- Melbourne
- Moonee Ponds
MCO + SLAVA GRIGORYAN
Guitar virtuoso Slava Grigoryan takes centre stage in a dazzling season opener that celebrates innovation and reinvention.
In true MCO fashion, we begin with a world premiere by Joe Chindamo, a composer celebrated for his cross-genre fluency and lyrical voice.
Grigoryan’s artistry shines in Vivaldi’s D major Concerto, a Baroque gem sparkling with charm and vitality.
We then offer a new perspective on a timeless classic — Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, reimagined for strings. Rich orchestral textures bring fresh depth to an iconic work.
With their folkloric flair, Bartók’s Romanian Dances segue perfectly into a world premiere arrangement, Flexible Sky Redux, by Wolfgang Muthspiel — a work that feels both intimate and vast.
We finish with Matthew Hindson’s Song and Dance, bringing the program to a rhythmic and emotional close.
26 Feb - 01 Mar 2026
THE SOLOISTS
SLAVA GRIGORYAN Classical Guitar
SOPHIE ROWELL Artistic Director
MEMBERS OF MELBOURNE CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
THE MUSIC
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JOE CHINDAMO OAM Machiavelli’s Mirror *
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ANTONIO VIVALDI Guitar Concerto in D major RV93
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LUDWIG VAN BEETHOVEN Piano Sonata No 14 in C sharp minor Op 27 No 2 Moonlight (arr string orchestra Jakub Kowalewski)
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BÉLA BARTÓK Romanian Folk Dances Sz56
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WOLFGANG MUTHSPIEL Flexible Sky Redux (new arrangement)
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MATTHEW HINDSON AM Song and Dance
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* World premiere commission with thanks to the Robert Salzer Foundation
THE ORCHESTRA
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CLASSICAL GUITAR SOLOIST Slava Grigoryan
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ARTISTIC DIRECTOR Sophie Rowell
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VIOLIN I Sophie Rowell
Erica Kennedy*
Kathryn Taylor^
Rochelle Ughetti
Emily Beauchamp^ -
VIOLIN II Jenny Khafagi^
Meg Cohen
Theonie Wang % ±
Jasmine Milton ± -
VIOLA Merewyn Bramble
Ceridwen Davies
Andrew Crothers# -
CELLO Blair Harris
Zoe Knighton+
Michelle Wood^ -
DOUBLE BASS Emma Sullivan
Appears courtesy of:
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* Orchestra Victoria
^ Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
# Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
+ Flinders Quartet
% Australian National Academy of Music -
± Early Chair performers are supported by the Arnold Foundation & Julian Zahara Memorial Fund