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'We agreed that we’d exhausted the official channels': TSO chief Caroline Sharpen on why the orchestra is going public with its stadium location concerns

Written by Caroline Sharpen OAM, TSO Chief Executive Officer.

This opinion piece first appeared in The Mercury on 4 October 2024.

Caroline Sharpen

We know our Tasmania Devils AFL and AFLW team needs fit-for-purpose facilities. We just need there to be a less terrible location for the stadium, writes Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra chief executive Caroline Sharpen.

On a Wednesday several weeks ago, the musicians and staff of the TSO gathered in our rehearsal studio on Evans Street. Across the road, bulldozers were finishing off remediation of the southwest corner of the Macquarie Point precinct.

We put our heads together and agreed that we were in a pickle.

For a company in the business of sound, the proposition of a 23,000-seat stadium 170m from our own high-performance facilities is a scenario geared to keep you awake at night.

After first learning about this reality from The Mercury last year, we did the appropriate thing and expressed our concerns through official channels. We sought meetings with relevant ministers and were ignored or referred back to the arts portfolio – the only corner of government prepared to at least speak with us.

So, our pickle, on the eve of the POSS lodgment, was: do we do our jobs and stand up to protect our livelihoods? Or do we keep our heads down and hope that the Tasmanian Planning Commission will somehow be compelled by our fourth official submission as it wades through the 4,000 pages of stadium documentation?

The POSS Noise and Vibration Assessment doesn’t tell us how noise from crowds, sirens, PAs and rock concerts will impact on people using our very sensitive facilities at the state concert hall, rehearsal and recording studios. We know that low frequency sounds are hardest to mitigate, but there’s no modelling on the spectral range of sound from stadium events and there’s no detail on future mitigation. The report falls well short of helping the commissioners adopt an informed position.

As the most recorded, broadcast, filmed and streamed orchestra in Australia, we are Tasmania’s number one cultural export. How many days of the year will we have to ‘down tools’ to avoid clashes with games and concerts? Do we simply cease operations during the months of piling during construction?

We agreed that we’d exhausted the official channels, leaving us with the less palatable option of making a bigger public fuss.

But the trombone section piped up – ‘we can’t stand between the aspirations of a football state and the long overdue opportunity for a men’s and women’s team to represent it!’ they said.

‘We absolutely cannot and nor would we want to’ was the immediate consensus.

All of us at the TSO could not be more thrilled about the Tasmania Devils and we’ll be cheering them on from day one.

Another worry in the room was that any public comment would see us lampooned as ‘elitist’. Elite is a great compliment if you’re an athlete – but the opposite if you’re a cultural organisation. If that criticism comes our way, it won’t stand up to the reality of what we do. More than half of our activities occur in schools, communities, health and aged care settings all around the island.

Another tricky factor is our unequivocal support for a stadium. The orchestra’s been at the pointy end of high performance in the world for more than 75 years. We know that to achieve that, you need for fit-for-purpose facilities.

The TSO invested $1 million from reserves in an acoustic upgrade of Federation Concert Hall in 2020, transforming it into one of the finest music venues in the world. It’s what the orchestra needed to reveal its true lustre as one of Australia’s premier cultural exports.

So, we know our Tasmania Devils need outstanding facilities. But honestly, we just need there to be a less terrible option!
One that isn’t 170m from our state concert hall. One that doesn’t steal the solemnity and cultural significance of our Cenotaph and state war memorial. One that doesn’t photo bomb and devalue the precious maritime heritage of our waterfront.

How we’ve ended up with this binary ‘support stadium 1.0 or lose the team’ outcome is strange.

Sure, it’s spelled out in the government’s contract with the AFL. But it is strange given that we are a creative, resourceful and dogged state.

A great feature of Tasmania is that it’s one of the least densely built-up places on earth. Surely there’s a better site. A site that means we don’t compromise and devalue the treasures adjoining the Macquarie Point precinct. Surely!

Of this we are certain: We can achieve something magnificent for our Devils. AND we can value and protect our precious Cenotaph, state concert hall and famous maritime heritage for generations to come.

And that is your orchestra on the record.

Caroline Sharpen OAM is the Chief Executive Officer of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

TSO musicians will perform at a Cenotaph Vigil on Hobart’s Queens Domain on 10 November from 10:30am.

Support Your Orchestra. Take Action.

Find out how you can help protect your precious state assets: Federation Concert Hall, the Cenotaph and war memorial and our maritime heritage precinct. 

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Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra calls for stadium solution that delivers for the Devils and protects existing cultural icons

3 October 2024.

Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra musicians, staff, and the TSO board are united in support for Tasmania’s AFL and AFLW team and a high-performance stadium in Hobart.

