What's on

Support Us

Learning & Engagement

Learning & Engagement

ACO On The Pier

ACO On The Pier

The orchestra

Discover More

Music to Heal

Music to Heal

Music to Heal
1 - 13 May 2020
These performances have been suspended due to the outbreak of COVID-19. If you are a current ticket holder, please click here to review your options to donate your tickets, or to receive a credit or refund. 
A program of mindfulness, wellbeing and the restorative powers of music, directed by English violinist Hugo Ticciati.

After suffering from debilitating physical pain so severe it forced him to stop playing, Ticciati embarked on a journey of rehabilitation, taking in meditation, spirituality and connecting with nature. Through this healing process he became fascinated by the profound connection between music and wellbeing.

Ticciati curated Music to Heal based on these findings. He will direct the ACO through music that is philosophical, spiritual and deeply reflective, including Latvian composer Pēteris Vasks’ neo-spiritual Lonely Angel, Max Richter’s On the Nature of Daylight and Tavener’s Mother of God, here I stand. The program comes to a hauntingly beautiful climax with Beethoven’s String Quartet in A minor Op.132, written by the composer as he came to terms with his impending early deafness.

Meditative, thought-provoking and ultimately uplifting, this is a deep and enriching program that explores humankind’s profound affinity with music, nature and reflection.

Program Details

TAVENER – Mother of God, Here I Stand (arr. strings)
3:00
PHILIP GLASS – Company for string orchestra
8:00
MAX RICHTER – On the Nature of Daylight – Australian Premiere
6:00
TERRY RILEY – Half-Wolf Dances Mad in Moonlight – Australian Premiere
8:00
PĒTERIS VASKS – Lonely Angel: Meditation for violin and string orchestra
13:00
BRETT DEAN – Testament (arr. strings)
15:00
HILDEGARD – Vos flores rosarum (arr. strings)
5:00
BEETHOVEN – String Quartet in A minor: III. Holy song of thanksgiving of a convalescent to the Deity, in the Lydian mode. Molto adagio – Andante (arr. strings)
17:00
CONCERT duration
95 min (incl interval)
Playlist by the ACO
Music to Heal
Join us 45 minutes before the performance to learn about the concert from a music expert. Speakers will be announced prior to the first concert date.

Fri 1 May, 12:45pm


Sun 3 May, 1:15pm


Tue 5 May, 7:15pm


Thu 7 May, 6:45pm


Sun 10 May, 1:45pm


Mon 11 May, 6:45pm


Tue 12 May, 6:45pm


Wed 13 May, 6:45pm


Artists

Violinist Hugo Ticciati

Hugo Ticciati

Guest Director & Violin

Known for breaking from tradition, violinist Hugo Ticciati incorporates elements of literature, philosophy, spirituality and meditation into his music to create a unique, holistic experience. Hugo’s ACO debut will see the violinist bringing together learnings from time spent alone in the wilderness, immersed in ashrams and performing on international stages to create a deep and unforgettable experience audiences won’t soon forget.
The Australian Chamber Orchestra on stage

Australian Chamber Orchestra

The Australian Chamber Orchestra travels a remarkable road. Making waves across Australia and around the world for its explosive performances and brave interpretations, the ACO embraces celebrated classics alongside new commissions, and adventurous cross-artform collaborations.

Composers

Composer Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven

Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer and pianist whose music bridged the Classical and Romantic eras. From the age of 28 his hearing declined until he was completely deaf. Despite this, he composed symphonies, concertos, sonatas and quartets to monumental acclaim. Today, Beethoven is considered one of the greatest and most influential composers of all time.
MaxRichter

Max Richter

German-born British composer Max Richter is one of today’s most influential voices in post-minimalist music. His compositions range from concert works and works for the stage, to film music and hugely popular albums such as The Blue Notebooks.
PhilipGlass

Philip Glass

American composer Philip Glass is widely regarded as one of the most influential composers of the 20th century. He is one of the pioneers of “minimalism”, which has had an enormous impact on classical and popular music. In addition to his extensive output of concert works, he is well known as an Academy Award nominated composer of film music.
Composer Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen

Hildegard von Bingen was a German Benedictine abbess, writer, composer, artist, philosopher, scientist and Christian mystic. One of history’s great polymaths, she is celebrated as the founder of scientific natural history in Germany, and as the earliest-known woman composer.
A portrait of Pēteris Vasks

Pēteris Vasks

Pēteris Vasks is a Latvian composer whose intense and lyrical music pursues themes such as the complex interaction between man and nature, and the beauty of life pitted against the imminent ecological and moral destruction of the world. His 2008 work Vox Amoris, composed for Richard Tognetti and the ACO, has become a staple of the orchestra’s repertoire.
Violist and composer Brett Dean

Brett Dean

Violist & Composer

Brett Dean is an Australian composer, violist and conductor who was a member of the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra from 1985-99. One of the most internationally performed composers of his generation, much of Dean’s work draws from literary, political or visual stimuli, including a number of compositions inspired by paintings of his partner Heather Betts.