Charismatic Italian violinist Lorenza Borrani will make her much-anticipated return to Australia this March to guest direct the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) through a program of emotion-charged music by Beethoven, Prokofiev, and Bulgarian-English composer Dobrinka Tabakova.
Internationally renowned for her role as leader of the Chamber Orchestra of Europe and founder of the democratic orchestral collective Spira Mirabilis, Borrani is an artist of our times, with an unconventional creative spirit that makes her an ideal collaborator with the ACO.
Borrani, whose ACO debut in 2016 was met with rave reviews, describes herself as eagerly anticipating her return to Australia to guest direct the Orchestra.
"I am waiting to be back in Australia with the ACO like a kid waiting for Christmas!" said Borrani. "The ACO are a group of such committed wonderful musicians, with whom I shared one of the happiest and most fulfilling music experiences I've ever had. I can't wait to get back!"
Borrani is in demand the world over as a leader of both symphony and chamber ensembles. However it is her role as founder and member of the self-proclaimed 'musical laboratory', Spira Mirabilis, that truly reveals Borrani's creative style. Described by The Guardian UK as "more socialist collective than musical organisation", Spira Mirabilis are "...remaking the modern classical music concert with a remarkable spirit that crosses worldclass performance standards with a rebellious, almost anarchistic, streak". The ensemble is comprised of musicians from all over the world who have a desire to bring their performances to new audiences. They don't work with conductors, feature soloists or have managers, but instead share their various ideas to form one cohesive interpretation.
In keeping with her versatile approach to music-making, Borrani will direct the ACO through her own arrangement of Prokofiev's dark and brooding Violin Sonata No.1 (composed for violin and piano, and rearranged for string orchestra). This will be followed by the Australian premiere of Bulgarian-English composer Dobrinka Tabakova's Such Different Paths and Beethoven's intensely moving last String Quartet, Op. 135, written only a few months before his death, in an arrangement for string orchestra.
PROGRAM
PROKOFIEV (arr. Lorenza Borrani) Violin Sonata No.1 in F minor
DOBRINKA TABAKOVA Such Different Paths (Australian Premiere)
BEETHOVEN (arr. strings) String Quartet in F major, Op. 135
ARTISTS
Lorenza Borrani Director & Violin
Australian Chamber Orchestra
PERFORMANCE DATES
NEWCASTLE
Newcastle City Hall
Thu 7 Mar, 7.30pm
CANBERRA
Llewellyn Hall
Sat 9 Mar, 8pm
BRISBANE
QPAC Concert Hall
Mon 11 Mar, 7pm
SYDNEY
City Recital Hall
Tue 12 Mar, 8pm
Wed 13 Mar, 7pm
Fri 15 Mar, 1.30pm
Sat 16 Mar, 7pm
MELBOURNE
Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Sun 17 Mar, 2.30pm
Mon 18 Mar, 7.30pm
ADELAIDE
Adelaide Town Hall
Tue 19 Mar, 7.30pm
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