The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has revealed a big 2018 programme.
With Principal Conductor Nicholas Carter at the helm, the orchestra plans to broaden their horizons and explore new territories, even touching on more contemporary music which will bring in a whole different audience.
Here, Nicholas answers some questions about his passion for music and what to expect from the orchestra.
As the Principal Conductor, how do you think the 2018 season is looking for Adelaide Symphony Orchestra?
2018 is shaping up as a really exciting season for the orchestra. We're building more bridges with the community at large and working tirelessly to expand the scope and outreach of our product. growing our audience base is very important to us and we're proud to offer such a diverse and engaging programme to Adelaide.
Where did your passion for the art of classical music/conducting come from?
Not sure! I don't come from a musical family. I was lucky to learn the violin and piano at school and sang in a children's choir. I was always moved by classical music, especially the sound of an orchestra. It was a universe of sound and a world I wanted to learn everything about.
How did you pursue it when you discovered you had a love for it?
I was encouraged by Richard Gill, the wonderful Australian conductor and educator, to pursue conducting. He took me under his wing and I learnt so much from him. He taught me to analyse the score and filled me with a love for all of the great arts – poetry, literature and fine art as well. He's a real renaissance man and someone who broadened my horizons and curiosity at a critical age.
Nicholas Carter - Image © Annette Koroll
What have been some of the biggest challenges you've faced in your career?
It's challenging being a young conductor, because often there are musicians who've played in the orchestra longer than I've been alive! Gaining and maintaining their respect is half the challenge of a conductor. When it all comes together, like it does in Adelaide, the rewards are immense.
On the flipside, any huge highlights?
Conducting over the world and making new friends through music is a daily highlight. I learn so much from every orchestra I conduct and appreciate the different approaches to interpretation that American, German, British, Australian and Asian Orchestras bring. You never stop learning. For a music nerd like me, that's a highlight!
What would you tell people who are keen to get into classical music but aren't sure because of the previously mentioned stigma?
You can get a ticket to the orchestra for the same price as a ticket to the football or cricket, so there's nothing prohibitive there. It's a magnificent way to engage with the very best in our culture and civilisation. It's like spending two hours listening to the best, most inventive and inspired minds that ever lived! We all need some weekly inspiration in our lives, to remind us of what we humans are capable of; to guide us to better and more enriched lives.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra 2018 Highlights
Words - James MurphyHarry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets
John Williams’ Grammy-nominated score, like the basilisk, is unleashed, as the ASO provides the live soundtrack to the second instalment in the Harry Potter film franchise. Muggles can watch the film in high definition, while listening to a symphonic score with a clarity beyond the capabilities of even the most expensive modern cinematic surround sound system. What a way to introduce the kids to the magic of an orchestra.
28 April, Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
Star Wars: A New Hope in Concert
Before Potter, there was Skywalker. I guess that means Dumbledore was Yoda. One constant, though, was the composer John Williams. At the Programme Launch, his menacing 'The Imperial March' had fans of a certain vintage scurrying to flick the switch to hyperdrive, as Stormtroopers and Darth Vader stomped into the Adelaide Town Hall. Hearing a live rendition of this iconic piece imbues the familiar with an entirely new lustre. Watch the movie that gave birth to the franchise on the big screen.
17 September, Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
The Studio: 54 Reasons to Party
The New York location housing the exclusive and debauched disco venue, Studio 54, began its life as an operatic theatre in the 1920s. It makes sense, then, for the home of opera in Adelaide, the Festival Theatre, to transform for two nights only into a blazing disco inferno. You don’t need to be a celebrity to get on the guest list; you just need a ticket. Kate Ceberano and Doug Parkinson will front the ASO, performing hits by the Bee Gees, Michael Jackson, Earth Wind and Fire, and others.
29-30 June, Festival Theatre.
All You Need is Love
In the modern era, almost every rock band with a hit album under their belt will bust out a string section, once their budget allows for it. It is now common practice to see the worlds collide. The Beatles were the pioneers that knocked down the wall that separated high art from “the devil’s music”. The tumultuous and heaving conclusion of ‘A Day In The Life’ was a zeitgeist-altering passage of inspired composition. The ASO will be joined by former Southern Sons lead singer Jack Jones and Thirsty Merc’s Rai Thistlethwayte for a grand reproduction of the Fab Four’s timeless back catalogue.
23-24 March, Festival Theatre.
Bernstein, The Bard and bel canto
While many may be hesitant to dip their toe into the seemingly chilly waters of classical music, some events in 2018 simply justify taking the plunge, headfirst and with eyes wide open. Leonard Bernstein’s protégé, John Mauceri will be in town for Bernstein on Stage!, a celebration of the West Side Story composer’s 100th birthday. Glyndebourne Opera will return to the Adelaide Festival with their production of Brett Dean’s 'Hamlet'. It is a rare chance to experience the very highest calibre of opera. Korean bel canto superstar Sumi Jo will partner with Argentine-born baritone José Carbó for a show entitled ‘Mad for Love.’ You would mad to miss this trio of opportunities to bathe your ears in the world’s finest vibrations.
