Thursday 1 Aug 2024 6pm
Federation Concert Hall, nipaluna / Hobart
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Streaming live & playback via TSO On Demand
Conducted by Jessica Cottis,
featuring Stefan Cassomenos on piano.
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra acknowledges the traditional owners and continuing custodians of lutruwita / Tasmania. We pay respect to the Aboriginal community today, and to its Elders past and present. We recognise a history of truth, which acknowledges the impacts of colonisation upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and stand for a future that profoundly respects their stories, culture, language and history.
About the concert
Works
Shostakovich Piano Concerto No 2 in F, Op 102 (20 min)
3 movements:
- Allegro
- Andante
- Allegro
Weill Symphony No 2 (28 min)
3 movements:
- Sostenuto - Allegro molto
- Largo
- Allegro vivace - Presto
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A 'movement' is a longer piece of music broken up into bite-size pieces. It makes it easier to perform and provides contrast within the work. Find out more here.
Dmitri Shostakovich, circa 1950.
Uncover the stories behind the works.
Fingers will blur
Piano Concerto No 2 in F, Op 102
- Allegro
- Andante
- Allegro
Composed by Dmitri Shostakovich (1906–1975)
20 minutes
Dmitri Shostakovich was the showpiece composer of the former Soviet Union. A gifted pianist, he displayed an aptitude for composition from a young age and became one of the foremost symphonists of the 20th century. His output also included operas, ballets, film scores and chamber music. Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No 2, which was composed in 1957, was written for his son Maxim (one of the first ‘nepo babies’?), who performed it as an audition piece for the Moscow Conservatory of Music (yes, an audition piece, not graduation!)
Movement 1: Allegro
The first movement is lively and energetic, beginning with a playful theme introduced by the piano, accompanied by the orchestra. This movement is full of contrasts, with sudden changes in dynamics and mood, giving it a vibrant and exciting character. It feels like a joyful conversation between the piano and the orchestra, with each taking turns to showcase their virtuosity.
Movement 2: Andante
Here things get slower and more lyrical. It features a beautiful and heartfelt melody from the piano, with the orchestra providing a gentle and supportive background. This movement has a serene and reflective quality, almost like a musical daydream. The music here is expressive and emotional, creating a sense of calm and introspection.
Movement 3: Allegro
The final movement returns to the lively mood of the first. It’s fast-paced and full of rhythmic drive, with the piano and orchestra engaging in a spirited dialogue.This is where Stefan Cassomemos can really show off! It’s the perfect showcase for the pianist's virtuosity. There are fast and intricate passages that require agility and precision, leading to an exhilarating conclusion.
Bittersweet symphony
Symphony No 2
- Sostenuto - Allegro molto
- Largo
- Allegro vivace - Presto
Composed by Kurt Weill (1900–1950)
28 minutes
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The names of movements in symphonies often follow traditional conventions that give insight into the character, tempo, and sometimes the form of each section.
These terms not only instruct performers on the tempo and mood of each movement but also guide listeners through the emotional and narrative arc of the symphony. For example, ‘Allegro’ refers to tempo and ‘molto’ translates to very, so: very fast!
Kurt Weill, best known for The Threepenny Opera, came to prominence in 1920s Germany and helped to create the soundtrack for the Weimar Republic. The son of a rabbi, Weill realised straightaway that Nazi Germany was no place for him and fled to Paris in the very first days of the Hitler regime. It was in the French capital that he composed the bulk of the Symphony No 2. In contrast to the joyful Shostakovich, the second half of the evening heads into darker territory.
Movement 1: Sostenuto - Allegro molto
From the depths the solo trumpet delivers a sombre melody, a harbinger of the unsettling tone of most of this opening movement (Sostenuto). We move from this introspective mood into a much faster and more intense section (Allegro molto), where the music becomes lively and dramatic, creating a feeling of urgency.
