QYO – Masterpiece Series 1 – Shostakovich 10 at Concert Hall, QPAC

Australian composer Stefan Cassomenos’ adventurous work, the Double Violin Concerto for acoustic, semi-acoustic and electric violins, will be performed by violin soloists Monica and Sarah Curro, with Cassomenos on piano. Soloists Monica Curro and Sarah Curro both currently perform as members of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and have each performed extensively throughout Australia in ensembles such as the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.

Havergal Brian’s The Tinker’s Wedding Overture opens the second half with a rollicking, jovial demeanor, showcasing the talented QYS wind and brass sections.

Shostakovich’s 10th Symphony, premiered after the death of Stalin, was Shostakovich’s first symphonic work written after his public condemnation in 1948. The piece is a depiction of life under the Stalin rule, full tragedy and despair, but ending in triumph.