‘Like the TSO, the Tasmania Devils will be a high-performance team that’s a source of immense pride for Tasmania. The Devils need a purpose-built stadium, just as our orchestra needs its purpose-built concert hall, recording and broadcast facilities,’ TSO chief executive officer Caroline Sharpen says.

But the orchestra is calling for a ‘common sense rethink’ of the stadium’s proposed location, which would sacrifice too many of the landmarks the state has worked hard to achieve and preserve.

Map of the proposed Macquarie Point stadium precinct and how it impacts TSO.
Close up map of the proposed stadium location and impacts on TSO.

‘We’re certain there must be a less terrible location for our new stadium. Tasmania is one of the least densely built-up corners of the world. Surely, there is a spot that does not compromise our state concert hall, our Cenotaph and war memorial, and the famous maritime heritage of our waterfront,’ Ms Sharpen says.

‘We’ve done a lot of searching and we’re yet to find another example of a government anywhere in the world prepared to build a 23,000-seat stadium 170m from the perimeter of their state performing arts centre,’ she adds.

Concerns about the impact of the stadium location on the orchestra’s viability appear to have fallen on deaf ears, despite the TSO’s extensive participation through official channels and POSS processes.

‘There is no precedent for a large national-grade stadium and a concert hall. It’s a situation not contemplated by any cultural jurisdiction in the world. And, despite our best endeavours, we remain unprotected by any legislation governing noise emissions. The proponent’s own noise and vibration assessment submitted to the Tasmanian Planning Commission notes that Tasmania has “no governing policy related to noise emissions from stadia, including concerts and sporting events”,’’ Ms Sharpen says.

‘We’ve exhausted our official options and now we’re asking the Tasmanian community to stand with us in calling for a better option for our new stadium,’ Ms Sharpen says.

TSO musicians will perform at a Cenotaph vigil from 10:30am on 10 November 2024. The Cenotaph is soon to celebrate a century of overlooking Hobart and its surroundings, and the TSO is looking forward to joining with RSL Tasmania and the community to celebrate this important monument and place.

‘We’re a creative, resourceful and dogged state. Let’s build something great for our Devils and let’s protect our treasured state assets around Mac Point.’

The TSO is recognised as one of the world’s great small orchestras and one of Australia’s premier cultural exports. It is the most recorded, broadcast, filmed and streamed orchestra in Australia, with its performances and recordings heard throughout the world.

From its home on Hobart’s waterfront in the Federation Concert Hall, the TSO performs hundreds of concerts and events across Tasmania and reaches millions of listeners annually via radio, recordings and streaming.

Support Your Orchestra. Take Action.

Find out how you can help protect your precious state assets: Federation Concert Hall, the Cenotaph and war memorial and our maritime heritage precinct. 

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'An absolute treasure of an orchestra':
Genevieve Lang on the TSO's 'incredible contribution' to Australia's cultural landscape

27 September 2024. Written by Sally Glaetzer.

Well known broadcaster and classical musician Genevieve Lang is in Hobart for this weekend’s Rejoice in Voice performance by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and TSO Chorus.

While it’s her voice that’s most often heard on radio and television these days, Genevieve is also a harpist who spent many years with the TSO and has performed as a soloist with orchestras around Australia.

We caught up with this multi-talented writer and music educator to find out what she misses most about Tassie and what’s on her playlist.

Genevieve Lang playing the harp
Genevieve, we’re thrilled to have you back at the TSO, albeit in the ABC broadcasting studio instead of on stage! What do you enjoy most about returning to Tasmania?

I have such fond memories of my time as Guest Principal Harp with the TSO.

I made some of my best friends during my eight years in the orchestra.

I can’t wait to reconnect with everyone, breathe deeply in the clean air of Tassie, and enjoy lots of tasty treats from Salamanca markets!

What are your Tassie tips for first-time visitors?

The walk out to the Cape Raoul lookout on the Tasman Peninsula was always one of my favourite day trips from Hobart.

Mt Field in the winter to stomp in the snow was another favourite.

And I made some great memories camping and climbing at Freycinet with friends.

How would you describe the importance of the TSO as a broadcast and recording partner?

The TSO has made an incredible contribution to shaping the Australian cultural landscape in so many ways: multiple recording projects of Australian and international repertoire, supporting the development of young composers and emerging conductors with various training programs.

It’s an absolute treasure of an orchestra.

Do you have a favourite music memory?

Many! Singing in the local eisteddfod in Fourth Grade (and winning) is one of my most enduring musical memories.

