Philip Virgo presents performances at the Adelaide Baroque Hall featuring the Australian pianist Gil Sullivan and the Serbian pianist, Professor Ljiljana Vulkelja. The works are (i) Brahms: Piano Trio No 3 in C minor Op 101 Gil Sullivan, piano Hannah Kim, violin Greg Tuske, cello (ii) Mozart: Violin Sonata in E minor Gil Sullivan, piano Hannah Kim, violin (iii) And introducing the English-born Australian composer and pianist, Julian Cochran: Trio Pegasus travels Ljiljana Vulkelja, piano Hannah Kim, violin Greg Tuske, cello

Suzanne Pederson presents a program of star-studded chamber works beginning with Carl Nielsen’s Wind Quintet Op 43 played by the Diamanten Ensemble. Nielsen’s love of music for winds related to his fondness for nature, an affection for living, breathing things. His playful Wind Quintet sounds both modern and neo-classical. The newly founded Czech Kinsky Trio Prague gives verve and a fresh, vivid performance of Anton Arensky’s Piano Trio No. 1 in D minor Op 32. Charles Dancla, who is little heard of today, was a prominent French composer and educator who lived from 1817 until 1907. His Petite Ecole de la Melodie, Op 123, is a set of simple, gentle, radiant pieces that will touch your heart. Finally, clarinettist Jane Hilton with the Lindsay String Quartet plays as one in their presentation of the dynamic and lyrical Clarinet Quintet by Arthur Bliss. This work consists of a conversation in the first movement between the five instruments, the central movement is an expressive adagietto, and the finale comprises considerable jauntiness. This program is great listening! Place a reminder to listen to it in your diary.

Anthea Reeves begins with an acclaimed performance of Tartini’s Trio Sonata in F Major played by Father and son David and Igor Oistrakh, violins, accompanied by the renowned German harpsichordist, Hans Pischner. Following this is a performance of Handel’s violin sonata in D major, a masterpiece in miniature form, played by Ladislav Jasek, violin and Josef Hala, piano. Frank Bridge’s Phantasy Piano Quartet in F sharp minor is a strong example of his early chamber style before his later radical period. This work will be played by the Nautilus Ensemble. Peer Gynt is a rough-and-tumble Norwegian peasant. Ibsen’s play tells us of his colourful adventures. Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No 2 will be played by the Prague Symphony Orchestra conducted by Vaclav Smetacek. Beethoven’s Symphony No 2 in D major Op 36, which he composed in 1802, has a scherzo instead of the standard minuet. This gives the work additional vitality. This symphony, with its quality of grandeur and potency, will be played by the Berlin Philharmonic conducted by Herbert von Karajan. Finally, the Concerto Baliata, composed in 1931 by the ageing Alexander Glazunov is the work of a committed romanticist and master orchestrator. There is a dialogue featuring a soaring melody between the full orchestra and the cello. This is followed by a bright singing finale. In short, it is a marvellous work. The cellist, Mstislav Rostropovich is accompanied by the USSR State Symphony Orchestra conducted by Evgeny Svetlanov.

Today’s program has a focus on ZYDECO. Zydeco is a musical form evolved from an acoustic folk idiom known as ‘la-la’, dating back to the 1920s, unique to black Creoles originally from rural southwestern Louisiana. The modern form emerged in the late 1940s and 1950s fusing old Louisiana French music with R&B and urban blues to create a distinctive sound. The program serves as a tribute to the ‘King of Zydeco’, Clifton Chenier. The February 5MBS ‘Blues Legend of the Month’, Muddy Waters will feature with two tracks from his 5th studio album ‘Electric Mud’ released in 1968, often quoted as being the most controversial blues album of all time. Controversial for its fusion of the blues with psychedelic-rock, critics and blues purists at the time criticised its psychedelic sound, saying it did a great disservice to one of the blues’ iconic innovators. Listen for yourself!

Alton Glen “Glenn” Miller, born on 1 March, was an American big band conductor, arranger, composer, trombonist and recording artist before and during World War II, when he served as an officer in the US Army Air Forces. If you’re in the mood for the unmistakable sound of the swing era, Meg Alexander presents Jazz Lunch on Sunday 1 March, celebrating his birthday with three sets across the two-hour program.

