Zelman Orchestra Launches 90th Birthday 2023 Season

Zelman Symphony, with Artistic Director and Principal Conductor Rick Prakhoff, is one of the most successful community orchestras in the country. For its 90th anniversary season in 2023, the orchestra presents a mouth-watering program spanning the eras of Classical, Romantic, 20th Century and contemporary music - including the world premiere of a specially-commissioned Australian work.

It all begins on Saturday 25 March at the Melbourne Recital Centre with a musical tour of Vienna and the sweeping, passionate masterworks of Strauss, Kreisler, Korngold and more. The jewel in the crown is visiting Canadian superstar Alexandre Da Costa with his 1701 Stradivarius violin, in a concert that includes the overture to Die Fledermaus, The Beautiful Blue Danube, Tritsch-Tratsch-Polka and Radetzky March - amongst other favourites.

The 7:30 pm MRC performance on Sat 25 March is repeated at Daylesford Town Hall Sun 26 March 2pm.

Alexandre Da Costa is a notable showman and international star of the violin and plays the 1701 "Devault" Stradivarius from the Golden Era of Stradivari. His specially-devised Stradivarius in Vienna show has delighted audiences the world over,
celebrating the magic of the era of the great Viennese balls with all their elegance and tradition. Alexandre will conduct the orchestra with his bow in the Stehgeiger fashion, a technique he masters to perfection.

On Saturday 17 June at Methodist Ladies' College, Kew, Zelman Symphony presents two Australian works: Opal: Double Concerto for Horns and Orchestra by Melbourne composer May Lyons and Haunted Hills by Margaret Sutherland. Featured soloists are Nicolas Fleury and Rachel Shaw.

Then follows Brahms' majestic Symphony No. 1.

Sunday afternoon 10 September is a red-letter day for the orchestra with its 90th birthday celebrated - almost to the day - with Mahler's monumental Symphony No. 2, The Resurrection, at the Melbourne Town Hall. The venue - where the orchestra first debuted in 1933 - will ring with the massed voices of the Melbourne Bach Choir and featured soloists, internationally renowned soprano Anna-Louise Cole and acclaimed mezzo-soprano Belinda Paterson.

The year's celebration concludes by ushering in the festive season at MLC Kew on Saturday 25 November with Bruch's Double Concerto for Clarinet and Viola as well as a specially commissioned work composed by Harry Sdraulig for the same unusual pairing. Featured soloists are David Griffiths (clarinet, Ensemble Liaison) and Christopher Moore (principal viola, MSO).

The climax of the concert and the year is Sibelius' Symphony No. 2.

The Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra was founded in 1906 by Alberto Zelman Jnr - as the first Melbourne Symphony Orchestra! Following a line of outstanding conductors, it is now led by artistic director and principal conductor, Rick Prakhoff with concertmaster, Susan Pierotti. Musicians come from the amateur and professional world and range in age from 14 to 89. Its concerts in Melbourne's major venues, including the Arts Centre Melbourne, the Melbourne Recital Centre and the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, have featured some of Australia's - and the world's - top soloists and works by Australian composers such as Elena Kats-Chernin. The orchestra has also featured in a TV documentary as well as frequent radio broadcasts.