Experiences with the Australian Youth Orchestra helped determine the course of my life into the profession, first as an orchestral harpist, and later into the world of music administration and music journalism.

I simply would not be where I am today without the AYO.

Genevieve Lang
Please describe a favourite recent concert experience.

I had the chance to hear the Sydney Symphony Orchestra perform an all-French program recently, which was absolutely fabulous.

They did a short work by Connesson, then Olivier Latry (titular organist from the Notre Dame) joined them for Poulenc’s Organ Concerto.

That was a piece that I loved from the first time I heard it, and to experience it from the audience, being played on the Grand Organ of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall was something pretty special.

And what else would you program in the second half of a concert like that but Saint-Saens ‘Organ’ Symphony? Fabulous concert from start to finish! Latry played two encores and brought forth sounds from the organ that I’d never even heard before.

What’s on your playlist at the moment?

Right now, Part’s Spiegel im Spiegel is on high rotation in my household at bedtime, to help the kids get off to sleep.

Daylight listening includes an eclectic mix of Michael Jackson’s Thriller and Billy Jean, plus Tim Minchin’s original songs for the musical Matilda.

And lots and lots of Proms concerts on ABC Classic.

UPDATE: Listen back to the TSO's Rejoice in Voice broadcast on ABC Classic with Genevieve Lang, featuring the full Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra concert on 28 September 2024 and interviews with world-renowned choral conductor Simon Halsey, TSO Chorusmaster Warren Trevelyan-Jones and others.
Featuring stunning choral works by Mozart and Haydn, performed by the TSO Chorus, soprano Rachelle Durkin, mezzo-soprano Sian Sharp, tenor Andrew Goodwin and baritone Samuel Dundas.
Experience the TSO in person at one of our upcoming concerts.

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Theatrical magic: movies with a live orchestra create a breathtaking film-going experience

25 September 2024. Written by Liam Heitmann-Ryce-LeMercier.

In the age of on-demand streaming, heading out to see a film elicits a strong sense of occasion.

When that movie-going experience is combined with an orchestral concert, the result is nothing short of spectacular, says film expert Dr Will Jeffery.

In a recent article, Jeffery, who is a sessional academic in Film Studies at the University of Sydney, says there is a reason why Australians are wholeheartedly embracing film-with-orchestra experiences.

‘It’s the most unique film experience. You have to experience it to believe its incredible spectacle,’ Jeffery tells the TSO.

‘These events regularly sell out. Even though I’ve seen these films many times, either in the theatre or at home, and listened to their soundtracks countless times too, I am still willing to pay extra money to revisit them with a live orchestra (and) I am not alone.’

In Hobart, audiences will soon have the chance to experience the popular film-with-orchestra format, with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra performing two major movie concerts, The Man From Snowy River on 19 October and Batman (1989) on 13 and 14 December.

Revered Australian composer Bruce Rowland received the Australian Film Institute’s Best Score award for his work on The Man from Snowy River in 1982. He tells the TSO that Hobart audiences are in for a movie experience like no other.

‘This is something you need to see for yourself,’ Rowland says. ‘It is quite a remarkable experience. It’s been hugely popular with audiences right around Australia.’

While The Man From Snowy River is believed to be the first Australian film to be played live with symphony orchestras, Rowland says that judging from the sell-out events around the country, ‘it certainly won’t be the last!’.

A film screen with an orchestra
'It’s the most unique film experience. You have to experience it to believe its incredible spectacle.'

- Dr Will Jeffery, University of Sydney

‘This is something you need to see for yourself. It is quite a remarkable experience. It’s been hugely popular with audiences right around Australia.’

 - Bruce Rowland, composer of The Man From Snowy River soundtrack

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TSO musicians are also getting excited about the upcoming stage spectacular of Batman (1989) live in concert, as part of a national tour celebrating 35 years of Tim Burton’s cult classic.

As with The Man From Snowy River, Tim Burton’s classic 1989 Batman will play on huge screens in Hobart’s MyState Arena as the TSO performs the film’s epic soundtrack by Danny Elfman.

‘There’s a lot of iconic things about that 1989 Batman movie by Tim Burton and one of them is definitely the famously dark and heroic soundtrack,’ says viola player Will Newbery.

‘Danny Elfman really manages to capture not just the heroic energy of Batman, but the darkness.’

Elfman created the music for other Burton films including Beetlejuice and Edward Scissorhands. He is also famous for writing the theme song for The Simpsons.

Newbery says that while TSO musicians always love the chance to dress up, they also hoped to see many spectators in costume.