Philip Virgo presents a program comprising works recorded by 5MBS volunteers at concerts held as part of the Elder Hall Lunch Series and the Recitals Australia Lunch Series. Vivaldi Concerto for 4 violins in B minor RV580. J.S. heard this concerto and was so impressed by it that he arranged it for 4 harpsichords. It was catalogued as BWV1065. Nic Miceli, violin et al. with the Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, dir. Elizabeth Layton. Dvorak’s Nocturne in B major Op 40, was withdrawn from Dvorak’s early String Quartet No 2 as a stand-alone piece, and it has been very popular ever since. The Elder Conservatorium Chamber Orchestra, dir. Elizabeth Layton. The neo-Baroque Violin Sonata Op. 31, no. 2 of 1918 was Hindemith’s first youthful foray into the genre. It will be played by Nick Miceli, violin. Other composers included in this program include Diamond, Enescu, Ysaye, and Kreisler. A musical feast!

With its strong, bold first movement, its reflective, lyrical central movement, and its polonaise finale, Robert Schumann’s Phantasie in C major, Op. 131 deserves to be placed as the opening work in John Pederson’s Cantabile program. Anthony Marwood, violin and the BBC Symphony Orchestra conducted by Douglas Boyd. Felix Mendelssohn wrote his first mature string quartet in 1827 at the age of 18. It will be played by Tinalley String Quartet. Gunnar de Frumerie (1908-1987) is known as a notable figure in the landscape of Swedish music. His Pastoral Suite Op. 13B will be played by Sarah Lindloff, flute and the Swedish Chamber Orchestra conducted by Petter Sundkvist. Jeno Jando was a professor at the List Academy of Budapest. Appreciated and admired for his many recordings, Jando will play Josef Haydn’s Piano Sonata No 12 in A major, HOB.XVI: 12. Composed in 1816, Johann Nepomuk Hummel’s Piano Concerto in A minor, Op. 85 is a work in the first stage of development of Romanticism. It was considered a showpiece of its time by pianists such as Robert Schumann. The pianist Robert Galling is accompanied by the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker conducted by Alexander Paulmuller. Anatoly Liadov was a master at producing beautiful short works, often inspired by folk music. The final work in this program is his Chants Populaires Tusses Op. 58, which will be played by L’Orchestre de la Suisse Romande conducted by Ernest Ansermet.

Glen Quick features an opera that bursts with fast, assertive music, irresistible melodies, wit and colourful orchestration. It is ‘Maskarade by Carl Nielsen, and it is regarded as Denmark’s national opera. It is about the conflict between the generations, along with the tension between duty and love of following one’s heart. In the plot, mistaken identities abound, but everyone’s concerns turn to delight in the final scene when the players remove their masks, and all is forgiven. A rousing chorus finishes off the opera. A Mozartean grace and lightness diffuses the entire work. Twists and turns abound throughout the overture, which overflows with enthusiasm. The ballet, ‘The Dance of the Cockerels’, is also frequently performed as a stand-alone piece. Aage Haugland, bass Susanne Resmark, mezzo-soprano Danish National Radio Symphony Orchestra & Choir Ulf Schirmer, conductor

