Melbourne Recital Centre announces 2024 program
Melbourne Recital Centre unveils its 2024 programs, celebrating 15 years of delivering unforgettable
musical experiences with a powerful and poignant program befitting this milestone.
Renowned globally for its award-winning acoustics and intimate concert experiences, Melbourne Recital Centre (the Centre) has announced the launch of its 2024 programs with Exquisite Classical Experiences and Captivating Contemporary Experiences.
Featuring international virtuosos, local sensations, heart-warming musical storytellers, and uttingedge performers, the Centre’s 2024 programs traverse classical and contemporary genres.
Highlights include performances from Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson, Australia’s own Courtney Barnett, contemporary New York string outfit Brooklyn Rider, English folktronica artist Beth Orton.
Curated to connect the community with affecting live music experiences, the 2024 line-up champions
the past, present, and future of the Centre, with Melbourne Recital Centre’s CEO Sandra Willis saying
that the programs are emblematic of the Centre’s continuing dedication to the performance of all
genres:
Our 2024 programs bring together a diverse collection of musicians and performances that embody the quality and artistry the Centre has become known for over its 15 years of operation. There is truly something for everyone, and we can’t wait to celebrate the Centre’s 15th year and share these experiences with our wonderful audiences in 2024.
Exquisite Classical Experiences await audiences in 2024. Enjoy 15 dynamic concerts across the year, including the return of acclaimed Korean pianist Yeol Eum Son, who will follow her widely regarded 2022 Centre debut with a bold interpretation of 19th century masterpieces by Bizet, Czerny and Beethoven in June 2024.
Director of Programming Marshall McGuire says Exquisite Classical Experiences’ diverse offering celebrates the Centre’s beginning as a purpose-built venue for the performance of classical and chamber music:
Since first opening our doors in 2009, we have been committed to showcasing the breadth, depth, and value of experiences within classical and chamber music. Our 2024 program of Exquisite Classical Experiences is a testament to this, featuring an incredibly talented line up artists – some gracing the stage for the first time and others returning with a warm welcome as they share their craft with us once more.
Exquisite Classical Experiences will also feature guitar and harp duo Andrew Blanch and Emily Granger, pianist Paul Lewis, Genesis Baroque, lutist Jakob Lindberg, violinist Satu Vänskä accompanied by pianist Konstantin Shamray, JACK Quartet, harpist Xavier de Maistre + Affinity Quartet, violinist Augustin Hadelich, Trio Gaspard, and pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii, with violinist Rachael Beesley and pianist Aura Go sharing a special musical treat for Jane Austen aficionados.
Australia’s own Goldner String Quartet will close the Centre’s year of Exquisite Classical Experiences in October 2024, delivering their final Melbourne performance with a program carefully selected by its members to farewell three decades of music-making.
The Centre’s contemporary program, Captivating Contemporary Experiences 2024, will see suburban punk-poet sensation Courtney Barnett return to the Centre with a selection of tracks from her prolific catalogue and her new album End Of The Day – the final release of Melbourne’s iconic Milk! Records label.
Captivating Contemporary Experiences will feature Arizona indie rock outfit Calexico, Grammy Award winning Pakistani American singer-songwriter Arooj Aftab, Lonnie Holley + Moor Mother + Irreversible Entanglements in a triple-bill, Folk Bitch Trio, Beth Orton, Bhairavi Raman, Michael Rother & Friends and more.
As part of the contemporary line-up, New York duo Lydia Lunch and Joseph Keckler will bring their combination of spoken word poetry and musical stylings to the Centre with the Australian premiere of Tales of Lust and Madness.
Melbourne Recital Centre’s Programming Manager Shelley McCuaig says that this line up is just the start of the Centre’s 2024 contemporary offerings:
We’re so thrilled to be announcing the first of our contemporary music experiences for 2024. The breadth of what’s on offer reflects Melbourne Recital Centre’s commitment to distinctive and dynamic programming, spanning Grammy-winning neo-sufi art pop, desert noir, indie darlings, afrofuturist cosmic jazz, legendary experimental rock and so much more.
Encompassing past and future icons, this announcement is just the beginning of how contemporary music will shape our 15th birthday celebration.
The 2024 program also introduces the Centre’s new double bill format with the Dynamic Double Set: a concert experience with complementary musical pairings, including Melbourne-based viol ensemble Consortium paving a stirring pathway into Víkingur Ólafsson’s immersive interpretation of Bach’s Goldberg Variations.
With more performances to be announced in the coming months, join Melbourne Recital Centre as it celebrates 15 years of delivering unforgettable musical experiences in 2024.
Flexible and full concert packages for MRC’s Classical and Contemporary Experiences are now available for purchase, with single tickets on sale from Tuesday 21 November 2023.
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