The WA Symphony Orchestra is all-American this weekend (April 4th and 5th) with a program of US classics: Barber, Bernstein, Gershwin and Copland. Then on the 26th April WASO pay tribute to the animation juggernaut Pixar with a concert of music from movies like Toy Story, Cars, Finding Nemo.

Easter is not far away and on 6th April St Georges Cathedral perform Bach’s St Matthew Passion –  Joseph Nolan presents his carefully trimmed version (rather than the epic original or the Mendelssohn arrangement) which will feature the Cathedral Consort singing the chorales unaccompanied to highlight the texture and beauty of Bach’s writing.

 

On 8th April April Musica Viva bring the Sitkovetsky Trio to Perth for a program of Smetana, Vine and Tchaikovsky.

Scale Variable (www.tura.com.au) kicks off the annual series with two concerts: April 5th Montreal-New York Quartet –  an all star line up bringing together four international new music soloists to give their assessment on serious new music; On Thursday April 9th  Silver Swans is the title of an Etica ensemble concert presenting the WA premiere of James Ledger’s Silver Swans, the world premier of Chris Tonkin’s Transient States and a reprisal of Ross Edwards’ Laikan which was premiered at the Perth Festival in 1980.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra present two concerts while in town this month: Sun 13 April ACO2 will perform at Government House Ballroom (includes Fredrick Kelly’s Elegy written in a tent in Gallipoli in 1915 and dedicated to Rupert Brooke) while on April 16th the core ACO will perform with cellist Giovanni Sollima.

The month concludes (29 April)  with live-wire virtuoso Nigel Kennedy (violin) performing everything from Bach to Fats Waller at the Perth Concert Hall.

I hope that whets your appetite so you start clicking links and buying tickets and getting out to hear live music!