ACO Returns From European Tour With Rave Reviews and London Residency

The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) has returned from a triumphant tour across the UK and Europe, where it performed a total of seven concerts in six cities. This included concerts in some of the world's most prestigious concert halls including London's Royal Festival Hall and Vienna's Wiener Konzerthaus, and concluded with a special performance at Buckingham Palace, at an event held in the ACO's honour, hosted by His Royal Highness Charles, Prince of Wales.

Each concert on the tour was met with rave reviews, thunderous applause and standing ovations, with The Times UK writing of the ACO's opening performance in London, "To listen to the Australian Chamber Orchestra is to experience sensory overload: a dynamic range far greater than one might expect from a maximum of 25 players... Carefully prepared yet nothing is routine... the ensemble is startlingly bold in tone and virtuosity."

Read the full review here: https://www.thetimes.co.uk/edition/times2/concert-review-australian-chamber-orchestra-tognetti-at-the-royal-festival-hall-jm9r902br

The ACO continued to receive high praise throughout the tour, with Germany's Süddeutsche Zeitung describing the concert as 'breathtaking' and 'brilliantly virtuosic' while Finland's Huvustadsbladet proclaimed that the ACO performed with 'rare perfectionism'.

Midway through the tour, it was announced that the ACO would commence a three-year residency as International Associate Ensemble at Milton Court in partnership with the Barbican Centre, commencing from the 2018/19 season.

For ACO Managing Director Richard Evans, this residency is testament to the strong ties that the ACO has built with UK audiences through its extensive international touring activities, and solidifies the Orchestra's position as Australia's leading cultural ambassador in the UK and Europe.

"The ACO are Australia's busiest touring orchestra, having toured internationally over 60 times in their 42-year history," said Evans. "This has enabled the ACO to develop exceptionally strong connections with audiences across Europe, the USA, Asia, and in particular the UK, which has been recognized through this residency invitation from London's Barbican Centre. We look forward to travelling to London even more regularly over the coming three years to perform for audiences in our new home at Milton Court, in partnership with the Barbican."

On this most recent tour, the ACO gave concerts in London, Helsinki, Tapiola (Finland), Munich, Zurich and Vienna. The Orchestra were joined by French pianist Pierre-Laurent Aimard for concerts in London, Helsinki, Munich and Vienna, while Finnish pianist and composer Olli Mustonen performed with the ACO in Tapiola and Zurich.

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