Alexander Briger AO and his Australian World Orchestra are no strangers to India. “We performed here in 2015, with your very own maestro Zubin Mehta,” he states, adding that it was an unforgettable experience. Since then, they have performed across their home country and are now returning for a three-city tour that starts tomorrow in Chennai, before moving on to Kochi and Mumbai. While they chose Brahms (Symphony No 2) and Schubert (Symphony No 8) the last time, this year the line-up includes shorter pieces like Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture and Beethoven’s Symphony No 7 in A Major.
Stay in your seats
“It was a deliberate decision, as we wanted the audience to be eased into the culture. Orchestras are not regular fare here, and unlike the last time, we did not want them to get restive. This way, they can applaud after 15 minutes, as opposed to 45 minutes for a longer piece,” he explains. It was part of the learning they gained after working with Mehta, and is especially important now, as their performance will be the first time a symphony orchestra plays in Kochi.
Alexander Briger AO | Photo Credit: Ned Mulvihill
That is not to say that the repertoire will be in any way less impressive to a seasoned audience. “We picked Beethoven because it is his fastest and most exciting one. The programme also includes a difficult, yet flashy solo by Daniel Dodds, on his 1717 Stradivarius violin, and arias from the opera Carmen by mezzo-soprano Caroline Meng,” says Briger. While the latter will be performed only in Mumbai and Kochi, Adam Greig (faculty member at KM Conservatory) will render Mozart’s 2nd and 3rd movements on the piano in Chennai.
The AWO provides promising young Australian musicians the opportunity to tour with them. This year, Indian-origin violinist Sagar Nagaraj (his parents hail from Bengaluru and Mysuru) joins them.
Workshops for a cause
They will also work with students during their time here. In Mumbai, they will conduct workshops and music education outreach programmes along with the Mehli Mehta Music Foundation. With the Centre for Autism India in Kerala, their education team will conduct workshops and performances to enhance the experiences for the children. And proceeds from Chennai’s concert will go to the charities supported by Madras Seva Sadan as part of their 90th anniversary events.
Briger says that their next annual performance is scheduled in 2019 in Melbourne and Canberra. In the next couple of years, they “hope to tour Europe and Italy, and are still working out our plans”.
The Australian World Orchestra performs in Chennai tomorrow at Sir Mutha Venkatasubba Rao Concert Hall, from 7.30 pm onwards. Tickets from ₹595 to ₹2,250 on in.bookmyshow.com. In Kochi on September 25 and Mumbai on September 28.