ACO Announces Year-Long Season Of Pioneering New Digital Concert Films

The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) has today announced ACO StudioCasts, a ground-breaking, year-long digital concert experience which forms part of their ambitious 2021 season - a hybrid programme of films and live performances responding to 2020 and a new musical era.

Each of the eight concert films, staged especially for ACO StudioCasts will showcase not only the ACO's world class musicianship and thrilling performance style, but also Richard Tognetti's highly creative approach to programming and his prowess as an arranger, soloist and conductor.

Programme highlights include:

• Richard Tognetti and the ACO will seek to tell the story of George Bridgetower, a violinist of West Indian descent, and Beethoven's Kreutzer violin sonata. By doing so they will look to restore Bridgetower's place in history

• An exploration of the vibrant world of Baroque Europe featuring music by Heinrich Biber, Barbara Strozzi, Francesca Caccini and Giuseppe Tartini

• A celebration of music and arts' enduring ability to prevail featuring Arvo Pärt's Tabula Rasa

• The world's greatest living flautist Emmanuel Pahud joins the ACO for a programme featuring Bach's The Musical Offering

• A performance of P?"teris Vasks' Vox Amoris written for Richard Tognetti

Drawing on over a decade of producing films and following the success of their free digital series ACO HomeCasts, the ACO are collaborating with leading directors and cinematographers, such as Matisse Ruby and Tyson Perkins, to create intimate and immersive cinematic experiences, shot in some of Sydney's most iconic locations. Each film will be accompanied by premium content featuring insights from Richard Tognetti, the Orchestra and special guests, to enhance people's understanding and appreciation of the music.

Richard Tognetti, Artistic Director of ACO says:

"After one of the most challenging years in the ACO's history, we're proud to announce this pioneering new concert experience in 2021. We've been making films for over a decade, so ACO StudioCasts feels like a natural evolution for us. As Australia's most travelled Orchestra, we are committed to bringing transformative musical experiences to all audiences across the world and ACO StudioCasts does just that in true ACO style."

Running concurrently with the chamber orchestra's live season of performances in Australia, ACO StudioCasts will premier throughout 2021 on a new video streaming platform. The films will be available to view on-demand on smart TVs, desktop, tablet or mobile devices.

The ACO is renowned worldwide, touring regularly across Europe, Asia and North America. In October 2020 the ACO were due to return to London for a tryptic of concerts to mark their third year as the Barbican's International Associate Ensemble at Milton Court. However, the programme was postponed due to the ongoing impact of the Coronavirus pandemic. ACO StudioCasts will enable the orchestra to continue to bring their extraordinary music to the UK and the rest of the world whilst they are unable to tour internationally.