‘I’m sure there will be plenty of film fans who will want to stay true to the 1989 Batman, so we’ll have a lot of Batmans and Jokers and Vicky Vales (Kim Basinger’s character). I’m also hoping we’ll see the whole gamut of superheroes and villains from across the DC Universe,’ Newbery says.

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‘There’s a lot of iconic things about that 1989 Batman movie by Tim Burton and one of them is definitely the famously dark and heroic soundtrack.’

- TSO viola player Will Newbery.

Sydney Uni film expert Dr Will Jeffery says film-with-orchestra concerts draw the audience’s attention to the power of the soundtrack, unlike in a cinema when a sense of familiarity can dampen the impact of the film’s musical score.

The added spectacle of a live orchestra provides an extra dimension by which to visualise the film’s music and recognise its emotional impact on the viewing experience, he says.

‘Filmgoers become aware of how important film music is in a film, how it operates. Also, the film becomes a live performance,’ Jeffery says.

The TSO’s upcoming live film concerts offer far more than the popcorn escapism of the movie theatre. As Jefferey invitingly suggests, ‘when you see your favourite film with live orchestra, we are no longer just spectators to a screen, we are audience members to a film performance’.

See the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra live in concert at MyState Arena, Glenorchy, with the TSO’s spectacular orchestral movie experiences.

The Man from Snowy River will be screened with live orchestra at 3pm on Saturday 19 October 2024. Batman (1989) will be screened with live orchestra at 7:30 pm on Friday 13 December and Saturday 14 Dec 2024.

Liam Heitmann-Ryce-LeMercier is a freelance writer and classical music reviewer based in Melbourne.

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See 3 choral concerts and enjoy 20% off

18 September 2024

Celebrate the spine-tingling magic of choral music with three concerts designed to nourish, energise and fill you with joy.

Enjoy 20% off our spring and summer choral package!

After sell-out performances in 2023, world renowned choral director Simon Halsey is thrilled to be back in Tasmania for Rejoice in Voice on 28 September and Voices en Masse on 6 October.

‘I love the sense of community – orchestra, chorus and our visitors coming together to enjoy ourselves’.

– Simon Halsey, guest conductor

The third event in our choral season in 2024 is Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on 7 Dec, conducted by Stephen Layton, bringing the story of the nativity to life through glorious music and exultant voice.

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Rejoice in Voice

Saturday 28 Sep 2024

Federation Concert Hall, Nipaluna / Hobart

‘Exult and be joyful’ as Mozart intended with his brilliant Exsultate jubilate, followed by his famous serenade, Eine kleine Nachtmusik and Haydn’s beautiful and satisfying ‘Harmoniemesse’.

Conducted by Simon Halsey, featuring soprano Samantha Clarke, mezzo-soprano Sian Sharp, tenor Andrew Goodwin and baritone Samuel Dundas, along with your TSO Chorus.

Book 20% off
Simon Halsey
Voices en Masse

Sunday 6 Oct 2024

Federation Concert Hall, Nipaluna / Hobart

Help us raise the roof as hundreds of choristers join the TSO Chorus on stage and in the stalls for this emotional and uplifting choral event of the year.

After last year’s sell-out Voices en Masse, Simon Halsey returns to conduct the choral masterpiece that is Mozart’s Requiem. A euphoric experience that is not to be missed.

Book 20% off
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Bach's Christmas Oratorio

Saturday 7 Dec 2024

Federation Concert Hall, Nipaluna / Hobart

From its exultant, thunderous opening, serene pastoral scenes and glorious celebration, Bach’s oratorio gives perfect musical expression to the age-old story of the nativity. 

Conducted by Stephen Layton, featuring the TSO Chorus, soprano Amy Moore, mezzo-soprano Hannah Fraser and bass Christopher Richardson.

Book 20% off

Book your chorus bundle now and save 20%.

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Holly Harrison, Composer

Meet Simon Halsey

One of the world’s most celebrated and in-demand choral conductors, London-born Simon Halsey’s long list of achievements and honours includes three Grammy awards and The Queen’s Medal for Music.

This is Simon’s third visit to Tasmania and he is delighted to be leading the TSO’s Rejoice in Voice and Voices en Masse concerts, both of which promise to be profoundly uplifting experiences for singers and audience members alike.

About 250 singers of all backgrounds and experiences have registered to be part of Voices en Masse, which will see them joining Simon and the TSO Chorus for three rehearsals before taking part in the final, uplifting public performance.

‘I love the sense of community created by Voices en Masse,’ Simon says. ‘Orchestra, chorus and our visitors coming together to enjoy ourselves. It’s a brilliant way for our visitors to get close to the opportunities that TSO offers and to be part of our extended family.’