David Brennan begins with ‘Escales’ (Ports of Call), a nature work, premiered in 1924 and perhaps Jacques Ibert’s most popular composition. This three-movement work portrays three memorable places Ibert visited during his youth: Rome, Tunis and Valencia. The Detroit Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Paul Paray, bubbles with excitement in its performance of the ‘Escales’ Suite. Watching Alan Ayckbourn’s trilogy of plays, ‘The Norman Conquests’ on television, inspired Paul Dean to make the central movement the focus of his Piano Trio, ‘Traversing the Passages of Time.’ The outer movements serve as the precursor and the reaction to this centre of attention. The versatile Traversing the Passages of Time is a testament to Dean’s brilliance as a composer, and the performance of this work will be by the gifted Endeavour Trio, of which Paul Dean is the clarinettist. The American composer Ned Rorem is best remembered for his lyrical art songs, but his Symphony No. 2, which he composed in 1956, is a real treasure among his orchestral works. The conductor, Jose Serebrier, with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, does a great job of bringing this wonderful symphony to the public’s attention. William Barton found a kindred spirit in the classical world in the form of the composer, William Hindson. ‘Kalkadungu’ by Barton and Hindson was designed to trace transitions from traditional songlines from the past through to the present. Premiered in 2008, it traces the passing of Barton’s Kalkadoon traditional stories and dance culture from one generation to the next. William Barton, didjeridu, is accompanied by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by Richard Gill. Mark-Anthony Turnage is a prominent English composer known for his blending of jazz and classical styles. Inspired by a work by the renowned Australian painter Heather Betts Turnage’s ‘Dispelling the Fears’, completed in 1994 and acclaimed by critics, is a concerto for two trumpets and orchestra. Hakan Hardenberger and John Wallace, trumpets with the Philharmonia Orchestra conducted by Daniel Harding. Finally, ‘Bright Meniscus’ by Gordon Kerry provides a bright, cheerful and energetic closing work to this invigorating program. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra is conducted by David Porcellin.

Keith Hempton commences with the texts of the five poems of the Lamentations of Jeremiah (the weeping prophet) set to music by Joao Rodriguez Estevez. The poems were written in response to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. In these texts referred to in the Old Testament, Jeremiah wept over the destruction of the city and also for the manner in which its people had disobeyed God. The Ensemble Europeen William Byrd dir. Graham O’Reilly. Arvo Part’s atmospheric ‘De profundis’ is an example of ‘tintinnabula’ or ‘holy minimalism.’ It is a short work, a setting of Psalm 130, composed in 1980 for male voices, organ and percussion. Stephen Layton’s choir Polyphony will present this work. Reflecting the weight of the text, Josef Haydn’s Stabat Mater comprises thirteen movements blending emotional depth and musical innovation. It stands alongside those of Pergolesi, Rossini and Dvořák in importance, and its initial success led to widespread performances across Europe. It continues to resonate with audiences today, making it a permanent staple in the choral repertoire. It represents essential listening for anyone interested in classical choral works. Arleen Auger, soprano Soloists of the London Chamber Choir Dir. Laszlon Heltay J.S. Bach’s Der Geist Hilft Unsere Schwachheit Auf [The Spirit comes to help our weakness] BWV226 is a funeral motet scored for two four-part choirs. This final work will be sung by Collegium Vocale Ghenr dir. Philippe Herreweghe.

Ian Johnston presents some interesting works by Mendelssohn and Bruckner, beginning with Mendelssohn’s Ruy Blas Overture Op. 96. Mendelssohn was asked to write the overture to Victor Hugo’s grim play ‘Ruy Blas’, a play which he hated. Mendelssohn decided to write a very cheerful overture to go against the spirit of this depressing play. His light-hearted Ruy Blas Overture turned out to be a very popular curtain raiser, so all turned out well in the end. Peter Maag conducts the Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI di Torino. The second work by Mendelsohn is his secular cantata ‘Die Walpurgisnacht’ (The First Walpurgis Night), a setting of a poem by Goethe that takes us back to a time when conflict existed between the Druids in the Harz Mountains who wished to practice their pagan religion despite the disapproval of the dominant Christian forces. Involving soloists, a choir, and an orchestra, the cantata consists of an overture and nine uninterrupted movements. It rides on the wave of early Romantic popularity for Gothic horror and drama. Juan Oncina (tenor), Robert Amis el Hage (bass), Coro RAI di Torino, Orchestra Sinfonica della RAI di Torino, Peter Maag (conductor). The major work in this program is Bruckner’s popular Symphony No 4 in E flat major, titled ‘Romantic’ because the work requires extensive use of the French Horn, called Waldhorn in German. The Waldhorn symbolises the Romantic ideal in German-speaking countries. The program concludes with a performance by the German Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Gunther Wand.

