The world-renowned cellist and master storyteller makes his ACO debut as soloist and guest director.
When the cello sings, we hear something akin to the human voice: sensuous, rich, profound. When Nicolas Altstaedt holds the bow, the cello is all that and more, becoming a master storyteller.
It’s been more than a decade since the young cellist burst onto the world stage as a BBC New Generation Artist, with his unruly curls, unorthodox concert attire and pure talent. Since then, he’s piled up musical accolades from the stages of New York, London and beyond. Now is your chance to see his ACO debut as both director and soloist.
Haydn’s Cello Concerto in C major is such an audience favourite, it’s hard to believe it was nearly lost to history. Found in a Prague library just 60 years ago, the score reveals Haydn’s gift for invention. For all his form and symmetry, Haydn was a visionary, breaking musical boundaries with each new work. Two centuries later, his influence is still felt in the music of 20th-century masters Xenakis and Kurtág.
Tchaikovsky’s Rococo Variations hark back to the classical style of Haydn from a completely different musical world. These enchanting variations for cello and orchestra are by turns virtuosic and lyrical, and will be performed in a new arrangement for cello and strings.
The spirit and jubilation of Haydn is matched by the thrilling energy and wistful defiance of Four Transylvanian Dances by the Hungarian-born Sándor Veress. Written as an ode to a home he could never return to, they remind us that, for all its Classical elegance, Haydn’s music was steeped in the same folk-infused Hungarian rhythms.
Altstaedt’s debut will showcase the many voices of his cello along with the vitality and dynamism of the ACO. This promises to be a very special collaboration.
Duration
This event will run for approximately 2 hours.
Concert Hall
One of the world’s most sought after venues, the Concert Hall is a performance space like no other. With its cathedral like ambience and unrivalled majesty, standing on this very special stage will see you deliver a performance to remember.
In July 2022, the Opera House completed extensive upgrades to the Concert Hall. The multi-million-dollar project delivered extensive improvements to the venue, including: better acoustics for artists and audiences, enhanced access for people with mobility needs, new state-of-the-art theatre machinery and staging systems, and a more flexible and safer working environment for staff behind-the-scenes.
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.