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Five stars for the TSO’s Beethoven 5: 'thrillingly focused and incisive'

18 September 2024.

TSO musicians, our Chief Conductor and guest soprano Camilla Tilling garnered rave reviews for Friday night’s Beethoven's Fifth concert.

Limelight magazine gave the performance five stars, with reviewer Peter Donnelly writing that a ‘focused and incisive TSO’ made this ‘perennial favourite sound fresh’.

Audience view of an orchestra

Other audience members also responded with glowing praise in our post-concert survey. Many responses mentioned the clear enjoyment of our TSO musicians under the direction of our Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Eivind Aadland, who conducted Beethoven’s Fifth entirely from memory.

‘The conducting (was) full of vitality and impressive, particularly in Beethoven’s fifth without the use of a score,’ one audience member wrote.

“It was the best rendition of Beethoven's 5th I've ever heard,’ another survey respondent said. Yet another commented: ‘Wonderful surround sound and amazing conductor and musicians to pull off yet another genius concert on such a cold night.’

'So beautifully timed - subtle pauses that had me holding my breath for the next note; remarkable light and shade so that the sound swelled to fill the auditorium and then contracted until you could hear a pin drop.'

- audience member, Beethoven's Fifth

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In Limelight, Donnelly also called out Eivind Aadland’s conducting and gave special mention to our Principal Timpani Matthew Goddard.

‘It was again remarkable how fresh and newly minted this perennial favourite sounded in (Aadland’s) hands. The control of tension, such as the sense of anticipation and hushed dynamic achieved at the transition to the exciting finale, was highly effective, with Matthew Goddard’s soft taps on timpani registering tellingly from his positioning amongst the cellos and basses on the stage’, Donnelly wrote.

‘The whole orchestra was on top form throughout, thrillingly focused and incisive, making this a highlight of this concert season,’ the reviewer added.

Donnelly also had high praise for our guest soprano, Camilla Tilling who performed Gustav Mahler’s Rückert Lieder.

The concert opened with English composer Anna Clyne’s Restless Oceans.

A singer and a conductor performing with an orchestra
'Making her TSO debut, Swedish soprano Camilla Tilling proved to be a superb advocate for these gorgeous songs. Her warm but clear tone, vocal agility and sheer musicality was a constant delight.'

- Peter Donnelly, Limelight

‘Short, intense and overflowing with positive rhythmic energy, with a contrasting melting flute melody as well as the inclusion of stomping feet and vocalisation from orchestral players, it was instantly gripping and totally exhilarating,’ Donnelly wrote of the TSO's Restless Oceans performance in his Limelight review.

Luckily for those in the front row, there were no flying batons for the dramatic finish of Restless Oceans, unlike during the dress rehearsal (see video below)!

Read the full Limelight review here. Explore more upcoming TSO concerts.

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7 not-to-be-missed concerts coming up in Hobart's Federation Concert Hall

16 September 2024

There's only seven more concerts in Federation Concert Hall this year – here's what you need to know.

Emma McGrath
Fanny, Felix & Emma McGrath

Kath and Kim. Bonnie and Clyde. Fanny and Felix. Some icons come in twos...

Composed at a time when women were excluded from professional life, this concert opens with Fanny Mendelssohn’s only existing work for orchestra, the Overture in C, and closes with brother Felix’s Symphony No 5, ‘Reformation’.

Between this, TSO Concertmaster Emma McGrath does what she does so well, and steps into the spotlight as soloist in the third and final violin concerto by French composer Camille Saint-Saëns.

See Fanny, Felix & Emma
Clara-Jumi Kang
Playing the unplayable

Tchaikovsky’s one and only violin concerto is famously 'unplayable'.

The 35 minute piece is so incredibly taxing that the violinist who was supposed to give the world premiere backed out claiming that it was impossible.

Rising to the task is Clara-Jumi Kang with her 300+ year old Stradivarius violin.

See the impossible
Clara-Jumi Kang
The worlds best chorusmaster

Simon Halsey occupies a unique position in classical music.

He is the trusted advisor on choral singing to the world’s greatest conductors, orchestras and choruses. And we have the pleasure of being led by him as Chorusmaster for not one, not two, but three major projects in the coming weeks.

  1. The first is Haydn's fourteenth and final Mass, and arguably the most beautiful of them all. Book here.
  2. The second is the joining of 250 voices in the choral event of the year – and you can be a part of it. Find out more here.
  3. And the third is an extra special project with upcoming graduates of our Australian Conducting Academy, who will receive the tutelage of one of the best chorusmasters in the world.
Nobuyuki Tsujii
Transcending the senses

Have you ever picked up an instrument and tried to emulate your favourite musician, going off nothing but the way it sounds?