17 March 2026 is St. Patrick’s Day, the day St. Patrick is celebrated for bringing Christianity to Ireland. Suzanne Pederson celebrates this day with many works that relate to Ireland, beginning with the aria ‘I dreamt I dwelt in marble halls’ from ‘The Bohemian Girl’, one of the many operas by Michael William Balfe. Yvonne Kenny, soprano with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Vladimir Kamirski. Turlough O’Carolan was a blind seventeenth-century Irish harpist-composer whose music is often heard today. Listen to the lilting, crystalline sound of the Celtic harp as The Harp Consort conducted by Andrew Lawrence King plays ‘Carolan’s Dream.’ John Gardner was a tuneful neo-classical composer. His beautiful ‘Irish Suite’ Op 231has been described as life-enhancing. It draws largely on Irish folk melodies. Gavin Sutherland conducts The Royal Ballet Sinfonia. The baritone Wolfgang Holzmair, accompanied by the Trio Fontenay, sings the Beethoven folksong ‘The Pulse of an Irishman’, WoO154, with warmth and subtlety. A gem! And there are so many other attractive works relating to St. Patrick’s Day included in this wonderful program.

Gabrielle Scherrer presents a stimulating program of works played by Australian musicians, beginning with ‘Lullabies and Crooked Dances’ by the highly successful Adelaide-based composer Anne Cawrse. It will be played by the Adelaide Conservatorium Woodwinds. Later in the program, we will listen to a song composed by Anne Cawrse. Barry Conyngham is a composer and academic of international repute. An arrangement of his recent String Quartet No 3 ‘Bushfire Dreaming’ will be played by the Melbourne Conservatorium String Ensemble, conducted by Richard Davis. A harpsichord has never sounded so charming and fresh as it does in the piece, ‘Lullaby for Nuck’ by Anne Carr-Boyd. This delight will be played by harpsichordist Nicholas Parle.

Yvonne Schwerdt provides a compelling program of concertos that don’t always receive the attention they deserve. Beginning with Anton Arensky’s Violin Concerto in A minor Op 54, which is at times vigorous and at other times lyrical, calm and charming. It has so much to offer that it is incomprehensible why it is not a mainstay of the Russian Romantic repertoire. The violinist Ilya Gringoits is accompanied by the BBC Scottish Orchestra, conducted by Ilan Volkov. Scored for oboe and strings Vaughan Wiliams’ Oboe Concerto in A minor is sometimes erroneously dismissed as a minor work. It is a charming composition that will be performed by the oboist, Jonathan Small accompanied by the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Vernon Handley. Poulenc’s scintillating Concert Champetre is one of the finest works from the 1920s. It alludes to the music of the Baroque era. Elizabeth Troiaka, harpsichordist with the Orchestra National de Lille conducted by Claude Casadesus delivers this dazzling work with flair. The soloist is kept very busy during the performance of Kurt Atterberg’s exquisite Cello Concerto in C minor, Op. 21. It is a big, robust work richly orchestrated. Atterberg had spent five years perfecting it before it was completed in 1922. It is an obscure work which thoroughly deserves to be much better known. The cellist Truis Mork is accompanied by the Symphony Orchestra of Norrland conducted by Christian Jarvi. The final rare masterpiece in this program is Gabriel Pierne’s piano Concerto in C minor composed in 1887. For pure enjoyment, this sweeping, gushing romantic work will provide you with everything you want! The pianist Dag Achatz is accompanied by the Philharmonie de Lorraine conducted by Jacques Houtmann. This is a very important program which brings to most listeners’ attention some fabulous works not often heard.

