Event overview
Promo Code
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Standard
$79-$150
Concession
$74-$150
Child (under 18)
$20
$8 transaction fee / order
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Available as part of a Create Your Own Series package.
Individual tickets available from 14 October 2026 at 10am
Dates
Thursday 26 August 2027
7:30pm at Hamer Hall
Friday 27 August 2027
7:30pm at Hamer Hall
Duration
Approx. 2 hours including a 20-minute interval
Accessibility
-
Wheelchair, walker and scooter accessible
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Assistive listening devices available
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Service animals allowed
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Companion Card accepted
About this performance
Program
Britten A Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra
Elgar Cello Concerto
Walton Belshazzar's Feast
Welcome to the feast!
A sumptuous spread is surely just what’s called for in Melbourne winter, right? Though at this Babylonian banquet, you might get more than you bargained for.
Chief Conductor Jaime Martín, the Orchestra and MSO Chorus present the works of three alliterative Englishmen: Benjamin Britten, Edward Elgar and William Walton. But that’s where the similarities end, as these are three works of utter uniqueness.
In A Young Person's Guide, Britten celebrates the orchestra by passing melodies though the instrumental families, with each section introduced and afforded the chance at virtuosity. It’s an inventive, inviting opener which serves as the perfect ice-breaker for the audience.
The solo cello’s striking opening phrase in Elgar’s Cello Concerto commands immediate attention. What follows is a sweeping, melancholic mood that reflects the state of Elgar’s mind at the time. Li-Wei Qin joins the MSO to perform one of the most popular cello concertos in the repertoire today.
Written for double chorus, baritone solo, organ and whopping orchestra, William Walton’s setting of the Biblical subject of Belshazzar is a cantata of utmost enormity. So big in fact, when it came to premiere, the famous conductor Sir Thomas Beecham said to the young Walton, “Since you’ll never hear the thing again, my boy, why not throw in a couple of brass bands?”. Challenge accepted – the final work includes offstage brass.
So charge your glasses, this colossal drama always brings the house down, along with Belshazzar himself!
Featuring
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Jaime Martín conductor
Li-Wei Qin cello
MSO Chorus
Enhance your experience
Want to learn more about the music being performed? Arrive early for an informative and entertaining pre-concert talk.
26 August at 6:45pm
27 August at 6:45pm
Hamer Hall Stalls Foyer
Meet the Music Series
Schools can book into the 26 August performance as part of the Meet the Music Series. Each concert in this series will be accompanied by a digital pre-concert talk to help prepare students for the performance.