Well that's how our soloist of Beethoven's Piano Concerto No 2 has mastered their craft. Blind from a young age, Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii is a performer of worldwide renown, described as ‘the definition of virtuosity’ (The Observer).

See his TSO debut
Clara-Jumi Kang
Giving it their all!

This is it. This is the moment the finalists of the annual ANAM Concerto Competition perform with the TSO.

Months of practice, finesse and grit go into this performance, with the finalists having the rare and exciting privilege of performing with a professional orchestra, and the winner crowned on the night.

It's your chance to see the musicians of the future.

Free – book now
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The message of Christmas

This JS Bach rarity is a joyous musical setting of the Christmas story.

Tracing the birth of Christ, the adoration of the shepherds and the visitation of the Wise Men, Bach draws upon the full resources of orchestra, chorus and vocal soloists to bring poignancy and humanity to the age-old nativity story.

Don’t miss the concert event of the festive season.

Joy, joy, joy!

Subscribers enjoy 15% off all additional Federation Concert Hall concert tickets, automatically at checkout. Or create your own package with 3 of your favourites and save 5%.

See all TSO concerts happening across Tasmania here.

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Tahnee van Herk on her fascination with the bassoon

13 September 2024

‘It is a rather odd-looking thing. But for me, it’s an instrument that facilitates my ability to sing.’

The TSO’s Principal Bassoon player Tahnee van Herk felt an instant connection the moment she first picked up a bassoon. Here she shares her fascination with this majestic double reed instrument.

Will Newbery
Tahnee, you recently travelled to Franklin and Triabunna for the TSO’s On the Winds series. What were some of your favourite moments from those popular concerts?

I enjoy the intimacy of performing in smaller spaces, and when you travel to smaller towns, you often encounter unique and quirky spaces.

For the most part you feel a closer connection to your audience, and chatting with them afterwards solidifies that connection.

I met a young musician after the concert in Franklin who had taken up the bassoon as a result of hearing me play a Live Sessions concert. Those are the connections musician's dream of making with an audience.

You’ve been part of the TSO for 10 years now - what sparked your love of music and your love of the bassoon?

All through my schooling I associated music with socialising and meeting fascinating people. I enjoyed being a part of this beautiful carpet of sound and contributing to it.

Before finding the bassoon I played the clarinet and saxophone. My clarinet teacher could tell that I loved music, but the clarinet just didn’t speak to me. He encouraged me to try other instruments.

Luckily for me, there was a bassoon in the cupboard at school. The connection was immediate. I just had to keep practicing.

The bassoon is a versatile and highly rich and expressive instrument. Is it one of the least understood instruments in the woodwind section?

I find people’s expectations and experiences of the bassoon fascinating.

Many associate the instrument with silliness. I think that has a lot to do with the types of cartoons and movies they watched, and I get it, it is a rather odd-looking thing.

But for me, it’s an instrument that facilitates my ability to sing..

We’ve been welcoming a lot of first-time orchestra goers to our concerts this year, which is wonderful! What is your advice to those who may be unsure if a full symphony experience is for them?

For those novice concert goers wondering about the best way to dip your toe into the world of ‘classical’ music, my advice is to just dive in!

I feel the audience is in fine hands with the TSO. I work with a group of people who just want to communicate with the audience and take them on an adventure.

We are not ‘precious’ about what we do, we just want you to have a memorable experience. Concerts can be wild emotional rides. If you don’t like one, always try again. No two are ever the same!

How do you unwind when you are not performing or preparing for a concert?

When I’m not practicing or making reeds, I spend a lot of time sitting at my pottery wheel.

I so enjoy the tactile nature of pottery and having something tangible to hold at the end of all those hours. It’s quite different to making music.

I love the messiness, the chemistry, the focus, and the process of learning a new skill. I’ve met some fabulous new people and feel a part of a community I didn’t know existed.

I also have a rather demanding cat, Molly, who insists on giving me large amounts of purr therapy. Together we worship the sun.

Tahnee at her pottery wheel
Tahnee's pottery
Tahnee's cat Molly
Experience Tahnee 'singing' with her bassoon in one of our upcoming concerts in the Federation Concert Hall. In April 2025, Tahnee will star as a soloist in one of the TSO’s highly popular Woolmers chamber music concerts.

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Meet the Australian composers behind the masterpieces of the future

12 September 2024

The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra’s Australian Composers’ School is a unique opportunity for composers embarking on professional careers to develop their orchestral composition skills with one of Australia’s foremost symphony orchestras. 

Read on to meet the four composers undertaking the 2024–2026 program.

