Five concerts of world-class music in the heart of the city.
Van Diemen’s Band’s acclaimed Lunchbox Concert Series will return to Hobart Town Hall this April and May, offering five bite-sized performances featuring some of lutruwita/Tasmania’s finest musicians alongside exceptional interstate guests. These intimate concerts provide a moment of musical escape in the grandeur of the Town Hall Ballroom—all for the price of a sandwich.
Curated by Van Diemen’s Band’s Artistic Director, Julia Fredersdorff, the series showcases an eclectic mix of styles, from brilliant Baroque duets and virtuosic percussion to exhilarating Balkan folk and Australia’s only prog-Baroque quartet.
“Music should be part of our everyday lives, and these concerts create an opportunity for people to experience something extraordinary in their lunch break,” says Fredersdorff. “We’re delighted to bring such an exciting and diverse program to Hobart audiences in 2025.”
All concerts take place at 1:05 PM and run for approximately 45 minutes. All venues are Hobart Town Hall.
The first concert will take place on April 15. Virtuosic percussionist Claire Edwardes and pianist Zubin Kanga, from Australia’s leading contemporary music group Ensemble Offspring, present a dazzling program of cutting-edge new music.
The second conert will take place on April 22. Celebrated pianist Stefan Cassomenos performs a kaleidoscopic selection of piano masterpieces, culminating in Liszt’s monumental transcription of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5.
April 29 is the third concert. Prog-baroque quartet Croissants & Whiskey brings a fresh energy to historical instruments, blending harpsichord, baroque viola, G violone, and recorders in an unexpected and electrifying performance.
May 6 is when the fourth concert will take place. This will be an exhilarating musical journey with Xenos, delivering an electrifying performance of Balkan urban-folk music that will stir both heart and feet.
Finally, the fifth concert will take place on May 13. Two of Baroque music’s most captivating instruments—the Baroque viola and theorbo—step into the spotlight as Karina Schmitz and Simon Martyn-Ellispresent a sumptuous program of duos and solos, showcasing the dusky beauty of these rarely featured instruments.
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