 (Sydney Opera House, Concert Hall, NSW)
Four Traditional Turkish Pieces : for soprano and chamber orchestra by Cyrus Meurant— 14 Mar 15 (Llewellyn Hall ANU School of Music, ACT)
Our sons : a cantata for soprano and strings by Carl Vine— 14 Mar 15 (Llewellyn Hall ANU School of Music, ACT)
Never truly lost : a journey for solo violin and string orchestra by Brenton Broadstock— 14 Nov 13 (Newcastle City Hall, NSW)
The tree of man : a secular cantata for soprano and string orchestra by Carl Vine— 7 Jun 12 (Wollongong Town Hall)
Johann has left the building (harpsichord with string orchestra) by James Ledger— 3 Jul 11 (Melbourne Town Hall, VIC)
Thinking About Forever : a dance piece for string orchestra by Matthew Hindson— 16 Sep 10 (Riverside Theatres, Parramatta NSW)
Crime and punishment : for double bass and strings by Matthew Hindson— 11 Mar 10 (Anita's Theatre, Wollongong, NSW)
XX : for solo violin and string orchestra by Carl Vine— 3 Sep 09 (Newcastle City Hall, New South Wales, Australia)
Black is the night : for string sextet by Ian Munro— 11 Jun 09 (City Hall Newcastle)
Bright shiners : for solo violin and string orchestra by Andrew Ford— 12 Mar 09 (Newcastle City Hall, NSW)
Restless night (violin with string orchestra) by James Ledger— 30 Jan 09 (Llewellyn Hall, School of Music, Canberra.)
Folk song (trios: recorder, violin, double bass) by James Ledger— 3 Nov 07 (Canberra Theatre Centre)
Chaconne : chamber orchestra by Christopher Gordon— 24 Oct 06 (Art Gallery of New South Wales)
Pipe dreams : concerto for flute and strings by Carl Vine— 12 Jul 03 (Sydney Opera House Concert Hall)
Smith's alchemy : for string orchestra by Carl Vine— 17 Nov 01 (Melbourne)
Bell and anti-bell : treble choir with chamber ensemble by Paul Healy and Brett Dean— 7 Jul 01 (Melbourne Concert Hall)
Etüdenfest : string orchestra by Brett Dean— 10 Nov 00 (Brisbane)
Game over : for instrumental soloists, string orchestra and electronics by Brett Dean— 8 Apr 00 (Iowa City, USA)
Zoom and zip : for string orchestra by Elena Kats-Chernin— 23 May 98 (Llewellyn Hall, Canberra)
Carlo : music for strings and sampler by Brett Dean— 5 Dec 97 (Huntington Winery, Mudgee, NSW)
Of distant sadness : string orchestra by Christine McCombe— 26 Sep 97 (3rd Australian Women's Music Festival and Conference Opening Concert, Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney)
Little requiem : for koto and strings by Peter Sculthorpe— 20 Jun 96 (SCEGGS Hall, Sydney)
Shakhmat supremat (flute with string orchestra) by Michael Smetanin— 20 Jun 96 (SCEGGS, Darlinghurst, Sydney)
Figures in a landscape : solo bassoon and 13 strings by Roger Smalley— 20 Jun 96 (Paddington Town Hall, Sydney.)
Gothic : for 8 solo strings by Liza Lim— 20 Jun 96 (S.C.E.G.G.S. Great Hall, Sydney)
SonoPetal : full orchestra by Roger Dean— Dec 95 (Huntington Festival, (NSW))
Esperance : for chamber orchestra by Carl Vine— 25 Jan 95 (Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney)
Out of the blue : for string orchestra by Nigel Westlake— 1994 (Adelaide Festival)
Manhattan epiphanies : for string orchestra by Andrew Ford— 1994
Milerum's basket : string orchestra and oboe obligato by Becky Llewellyn— 15 Oct 93 (Adelaide Chamber Orchestra New Perspectives Series, Elder Hall, University of Adelaide.)
Jouissance : for 2 trumpets and vibraphone by Andrew Ford— Jul 93 (Sydney Opera House)
Strip : string orchestra by Michael Smetanin— 1992 (Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney)
Harbour : for tenor voice and 17 solo strings by Andrew Ford— May 92 (Museum of Contemporary Art, Sydney)
Concerto grosso : for violin, flute (doubling piccolo), oboe (doubling cor anglais), french horn and strings by Carl Vine— 16 Jun 91 (Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House, Australia)
Homage to TS Eliot : string orchestra by Christopher Sainsbury— 1989 (St Marks George St, Sydney)
Bennelong : a music-theatre work for puppets, soprano, tenor and chamber orchestra by Barry Conyngham and Murray Copland— 21 Apr 88 (Groningen, Holland)
Le reveil de l'ange (piano with chamber orchestra) by Gerard Brophy— Aug 87
Capriccio : for piano and strings by Graeme Koehne— 1987
Canzona : string orchestra by Carl Vine— 30 Nov 85 (Sydney Opera House)
Sonata for strings No. 1 : string orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe— 29 Nov 83 (Sydney Opera House)
Little serenade : string orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe— 1983 (Sydney Opera House)
Little suite for strings : string orchestra by Peter Sculthorpe— 22 Sep 83 (Sydney Opera House)
A fringe of leaves : SATB choir with chamber ensemble by Brian Howard— 30 Jun 83 (Melbourne Concert Hall)
Summer pieces for strings, op 2a : string orchestra by Andrew Schultz— 1 Mar 83 (Sydney)
Port Essington : for strings by Peter Sculthorpe— 1977 (Australian Chamber Orchestra's 1977 Musica Viva Concert Series.)
Lament : for strings by Peter Sculthorpe— 26 May 76 (City Hall, Wollongong, NSW)
Analysis & Media
- Article: Sound of music for Sunday's silent stars
- Article: Interrogating the Orchestra
- Article: Town Hall proms end year on eclectic note
- Document: Harbour Noise is a Fatal Distraction
![Photo of Australian Chamber Orchestra](https://awscdn.australianmusiccentre.com.au/images/par_1515_150w.jpg)
Photo: Stephen Oxenbury