‘A group that doesn’t sit’, reads the headline from the New York Times music review of a performance by the Australian Chamber Orchestra during its hugely successful 2009 US tour … and the group doesn’t seem to stop moving either. So far this year on the list of ACO honours are: debut performance in the Walt  Disney Concert Hall of the Los Angeles Music Center, expansion of regional touring schedule for ACO2, a new recording of Mozart’s violin concertos and the release of the award winning documentary Musica Surfica featuring Richard Tognetti.

This month Anthony Marwood joins the ACO as guest director and lead violin for Marwood, Mozart & Mendelssohn. The program also includes the Australian premiere of John

Kinsella’s Prelude and Toccata and Schumann’s Cello Concerto, transcribed for violin. In our cover story Simon Moore talks to the in-demand performer about ‘real music’ and his love of Schumann. Read more ...

In 2015 the Sydney Conservatorium of Music celebrates its centenary. Over the next six years a number of festivities are planned, including the 101 Compositions for 100 Years. Julie Simonds talks to the Dean and Principal of The Con, Professor Kim Walker about this groundbreaking project which will create new works for all genres taught at this famous institution (page 8).

Also in this issue Mike Smith previews the Sydney Symphony’s 2010 season (page 3), Morag White finds out from saxophonist Amy Dickson about her latest album (page 44) and Sue McCreadie talks to Ukrainian-born Australian guitarist Aleksandr Tsiboulski who’s been busy preparing for his Sydney recital later this month (page 55).

‘Among the composer anniversaries we’re celebrating in 2009, perhaps none should mean more to us than the 350th anniversary of the birth of Henry Purcell’, says musicologist David Garrett. Read more about this superb composer in David’s revealing article (pages 10–11).

Enjoy the divine sounds of Purcell in September on 2MBS-FM 102.5!

Ildikó