Event overview
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Standard
$75-$145
Concession
$70-$145
Child (under 18)
$20
$8 transaction fee / order
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Available as part of the Thursday Night and Saturday Night Series.
Individual tickets available from 14 October 2026 at 10am
Dates
Thursday 02 September 2027
7:30pm at Hamer Hall
Saturday 04 September 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
-
Service animals allowed
-
Companion Card accepted
About this performance
Program
Mary Finsterer Lumen Prime Aurore
Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2
Dvořák Symphony No.4
After the longest night, the greatest triumph of all is simply finding the light where none felt possible.
From its opening tolling chords, to the heartfelt intensity of the second movement, and the ambitious romanticism of the finale – Rachmaninov’s Second Piano Concerto is an affecting experience.
Rachmaninov was in a deep depression in 1900, following the calamitous premiere and public rejection of his Symphony No.1 three years earlier. “A paralysing apathy has possessed me,” he wrote. Rachmaninov worked to overcome his feelings with a therapist, to whom he would then dedicate this concerto. Its success was transformative, personally and professionally. Rachmaninov believed in himself once more. Rejoining the MSO is pianist Behzod Abduraimov, who formed an artistic bond with MSO musicians during his time on the orchestra’s 2025 European tour.
2027 Featured Composer Mary Finsterer’s Lumen Prime Aurore, or ‘First Dawn’s Light’, draws from a poem by Hildegard von Bingen, one of the most remarkable figures of the Middle Ages. Von Bingen’s themes are intermingled with Finsterer’s own research into the Aurora Australis, with the music depicting all the dancing colours of the celestial phenomenon.
Chief Conductor Jaime Martín continues his exploration of Dvořák symphonies, with the composer's Fourth echoing Wagner and Brahms. It is also infused with Czech folk traditions and national pride, allowing the music to create its own atmosphere of burgeoning radiance and optimism.
Featuring
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Jaime Martín conductor
Behzod Abduraimov piano
Enhance your experience
Want to learn more about the music being performed? Arrive early for an informative and entertaining pre-concert talk.
2 September at 6:45pm
4 September at 6:45pm
Hamer Hall Stalls Foyer