Movement 2: Largo
The second movement is slow and lyrical (Largo). It’s melancholic, contemplative and heartfelt; providing a stark contrast to the intensity of the first movement. The music here is more introspective, inviting you to reflect and feel the emotional depth of the symphony. Perhaps a reflection of the sign of the times Weill was living in?
Movement 3: Allegro vivace - Presto
The final movement moves out of the darkness slightly and brings back the energy from the first half, but with a different feel. It's fast and playful, with driving rhythms and unexpected twists. Think of a hero overcoming the challenges and emerging victorious, or a person escaping political persecution in their homeland.
Win a boutique stay at Hadley's Orient Hotel.
Experience Victorian-era boutique accommodation with an overnight stay and pre-concert dinner for two at Hadley’s Orient Hotel on Saturday 31 August.
To enter, simply purchase one or more tickets to see Karen Gomyo with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in nipaluna / Hobart on Saturday 31 August 2024.
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Musicians
Jessica Cottis
Conductor
Award-winning conductor Jessica Cottis, named ‘2019 Classical “Face to Watch”’ (The Times, UK), is much in demand, working regularly with leading orchestras such as the London Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, Danish Radio Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Singapore Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Houston Symphony, Opéra Orchestre national Montpellier, L’Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano Giuseppe Verdi (laVerdi), l’Orchestre Philharmonique de Monte Carlo, new music ensembles such as London Sinfonietta and Bang on a Can, as well as numerous re-invitations at the Royal Opera House, Covent Garden, and the prestigious BBC Proms. She has recorded for the BBC, ABC, and Decca Classics labels.
One of the most outstanding Australian conductors working today, 2022 marks Jessica Cottis’s second season as Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra. Under her leadership, the orchestra has already developed a number of important new initiatives, including significant commissions and championing of Australian works. Recognised for her engaging, wide-ranging and thought-provoking programming, Cottis' domain is music of the 19th to 21st centuries. This season she will conduct major works by Wagner, Sibelius and Stravinsky in Canberra, and make highly anticipated debuts with orchestras including Bremer Philharmoniker, RTÉ National Symphony Orchestra, San Antonio Symphony, Opéra National de Bordeaux, Oslo Philharmonic, and Royal Danish Opera for Poul Ruders' 'The Handmaid's Tale', and return to the Royal Opera House for the world premiere of Laura Bowler’s ‘The Blue Woman’.
Jessica Cottis grew up on her family’s sheep farm in south-eastern Australia and quickly developed a lifelong interest in both music and the natural world. She is especially interested in the relation between music, nature and science, and the act of listening. She works widely as an advocate for classical music. A gifted communicator described as a “cool, contained, super-articulate and engaging” (The Scotsman), she has given masterclasses for the Royal Philharmonic Society and Royal Academy of Music, and has led courses for emerging women conductors for the Royal Opera House. She sits on the Board of new music organisation and record label Nonclassical, and is Chair of the Music Board of the Tait Memorial Trust for Young Australians, a body that supports young Australian and New Zealand performing artists studying in the UK. She is a frequent contributor on BBC radio and television, commenting on a wide range of arts-related topics, from opera to architecture, synaesthesia, the environment, and acoustics.
Jessica Cottis’ early musical career was as an organist, pianist, and trumpeter. Awarded first class honours at the Australian National University, she continued her studies in Paris with pioneering French organist Marie-Claire Alain. After a wrist injury halted her playing career, she began conducting studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Colin Metters and Sir Colin Davis. She went on to serve as Assistant Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, where she worked closely with mentors Sir Donald Runnicles and Vladimir Ashkenazy. More recently she was honoured with the title of Associate of the Royal Academy (ARAM), an honorary award for formers students who have made a significant contribution to the music profession.
Jessica Cottis has undertaken Executive Leadership studies at Cornell University and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.
She resides in Stockholm and London, and outside of music pursues her passion for butterflies all over the world.
Stefan Cassomenos
Pianist
Melbourne pianist and composer Stefan Cassomenos is one of Australia’s most vibrant and versatile musicians. He has been performing internationally since the age of 10, and is now established as one of Australia’s leading pianists.
