The TSO’s Jonathan Békés passionately believes that good music cannot be defined by genre.
Jonathan (pictured above) is our Principal Cello and he’ll soon star in our Saint-Saëns concert in Federation Concert Hall, showing why he’s known as one of Australia’s top cellists.
He’s also the mastermind behind the TSO’s Live Sessions gigs – dreaming up ‘weird and wonderful’ mash-up programs that prove great music 'can be found everywhere'.
‘Being at the front of the cello section is my day job and by night, I sit and trawl through lots of strange music and come up with programs with any kind of genre smashed together,’ Jonathan says.
‘For that they call me the curator of Live Sessions.’
These laid-back, eclectic gigs are proving hugely popular in the communities across Tasmania and often sell out.
Live Sessions gigs are performed by different sections of the orchestra, often in unique venues such as community halls, breweries, and art galleries.
Over the next few weeks we’re bringing Live Sessions to Hobart.
This Saturday 22 August, TSO strings play Live Sessions at the Odeon.
Then, on Tuesday 8 September our brass and percussion stars take to the stage for Live Sessions at Hobart City Hall.
Jonathan will MC both events, explaining for the audience why he’s chosen each piece – whether by Radiohead or Mozart, or even Rage Against the Machine.
‘To come up with these music programs I basically sit down and listen to all sorts of music - classical and folk to jazz, heavy-metal, screamo … anything,’ he says.
‘It’s a really fun gig and I feel passionate about the fact that there is good music everywhere and I want to share that with people.
‘Live Sessions is everything … and hopefully everything that is excellent.’
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