Michael Owen is off to a joyful start with the intricate rhythms of ‘Honie-suckle’ by the Renaissance composer John Hoborne, played by the King’s Noyse. Johan Agrell was a highly successful German composer during the Galant period. His Sinfonia in A major will be played by the Helsinki Baroque Orchestra. Heinrich Biber’s sonatas represent a synthesis of challenging virtuosity and intricate craftsmanship. His Sonata for violin and basso continuo in E major will be played by Bell’Arte Salzburg Salzburg. Written originally for viola da gamba and harpsichord, the Sonata in G major BWV1027 by J.S. Bach is given a fresh and formidable reading by the cellist Daniel Muller-Schott and the pianist Angela Hewitt. The Concerto IV in C minor was once doubtfully attributed to Scarlatti, but recent evidence suggests it is authentic. Modelled on Corelli’s, it is a lovely work, and it will be played by Il Giardino di Rose. For the final musical offering, we return to the Renaissance period with John Holborne’s ‘The Night Watch’ played by the King’s Noyse. There are many other highlights in this program, including works by Geminiani, Handel, Vivaldi, Lawes and Veracini. Place it in your diary so you don’t forget!

William Booker has a rousing program lined up for your enjoyment, beginning with Respighi’s Belfagor Overture P140. A year after the premiere of his comic opera Belagor Respighi composed an independent concert overture based on themes from the opera. This Belagor Overture was completed in 1926, and it will be performed by the Radio Filharmonische Orkest Holland conducted by Vladimir Ashkenazy. Adolf Henselt (1814-1889) was a master virtuoso pianist, but he composed rarely. His Piano Concerto in F minor, Op. 16 is a fiendishly difficult showpiece for the soloist to perform well. It is a work few pianists have been willing to take into their repertoires down through the years. We will listen to pianist Marc-Andre Hamelin as he tackles the ferocious beast with the Scottish Symphony Orchestra conducted by Martyn Brabbins. In 1958, Paul Hindemith was commissioned to compose his Pittsburgh Symphony for the bi-centenary of the great Pittsburgh steel town. He was inspired by the American immigrants from the Rhineland who wished to retain their Germanic culture, including their music. In this fast-paced, dynamic, and industrial music, Hindemith quotes the tunes of their native songs, both ancient and modern and during the final moments, he quotes the Pete Seeger folksong ‘Pittsburgh is a great old town.’ This symphony will be played by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Granville Bantock’s tone poem ‘Fifine at the fair’ is based on a poem by Robert Browning. It became one of Bantock’s most frequently performed works. It is based on a poem about a family man who falls in love with a dancer. When he realises that Fifine, the dancer, can give him no lasting happiness, he returns to his wife, Elvire, who realises her spouse is remorseful, so she forgives him. Near the end of the work, the music gradually takes heart and comes to an expression of Elvire’s love. However, finally, the music expresses the husband’s lingering regret for what he has lost. Bantock subtitled this work ‘A Defence of Inconstancy.’ The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra is conducted by Vernon Handley. The Ensemble Florata, composed of graduate students at the University of Leeds, was set up in 1994 to explore a variety of medieval repertoires. Finally, Ensemble Flora led by Tim Rayborn will sing ‘The King of France.’

Sue Fitch presents a program featuring four monumental works. The first work on the agenda is the Australian Trio’s performance of the Piano Trio in F major Op 18 by Saint-Saens. It is vivacious and spontaneous as if it were the work of a French Mozart. Casting aside the confidence that is born of arrogance or the grim determination to succeed, this work expresses the pure happiness of a carefree mind amid congenial surroundings. The Sonata for flute, viola and harp by Debussy magically blends wind, strings and plucked instruments, creating a delicate and luminous soundscape. Although Debussy referred to this work by the familiar term, ‘sonata’, there is little that is traditional about it. Even though it was composed shortly before his death, it reflects Debussy’s youthful charm. It inspired many other composers to write for this combination of instruments. The players are Michael Debost (flute) Yehudi Menuhin (viola), and Lily Laskine (harp). Brahms’ Sextet No 2 in G major Op 36, demonstrates all of his abilities as a mature composer, including, most importantly, his skills as a contrapuntalist. It will be played by the Talich Quartet with Joseph Kluson on viola and Michel Kanka on cello. Carl Maria von Weber’s Piano Quartet in B flat major, Op. 8, is a classical work with a beautiful Mozartean opening and early Romanticism appearing here and there. It is a great work worthy of repeated performances in the concert hall. This final work will be played by Vadim Sakarov (piano), Gidon Kremer (violin), Veronika Hagen (viola), and Clemens Hagen (cello).