In 2013, Cassomenos was a grand finalist and recipient of both the Second Grand Prize and Chamber Music Prize at the International Telekom Beethoven Piano Competition Bonn. He has been a grand finalist and prize winner in various other competitions.
Cassomenos gave the world premiere of his own Piano Concerto No 1 with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at the age of 16. His concerto repertoire now exceeds thirty works, and has led to engagements with Beethoven Orchestra Bonn, Malta Philharmonic Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Opera Australia Orchestra, and Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.
Cassomenos has given solo recitals at many international venues and festivals, including Tonhalle Zurich, Gewandhaus Leipzig, Beethoven Festival Bonn, Sydney Opera House, Shanghai Oriental Arts Centre, Bunkamura Orchard Hall Tokyo, and Junge Stars der Klassik Kirchheimbolanden. Cassomenos now performs regularly in Australia, Germany and the UK.
Cassomenos’ compositions are commissioned and performed in Australia and overseas. His music has been commissioned and performed by many ensembles and organizations including Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Victorian Opera, 250 Piano Pieces for Beethoven Bonn, and the Festival Neue Musik Rockenhausen.
Cassomenos is active as an artistic director of various festivals, projects and collaborations. He is a founding member of chamber ensemble PLEXUS, which since launching in 2014 has commissioned and premiered over 110 new works. Cassomenos is joint Artistic Director of Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, with violinist Monica Curro.
Born in 1985 in Melbourne, Stefan studied with Margarita Krupina, Stephen McIntyre, Ian Munro and Michael Kieran Harvey.
Cassomenos is generously supported by Kawai Australia.
Orchestra List
Jessica Cottis Conductor
Stefan Cassomenos Pianist
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
Violin
Ji Won Kim Concertmaster
Jennifer Owen Associate Concertmaster
Lucy Carrig-Jones Principal Second
Christopher Nicholas Principal First
Miranda Carson
Yue-Hong Cha
Tobias Chisnall
Frances Davies
Belinda Gehlert
Michael Johnston
Susanna Low
Rohana O’Malley
Hayato Simpson
Grace Thorpe
Viola
Caleb Wright Principal
Douglas Coghill
Sophie Kesoglidis
Anna Larsen Roach
William Newbery
Cello
Jonathan Békés Principal
Ivan James
Nicholas McManus
Martin Penicka
Double Bass
Stuart Thomson Principal
James Menzies
Adrian Whitehall
Flute
Katie Zagorski Principal
Maria Hincapie Duque
Lloyd Hudson Principal Piccolo
Oboe
Emmanuel Cassimatis Guest Principal
Dinah Woods Principal Cor Anglais
Clarinet
Philip Arkinstall Guest Principal
Eloise Fisher Principal Bass Clarinet
Bassoon
Tahnee van Herk Principal
Melissa Woodroffe Principal Contrabassoon
French Horn
Greg Stephens Principal First
Claudia Leggett Principal Third
Roger Jackson
Julian Leslie
Trumpet
Darcy O'Malley Guest Principal
Melanie Wilkinson
Trombone
David Robins Principal
Bass Trombone
Mitchell Nissen Principal
Timpani
Matthew Goddard Principal
Percussion
Gary Wain Principal
*Correct at time of publishing
Federation Concert Hall
Our Southern Home
Federation Concert Hall has been our home since 2001. It's distinctive curve, golden Tasmanian timber, contemporary design and deep red seats set the tone for the ultimate concert experience.
In 2020, major acoustical enhancements were made to the hall, amplifying the venue's, and the TSO's, reputation as world-class.
Photo credit: Fin Matson
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Book your pre or post concert dining at Fellini The Italian Restaurant for an unforgettable, authentic Italian dining experience.
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Bookings are essential and Fellini is open from 5.00pm till late.
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What are acoustics and how do they affect my concert experience?
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