Australian Composers School
Naomi Dodd
Naomi Dodd

Emotional connection with listeners through sensitive, passionate and inspired music is at the heart of Naomi Dodd’s compositional practice.

Her place in the Australian composition world is rapidly being established, with works having been commissioned by leading ensembles around the country.

In 2024, Naomi holds the position of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Young Composer in Residence for which she is writing 3 new works to be premiered by MSO this year. 

What does the Australian Composers’ School opportunity mean to you?  

To be able to work with an orchestra once is a rare opportunity, but to do so over 2 years in such detail and under such masterful mentorship is absolute gold! An invaluable opportunity! As a composer, the orchestra is like a box of artisan chocolates: each instrument with its own delicious and unique quality and timbre. To be able to bring them together in my music to create such a glorious and rich sound is such a privilege.  

How did you first find your way into music composition?  

As a child I loved to make up songs on the piano and flute. A family friend once recorded them for me so I could gift the album to my parents as a Christmas present! This natural inclination was then nurtured by incredibly passionate and dedicated music teachers who taught me so much and encouraged me to pursue composition in later high school and university. I have realised that writing music has always been something that has come naturally to me, ever since I was a small child. Music is how I express myself and connect with others.  

How would you describe your creative practice to someone you’re meeting for the first time?  

I am a composer. I seek to write passionate and emotive music which connects with listeners. I am often inspired by experiences from life, whether that’s natural experiences in the ocean or the mountains, or reflections on more personal experiences.  

How did you feel when you heard the TSO play the first few bars of your first piece this week?  

Joyful. Thankful. I pour so much emotion, time, energy, and passion into these works so to hear them lifted off the page and brought to life is a very surreal experience, almost like a release.  

Joseph Franklin
Joseph Franklin

Joseph Franklin, a composer and bassist from Gunaikurnai country in regional Australia, splits his time between Philadelphia and Melbourne.

His innovative work blends notated and improvised music, spanning experimental, sound art, and instrument design.

Franklin has composed for major ensembles, performed internationally, and received notable awards including a Marten Bequest Fellowship and a 2020 Art Music Award. His debut solo album, a thousand tiny mutinies, was released in 2024.

What does the Australian Composers’ School opportunity mean to you?  

The last week in Hobart has shown me just how vital and rare it is to be able to workshop and perform orchestral music, in a supportive and open environment. The mentorship from Matthew and Maria has been so helpful — from the notes on the page, right through to the most effective ways to communicate ideas during rehearsal.  

How did you first find your way into music composition?  

I was a working as a performing musician and was hit with a very severe case of Repetitive Strain Injury (RSI), which took about three years to overcome. I was living in Istanbul at the time and it was there that I decided to enrol in a composition degree at Sydney University. It was a deep feeling that has been with me since childhood while listening to dubbed recordings from Marsalis to Mozart.  

How would you describe your creative practice to someone you’re meeting for the first time?  

Depends on who I’m talking to! For example, if it’s the working class community where I grew up, I might say that I compose for orchestra. If I’m talking to colleagues, I might say something about how the various rhythmic, textural and harmonic processes that I'm interested in… if they are still listening, I might go into the specific concepts, or the philosophical and social underpinnings of my practice.  

How did you feel when you heard the TSO play the first few bars of your first piece this week?  

Very surprised and relieved!! The first few bars sounded incredible!! I wasn’t sure that the opening of the first of my works was even going to work…  

Fiona Hill
Fiona Hill

Fiona Hill is a multi-award-winning composer known for her work in electro-acoustics, orchestral and chamber music, film, dance, theatre, and immersive sound.

Praised for her "striking timbral exploration" and "seamless live electronics" (Music Trust, Sydney Arts Guide), her compositions merge new technologies with organic elements to create immersive soundscapes.

In 2022, she won the International Stelvio Cipriani Composition Competition and was nominated for the APRA AMCOS Art Music Award.

What does the Australian Composers’ School opportunity mean to you?  

The Australian Composers' School is a unique opportunity to experiment and try out my ideas with an incredibly supportive team of mentors and orchestral players. To have a whole week to be in the room listening to the orchestra, absorbing the sound and asking every question I've ever wondered about an orchestra, is the most valuable experience a composer can have. Getting to develop those composing skills over two years makes the whole experience even more integral to building my orchestral composing 'chops'. 

How did you first find your way into music composition?  

I first started composing through playing as a dance accompanist whilst still a teenager in my Mum's ballet studio. As my career developed, I loved playing for open ballet classes at Sydney Dance Company where I got to improvise on the spot to complement the choreography and support the dancers movement. This developed into a desire to compose from a connection with my compositional voice in the art music space, but also through a collaborative based practice with choreographers and directors. 

