TSO tunes up for 70th anniversary

THE Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is set to celebrate its 70th anniversary in style next year, with the award-winning ensemble’s 2018 season officially launched in Hobart last night.

The TSO gave its first concert in May 1948 and will perform two works from that concert — Grieg’s Piano Concerto and Beethoven’s Sym

phony No 5 — during next year to mark the anniversary.

But the highlight of the celebrations will be a special

Romeo Retold concert next October, featuring music inspired by Shakespeare.

Australian composer Melody Eotvos has also been commissioned to write a special 70th anniversary work for the orchestra. Building on the success of the TSO’s recent operain-concert performances — including this year’s Helpmann Award-winning Tristan

and Isolde — the 2018 season will include Gounod’s Romeo

et Juliette, with internationally acclaimed artists Adriana Kucerova and Pavol Breslik in the title roles.

The TSO will welcome sev- eral other artists to Tasmania to perform with the orchestra for the first time, including pianists Steven Osborne, Nelson Freire, Simon Trp eski and Jayson Gillham; violinist Ver- onika Eberle; mandolin player Avi Avital; and conductors Sir Andrew Davis and Karina Canellakis.

Other planned collaborations include concerts featur- ing ARIA Award-winners Eskimo Joe and Katie Noonan, acclaimed Australian soprano Greta Bradman, and muchloved cartoonist Michael Leunig.

Some of classical music’s most accessible works will feature throughout the year, including Beethoven’s Piano

Concerto No 5, Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Elgar’s Enigma Variations, Grieg’s Peer Gynt and

Faure’s Requiem.

The season will again begin with the traditional RACT Symphony under the Stars free outdoor concerts in Hobart and Launceston.

It will conclude with a performance of Messiah on December 1.

For more concert details and ticket bookings go to www.tso.com.au