At the heart of the Musica Viva Festival is our collaboration with the Australian Youth Orchestra and its incredible Chamber Players Program that provides Australia’s brightest young musicians with personal contact and instruction from some of the great musical artsts of the world. Heading that list of artists in 2017 is legendary violinist Pinchas Zukerman and the Zukerman Trio, featuring JUNO Award-winning cellist Amanda Forsyth, and long-time concert partner Angela Cheng on piano.

Reprising his outstanding contribution to the 2013 Festival is the wonderful American pianist Lambert Orkis, who continued to assist some of the AYO players after that festival ended. We also feature the electrifying Australian saxophone virtuoso Amy Dickson, who presents a diverse range of repertoire culminating in the world premiere of new music for sax and string quartet by Ross Edwards.

UK-based group the Elias Quartet are now regulars on the Musica Viva concert roster, but make their first Festival appearance in 2017. They are joined by Festival stalwarts the Goldner String Quartet and unite with them in the final concert for the world premiere of a string octet by brilliant young Adelaide composer Jakub Jankowski.

Inaugural participants in Musica Viva’s new FutureMakers career and development initiative are the virtuosic Arcadia Winds, who have developed from being AYO members at the last Festival to mainstage Festival artists in this one.

Who: Zukerman Trio, Amanda Forsyth, Angela Cheng, Lambert Orkis, Amy Dickson, Elias Quartet, Goldner String Quartet, and Archadia Winds

What: Musica Viva Festival 2017

When: 20-23 April

Where: Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Tickets and more information here