Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Llewellyn Series 4 – Violin with Harry Bennetts

The last CSO Llewellyn Series concert for 2017 will feature young Australian violinist Harry Bennetts as soloist in Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in D major under the baton of the orchestra's chief conductor and artistic director Nicholas Milton. The program will begin with Glinka's Ruslan and Lyudmila Overture and conclude with Sibelius's Symphony No. 2 in D major. Milton regards enticing Bennetts from his current residency with the Berlin Philharmonic as "a huge coup for the CSO ... and his performance of the Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto is sure to be one of the highlights of 2017".

Bennetts says that he sometimes feels his life in Berlin can be surreal.

"But I've settled down quite comfortably here and there's a point in almost every week when I realise again what an amazing experience it is."

Although he loves all aspects of musical performance he is most excited to be playing the Tchaikovsky violin concerto with the CSO on this tour.

"I've never played Tchaikovsky with an orchestra and any opportunity to perform as soloist with an orchestra is great."

Although he says that this concerto is not his absolute favourite violin concerto it would be in his top five. "One of the great things about playing violin is the huge repertoire we have to play; at the end of my career I'll be lucky to have scraped the surface!"

Bennetts hasn't played with the CSO before so he is excited about his upcoming performance with the orchestra.

"But I have performed the Sibelius violin concerto with Nick [Milton] conducting and I feel quite comfortable with his direction so I'm confident that the week will run smoothly."

In addition to his two orchestra performances, Bennetts will also give a recital with associate artist Meriel Owen in the Larry Sitsky Recital Room at the ANU School of Music at 2pm on Sunday, November 5. His program includes Janacek's Violin Sonata, Fratres for Violin and Piano by Part and Franck's Sonata in A major for Violin and Piano.

It's been quite a journey for Bennetts from, as a small boy, imitating his older sister's playing on his own make-believe violin of a tissue box with a ruler taped to it, through award performances in the ANAM Concerto Competition, to touring with ACO2 as an Emerging Artist to playing with the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra. He dreams of one day becoming a concertmaster and of having a regular stream of solo and chamber music concerts.

"I look at some of my musical idols, within Australia and internationally, and they all have such varied careers and versatile skill sets. This is the kind of musical lifestyle that I'd love to follow."

Symphony No. 2 by Sibelius is a personal favourite of Milton who, for a period, studied in Finland. He says: "It is a work that evokes Finnish landscapes ... It's a work, in short, that has everything; it's emotional and romantic, a work that audiences love to hear; and above all that orchestras love to play."

Concertmaster of the CSO, Barbara Jane Gilby, who has led the orchestra since she moved back to Canberra after 15 years with the Tasmanian Symphony, believes that the CSO is unique.

"It's amazing in what it achieves without full-time players. Without our sponsors we couldn't put on concerts," she says. For her it's not possible to choose season highlights.

"Every concert is a highlight but this year the Prokofiev Symphony No. 5 took a lot of work and was certainly a high point and for this concert I think the Sibelius symphony will be another."

Gilby has taught and played with many young up-and-coming musicians and is in a position to guide and advise them.

"Apart from specific technical information I'd tell them to leave their ego at home; no grandstanding. You should always think about the music and the people that you're working with. Learn to understand the viewpoints of others."

For her the greatest satisfaction comes when the final note of a concert has been played and she can feel that the audience has enjoyed it.

Next year the CSO is adding a fifth series concert to its season with a galaxy of performers throughout the year. Gilby is particularly excited about the appearance of young violinist Grace Clifford in the November concert.

"I was on the panel to choose Young Performer of the Year," she says, "and Grace Clifford was something special. Other high points will be the Prokofiev piano concerto and the Shostakovich symphony in the February concert and Johannes Fritzsch from Tasmania conducting the May concerts with another Australian player returning from the Berlin Philharmonic, Phoebe Russell, as double bass soloist in Vanhal's Concerto in D major. And something unusual: saxophonist Nick Russoniello as soloist in works by Milhaud and Debussy."