Performer: Australian Chamber Orchestra

Two works by Shostakovich sandwiching Rhapsody in Blue made for an exhilerating concert from the Australian Chamber Orchestra in Melbourne

Energetic commitment from the ACO at the Barbican, with precision and edge from Alexander Melnikov and Jeroen Berwaerts in an evening of darkness and light.

Awe-inspiring performances of much loved classics in Sydney, yet the musical eyebrows have reasons to go (and stay) up. 

Iestyn Davies joins the Australian Chamber Orchestra for music by Bach and Pärt in a programme featuring distracting modern dance. 

Mahler's epic five-movement symphonic song cycle is performed by a chamber ensemble with mixed results.

Kristian Bezuidenhout joins the ACO for a piecemeal programme leading to a complete performance of Beethoven's Emperor Concerto. 

Richard Tognetti, David Grimal and Daniel Hope, three well-known violinists who also lead chamber orchestras, provide fascinating insights into the changing musical landscape today and the challenges of being both performers and leaders.