How would you describe your creative practice to someone you’re meeting for the first time?  

This is a complex question to answer as I'm genuinely excited by all genres of music. The most rewarding thing for me is connection and collaboration, so the music can take whatever form suits the project best. That could be a lush string melody, spatialised electronic music, or an epic film score. I'm also really interested in incorporating spoken word into my music, a type of musical 'documentary', like my piece Imago which explores the history of forced adoption using a collection of transcripts. I spend a lot of time considering our connection with the planet and am always seeking new ways to bring that embodied experience into my music. 

How did you feel when you heard the TSO play the first few bars of your first piece this week?  

At first it was very overwhelming. Suddenly hearing the dots on the page come to life with that many musicians, it was difficult to know what to listen for. As the week has progressed it's been really interesting to observe the change in my ability to hear the orchestra as a whole and communicate my intentions. To actually work with the sound and players in the room, rather than an abstract series of squiggles on the page. 

Ben Robinson
Ben Robinson

Ben Robinson writes music that is equal parts thrilling, playful, reflective and chaotic. 

From solo instruments to full orchestras, he uses driving rhythms and vibrant colours to draw people in, while introducing new and surprising sounds along the way. 

What does the Australian Composers’ School opportunity mean to you?  

Meeting and working with everyone both on and off the stage means so much to me. It’s wonderful to be collaborating with the fantastic artistic and management teams to realise a shared vision. It takes a lot of time, effort and talent to pull together a program like this, and I feel extremely grateful to be a part of it. 

 How did you first find your way into music composition?  

I grew up learning classical piano, and often found myself improvising as a relief from the structured nature of solo practice. Once I began notating and developing these improvisations, I had started my compositional journey before I realised. Improvisation is still an important part of my creative and compositional process.  

How would you describe your creative practice to someone you’re meeting for the first time?  

I write music that is equal parts thrilling, playful, reflective and chaotic. From solo instruments to full orchestras, I love using exciting rhythms and vibrant colours to draw people in, while introducing new and surprising sounds along the way.  

How did you feel when you heard the TSO play the first few bars of your first piece this week?  

From the first note that the TSO played this week, I could tell that my music was in very safe hands. It’s so important for the composer, conductor and musicians to trust each other, and it has been easy to trust the TSO to bring these works to life.  

Find out more about the Australian Composers’ School here, and signup to our newsletter below to hear about upcoming opportunities. 

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News

Grammy award-winning opera superstar Joyce DiDonato to make her Australasian debut with the TSO

6 September 2024

The incomparable Joyce DiDonato will be performing in Australia and New Zealand for the first time in 2025 and the first stop of the tour will be in Hobart with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

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With multiple Grammy Awards and an Olivier Award, DiDonato has been described as ‘perhaps the most potent female singer of her generation’ by The New Yorker.

In great news for locals and visitors to Tasmania, DiDonato will kick off her long-awaited tour of Australia and New Zealand with a performance with the TSO in Hobart on 15 November 2025.

DiDonato says she is delighted to be finally heading down under and starting her tour in Australia’s southern-most state.

'What a JOY it is for me to be invited to Tasmania - a destination my mind still can’t quite comprehend! Over the years I have received the most wonderful notes and letters of support from fans in Australia and New Zealand, and I’ve always said, “I will do my best to come to you one day”. How wonderful to know that day is just around the corner!’ DiDonato says.

Tickets will open exclusively to TSO subscribers on 8 September 2024. General pre-sale tickets will open in October. Sign-up to access the pre-sale here.

In her Australian premiere, DiDonato will perform Berlioz's Les Nuits d’été, a song cycle consisting of six songs set to the poetry of Théophile Gautier.

The TSO’s chief executive officer Caroline Sharpen says the orchestra is thrilled to be joining forces with one of the major stars of The Metropolitan Opera in New York.

‘With groundbreaking, industry-leading projects, DiDonato's artistry has redefined the role of a singer in the 21st century, and we are thrilled to be bringing her talents to Tasmania,’ Ms Sharpen says.

With a voice described as ‘nothing less than 24-carat gold’ by The Times, DiDonato is not only a world-renowned performer and producer, but a powerful advocate for the arts and music education.

Her gala concert at Hobart’s Federation Concert Hall will be conducted by TSO’s Chief Eivind Aadland, and include Strauss’ Overture to Die Fledermaus, and Beethoven’s exhilarating seventh symphony.

Tickets to Joyce DiDonato’s Australian premiere in Hobart will open to TSO subscribers on 8 September 2024. General pre-sale tickets will open in October 2024.

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