SSO | Farewelling Our Fellows 2025
31 October 2025, Christ Church St Laurence, Sydney, NSW
Presented by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellowship
2025 SSO Fellows
Liam Pilgrim violin, Natalie Mavridis violin, Ariel Postmus viola, Noah Lawrence cello, Harry Young double bass, Dana Alison flute, Amy Clough oboe, Oliver Crofts clarinet, Bailey Ireland bassoon, Bryn Arnold horn, Isabella Thomas trumpet, Jeremy Mazurek trombone – with guest artists Marcus Michelsen violin and Simon Nieminski organ.
It’s not every day you flee a swarm of witches and wizards on George Street and end up surrounded by angels. But that’s exactly what happened this Halloween, as I ducked into the warm wooden glow of Christ Church St Laurence for the farewell concert of the 2025 Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellows. Outside, skeletons roamed. Inside, young musicians conjured magic – playing like seasoned pros, but with a spark and curiosity that only comes from a year of playing, learning, touring, being mentored and mentoring others. They’ve shared mainstage SSO concerts, travelled regionally, tackled community outreach and now, in their final act, they became a vibrant chamber ensemble.
Nonets were the stars of the show this evening, not just the players, but the format itself. A nonet blends string and wind families into a single, glorious nine-voice dialogue, like a mini-orchestra with no conductor, and also nowhere to hide! Each player carries weight, but must also yield, so a balance of presence and listening is needed. It’s chamber music at its richest and most exposed, and the Fellows made it sing.
Lutosławski’s Dance Preludes
We opened with Witold Lutosławski’s 1955 Dance Preludes, a “farewell to folklore,” as the composer put it. The first movement burst open, rhythmic and dancy, tight as a drum. This was ensemble playing of the highest calibre. The second movement’s clarinet line entered like a tune on the wind, ghostly and tender. By the third, things turned playful and giocoso, but there were undercurrents: the strings held a tautness, a quiet tension. The fourth movement began with pizzicato tiptoes between strings and horn, swelling gradually before fading out with the horn and bassoon like distant echoes. And the finale? Off-kilter, bird-call inflected, joyful and eerie all at once. There are remnants of Polish folk tunes in the writing, but Lutosławski filters them through his own lens: dissonant harmonies, irregular meters, unexpected shifts in rhythm and mood. They flicker like memories distorted, playful, even a little haunted – a perfect piece for a Halloween evening, actually.
Purcell’s Trumpet Sonata in D Major
The opening fanfare of Henry Purcell’s trumpet sonata, with guest organist Simon Niemiński and soloist Isabella Thomas was thrilling, it had my arm hairs on end. Thomas delivered Purcell’s brilliance with radiance and poise. The solo in the middle movement showcased the Christ Church St Laurence organ, and the final bars saw the trumpet return in golden, singing splendour. Full of happiness.
Jaroch’s Children’s Suite
Then a return to nonet formation, this time with Czech composer Jiří Jaroch’s Children’s Suite. The first movement had odd little rests and bouncing arpeggios, a bit like a game of hopscotch. The flute skipped delightfully through it all. The lullaby second movement rocked us gently to sleep, eyes closed and dreams hovering. And the third ‘Blind Man’s Bluff’ featured cross-rhythms and musical dodging, lurching, darting, each instrument like a child avoiding the seeker’s grasp. It was clever and charming.
Mendelssohn String Quartet No. 2 (Movements I & IV)
The quartet of Liam Pilgrim, Marcus Michelsen (guest), Ariel Postmus, and Noah Lawrence gave us Mendelssohn’s Op.13 first and last movements, and what a gift. This was Romanticism in full voice, full body. The players didn’t just play they performed, embodying the music. Pilgrim’s delicate, elegant playing floated, Michelsen’s drama and Postmus’ passion brought energy and heat; and Lawrence’s cello smiled throughout. The presto finale surged like a brewing storm, thunder rumbling outside in real life just as the strings unleashed their own tempest. Then, as if to remind us of their control, the piece ended in serenity. Lovely.
Martinů’s Nonet No. 2
The program notes described this piece as “nine unique instruments conversing with each other as if nine guests at an elegant dinner party” and it did indeed feel like an animated, and occasionally tipsy, soirée. The first movement sparkled with musical banter, little jokes, nods, winks between winds and strings. In the second, the double bass rumbled like a bass drum giving a percussive heartbeat as the winds wove their blended lines. The third movement allegretto had a soft lilt and a collective groove. This was chamber music in its most joyful form and you could almost feel the friendships on the stage.
Castérède’s Concertino for Brass and Ensemble
To close: a bold brass flourish featuring the full band and the dynamic duo of Thomas (trumpet) and Mazurek (trombone). This was full-colour: muted trumpet with flute – Gorgeous. Muted trombone murmuring in response – Delicious. Playful strings, chattering reeds, swaggering horns. A massive tutti “ta-da!” marked the end of the concert. No speeches, no fuss, just music and a single heartfelt thank-you from cellist Noah Lawrence, who spoke of friendship, growth and the year that was.
Final bows
This concert felt like less of a farewell than a launch. These are artists who are already shaping the future of Australian classical music, not just in orchestras, but in ensembles, festivals, education and outreach. classikON has reviewed many of the SSO’s smaller showcases this year, I hope this programming continues. While we love the mass orchestral sounds it’s great also to hear the quirky combinations, the new composers, the rising stars and the conversation in the music.
So here’s to the 2025 Fellows, and to whoever’s next in line. We’ll be listening!
Photo credit: Cassandra Hannagan
