News

The Princess, The Pea (And The Brave Escapee)

05 May 2025 Music Performances

How the ACO adapted a ‘Princess and the Pea’ origin story

Award-winning playwright Finegan Kruckemeyer has turned the Hans Christian Andersen classic into an inspiring stage production celebrating the small things in life.

01 May 2025 Philanthropy

ACO at 50: Donate Today

Help us step boldly together into our next chapter with the same free thinking, creativity and ambition which have characterised the first 50 years we have shared.

28 April 2025 Music

How to Write New Music for the Theremin

Australian composer Holly Harrison on what it's like composing for a theremin virtuoso, how to avoid writing 'clichés' for the theremin, and what it feels like to write a new commission for the Australian Chamber Orchestra in its 50th year.

17 April 2025 Musicians

ACO at 50: Who's Most Likely To...

They have performed together for over 20 years, but how well do the members of the ACO cello section know each other?

16 April 2025 Music

Best Theremin Cameos in TV

From Severance to The Simpsons, the theremin has popped up unexpectedly in TV shows and films ever since its invention. Here are some of the most memorable appearances of the unusual electronic instrument on screen.

16 April 2025 Music

7 great pop songs that feature the theremin

From The Beach Boys to Portishead, here are some of the greatest bands to feature the iconic ‘invisible’ instrument in their songs.

15 April 2025 Musicians

Carolina Eyck Interview: Creating a Universe

The theremin is often thought of as a novelty, but between the masterly hands of Carolina Eyck it becomes an instrument of classical majesty and contemporary brilliance. Interview by Shaad D’Souza.

15 April 2025 Philanthropy

ACO at 50: Subscriber Stories – Margaret Eva

Brisbane Subscriber Margaret Eva has had an enduring love of chamber music ever since she was a little girl.

18 March 2025 Musicians

A Cellists' Cellist: our musicians on Abel Selaocoe

ACO cellists Timo-Veikko 'Tipi' Valve, Melissa Barnard and Julian Thompson share their excitement and anticipation about our upcoming tour with fellow cellist Abel Selaocoe.

14 March 2025 Music

Abel Selaocoe Interview: Songs of Joy

Whether he’s playing Bach or his own compositions, the unclassifiable and daring performances of South African cellist Abel Selaocoe have made him a global star. Interview by Sisonke Msimang.

ACO Principal Violin Helena Rathbone walks beside ACO Violin Aiko Goto and they are laughing and happy.

12 March 2025 News Tours

ACO Europe Tour Diary 2025

Dispatches from ACO musicians, giving us behind-the-scenes insights into life on tour in Amsterdam, Wrocław, Stuttgart and London.

10 March 2025 Musicians

Interview with ACO Principal Viola Stefanie Farrands

Reich's Different Trains, the unique experience of performing in The Neilson concert hall at ACO On The Pier, and what it's like to play with Richard Tognetti in the Australian Chamber Orchestra's 50th Anniversary year.

07 March 2025 Music

Nigel Westlake Interview: Nothing But the Song

Profound personal loss led composer Nigel Westlake to think of music as a vessel for love and human communication. Interview by Eileen Chong.

ACO Subscriber Norma Disher Hawkins stands in her garden next to a fern

06 March 2025 Philanthropy

ACO at 50: Subscriber Stories – Norma Disher Hawkins

102-year-old Sydneysider Norma Disher Hawkins reveals her favourite ACO concert, why her love of live music has endured and her first impressions of Richard Tognetti.

28 February 2025 News Music

Celebrating LGBTQ+ Composers

To celebrate Mardi Gras and Sydney World Pride, we share some of the finest music written by queer composers - from Franz Schubert to Wendy Carlos.

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