The Acacia Quartet will be touring venues that don’t usually get to see classical music. Photo: Holly Bradford.
Classical music group Acacia Quartet, paired alongside international performers Emile Cantor and Laurentiu Sbarcea, will tour Griffith, Leeton, Deniliquin, Tocumwal and Tarcutta in April.
The performance will include string sextets, Dvorak’s Op. 48 and Brahms’ Op. 36 and the world premiere of a new work from Australian composer Lyle Chan.
“As residents of regional NSW, we are passionate about bringing the best to our friends and neighbours and this tour will definitely not disappoint,” Acacia Quartet violinist Doreen Cumming said.
“These concerts will showcase the deep musical connection for which the Acacia Quartet is renown.”
The concerts are presented by Music in the Regions (MitR), an independent touring organisation established in 2022 to connect classical musicians with regional audiences. The aim of MiTR is to ensure musicians perform in areas not traditionally visited and expose new listeners to classical music.
“It’s very exciting for Music in the Regions to be able to share the fantastic regional audiences we meet at our concerts with Emile and Laurentiu,” MiTR general manager Ian Whitney said.
“The warmth and generosity of the audiences we meet on the road make our work special, and I can’t wait for everyone to meet one another in places like Tocumwal and Tarcutta.”
Laurentiu Sbarcea is a Romanian cello player. Photo: Susanne Diesner.
Lyle Chan is an Australian composer best known for his AIDS Memoir Quartet, which chronicled his years as an HIV/AIDS activist at the height of the epidemic in Australia.
“When I learned that my new piece would be programmed between the sextets by the close friends Brahms and Dvorak, I knew right away what my job was – to provide a modern music that contrasted with their sumptuous romantic sounds and be a pleasurable change of mood, yet without breaking the magical spell that their music weaved,” he said.
“Above all, their friendship expands to become the theme of the concert and my new piece taps into that — Acacia Quartet have been my closest musical collaborators, and we bring new friends to each other all the time. I feel like my music’s role is to invite their two friends, Emile and Laurentiu, into a great conversation that we’ve been having for years.”
Acacia Quartet with Emile Cantor and Laurentiu Sbarcea will perform at:
Deniliquin: 3 pm, Saturday 20 April at and in partnership with South West Music Regional Conservatorium.
Tocumwal: 3 pm, Sunday 21 April at and in partnership with Tocumwal War Memorial Hall.
Griffith: 7 pm, Wednesday 24 April at and in partnership with St Alban’s Cathedral Griffith.
Leeton: 7 pm, Friday 26 April at and in partnership with Leeton Museum and Art Gallery.
Tarcutta: 2 pm, Sunday 28 April at Tarcutta Memorial Hall in partnership with Wagga Wagga City Library.
Tickets cost just $30 if booked before 6 April on the Music in the Regions website. Those under 18 are admitted for free. Pre-booking is recommended to guarantee a space.
Loading ...
