In the final concert of the 2023 festival, you will hear some extraordinary works spanning over 200 years.

Martinů seemed to be a composer who wrote with pure joy, whose music seemed to flow easily from the pen, and his nonet is brimming with texture, colour and life. While it has the intimacy of a chamber work, it also flirts with the robust sounds of a full orchestra.

Finnish composer, violinist and conductor Jaakko Kuusisto unfortunately passed away far too young in 2022, but left behind an amazing legacy. His piece, Mimiö for Double Bass and Violin pulsates with rhythmic energy and dialogue between the two instruments, and evokes images of the sparseness of the Finnish countryside.

Rounding off the festival is an absolute party of a piece - Beethoven’s septet is one of his most loved works, though the fact the piece gained such popularity over some of the composer’s other works annoyed him to no end - “That damned thing!” the composer wrote with some vehemence, “I wish it were burned!”. We’re certainly glad it wasn’t!

Please come and celebrate the end of the fifth Mackay Chamber Music Festival with a real party of a concert – it will sure to lift your mood!

MARTINŮ, Bohuslav (1890-1959) – Nonet No. 2, H. 374 (Doretta Balkizas, Meagan Turner, Simon Cobcroft, Jaan Pallandi, Eliza Shephard, Rachel Bullen, Philip Arkinstall, Rachel Shaw, Matthew Kneale)
KUUSISTO, Jaakko (1974-2022) – Miniö, op. 23 (Doretta Balkizas, Jaan Pallandi)

- INTERVAL -

BEETHOVEN, Ludwig van (1770-1827) – Septet in E-flat major, Op. 20 (Glenn Christensen, Meagan Turner, Simon Cobcroft, Jaan Pallandi, Philip Arkinstall, Matthew Kneale, Rachel Shaw)