DAYBREAK

Close friends and inspiring colleagues.

The season opens with an enchanting work by our very own violist/composer Matt Laing, whose deep familiarity with the orchestra really highlights the MCO’s warm, burnished sound.

We follow with the much-loved Mozart Clarinet Concerto starring David Griffiths on his new basset clarinet with its rich, mellow tone. David is widely sought after as one of Australia’s great soloists and we’re delighted to share his brilliant playing with you in Mozart’s masterpiece.

After interval, we celebrate the music of George Walker, the first African American to win the Pulitzer Prize for Music. His reflective work, Lyric for Strings, contains echoes of American folk songs, which are especially poignant as it was written for his grandmother who had just passed away.

From here we once again lift our spirits through the beauty and wonder of Ravel’s String Quartet arranged for string orchestra – a powerful way to end the performance.

This program’s pieces are all written in honour of people who have been an inspiration to these composers… a legacy we hope we can help continue.