This program opens with Haunted Hills, a 1950 composition by one of Australia’s best-known composers, Margaret Sutherland. This is followed by:

Opal: Double Concerto for Horns and Orchestra. Opal was written by Melbourne-based composer, May Lyon, and premiered in 2021 by the MSO’s Nicolas Fleury and Rachel Shaw. Zelman Symphony is delighted to present this work with the same soloists and to have an opportunity to once again perform a work by May Lyon. As the 2016 Zelman Symphony / University of Melbourne Emerging Composer, May wrote a work for the Zelman Symphony to workshop and perform.

The concert will conclude with Brahms’ acclaimed First Symphony – after 21 years and numerous drafts, in 1876 Brahms proclaimed it was finally a worthy successor to Beethoven’s symphonies.

Rick Prakhoff – Conductor
Nicolas Fleury – horn: Principal Horn, MSO
Rachel Shaw – horn: Horn, MSO