WINNER OF TWO HELPMANN AWARDS 2019:• BEST SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA CONCERT (WASO) • BEST INDIVIDUAL CLASSICAL MUSIC PERFORMANCE (ASHER FISCH) ABC Classic is proud to announce the release of a landmark new recording of Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde, one of the towering creations in the history of music.This recording – captured live in concert in August 2018 – features a remarkable cast of singers including Stuart Skelton, one of the world’s greatest Wagner singers, who makes his long-awaited debut recording as Tristan. One of his signature roles, Skelton has performed Tristan to great acclaim all over the world, from The Metropolitan Opera in New York to the English National Opera and Germany’s Baden-Baden Festival, hailed as “a Tristan for the ages”, his performance “an unflagging, glorious lighthouse of Wagnerian singing, with inexhaustible power, vibrant resonance allied to warmth, subtlety and grace, and committed dramatic expression”.Isolde is sung by German soprano Gun-Brit Barkmin, acclaimed over her glittering career for her interpretation of leading roles in works by Janáček, Britten, Berg, Wagner and Richard Strauss. Her Isolde was hailed as “thrilling”, “an extraordinarily complete portrayal” that was “a revelation”.They are joined on this recording by an all-star cast includingEkaterina Gubanova, Boaz Daniel and Ain Anger, alongside theWest Australian Symphony Orchestra conducted by their Principal Conductor Asher Fisch, one of today’s supreme Wagner interpreters.Tristan und Isoldechanged forever the rules about what music should and could be, and introduced concepts – including chromaticism, dissonance and even atonality – which would define the development of music throughout the 20th century.But it is above all a work of staggering beauty, of love unfulfilled, where singers and orchestra come together in some of the most sublime music ever written. “Life and death, the whole import and existence of the outer world,” wrote Wagner himself, “here hang on nothing but the inner movements of the soul.”Praise for the concerts at which this recording was made:“An astonishing gift to audiences and a triumph of music making… WASO has never sounded better, and you’ll not encounter this stunning cast again.” –Limelight “I was there — and knew I was in the presence of greatness.” –The West Australian“Superlative” – BachTrack“There was a loud and universal standing ovation, richly deserved after this unforgettable account of Wagner’s masterpiece.” –Australian Book Review“One of the most revelatory Wagner experiences I’ve had in my life.” –Daily Review“As impressive a cast as you’d be lucky to find at Covent Garden or The Met.” – Limelight Album available to preview here Tristan und IsoldeMusic and libretto by Richard Wagner 1813–1883 Stuart Skelton TristanGun-Brit Barkmin IsoldeEkaterina Gubanova BrangäneBoaz Daniel KurwenalAin Anger King MarkeAngus Wood MelotPaul O’Neill Young Sailor / ShepherdAndrew Foote Steersman WASO ChorusSt George’s Cathedral Consort West Australian Symphony OrchestraAsher Fisch Conductor Recorded live in concert, 16 & 19 August 2018

Since 2008, Latitude 37 has been delighting audiences around Australia and beyond with its unique approach to early music, combining musical integrity with a passion for communicating the beauty and humanity of Baroque music through performance.This album contains all-new recordings of music which has brought the trio joy over its first ten years together. ‘We’ve chosen works that are close to our heart as Baroque players – traditional favourites such as Marin Marais’s Bells of St Genevieve as well as lesser-known gems by Erlebach, Cavalli andUccellini. And we also wanted to celebrate those times when we kick off our shoes and have some collective fun: exotic Bulgarian dances, French folk songs, and exquisite music by Erik Satie, reimagined for the 17th century.’The three members of Latitude 37 – two from Australia and one originally from New Zealand – are all graduates of the Royal Conservatory in The Hague, drawn together by their commitment to historically informed performance of 17th- and 18th-century music, and their performances marry scholarship with virtuosity, creative flair and a warm rapport with audiences.Named after the latitudinal position which links Melbourne to New Zealand, the trio has become a firm favourite on the Australasian early music scene, with regular festival appearances, concerts at the Melbourne Recital Centre, tours for Chamber Music New Zealand, numerous broadcasts on ABC Classic and three CD albums, including two ARIA nominations. Its distinctive combination of Baroque violin, viola da gamba and harpsichord opens up a wealth of repertoire that is rarely explored by other Australian ensembles. TRACKLISTING1 TRAD. BULGARIAN arr. Latitude 37 Bulgarjaska 1 & 22 PHILIPP HEINRICH ERLEBACH Sonata Seconda: IV. Sarabande3 ERIK SATIE arr. Latitude 37 Gnossienne No. 34 LEV KNIPPER arr. Latitude 37 Song of the Steppes5 TRAD. FRENCH arr. Latitude 37 Où êtes-vous allés mes belles amourettes6 TRAD. FRENCH arr. Latitude 37 Dedans une plaine7 FRANCESCO CAVALLI Canzona à 3: IV. Passacaglia8 PALESTRINA arr. BASSANO Tota pulchra es9 MARCO UCCELLINI Sonata Seconda ‘La Luciminia Contenta’10 MARIN MARAIS Sonnerie de Sainte-Geneviève du Mont de Paris Latitude 37:Julia Fredersdorff Baroque violinDonald Nicolson harpsichord & organLaura Vaughanviola da gamba & lirone with special guests:Hannah Lane triple harpLizzy Welsh Baroque violinNicholas Pollock theorbo & gallichon

When the mighty Sydney Town Hall Organ, one of the wonders of the musical world, emerged from 12 solid years of repairs and refurbishment in the mid 1980s, the organist chosen to capture its magnificence on disc for the first time was the Australian virtuoso David Drury. This 3CD set begins with that extraordinary recording, made to celebrate the centenary of this unique and glorious instrument: built by William Hill in 1890, the biggest and best-preserved 19th-century Romantic organ in the world.Drury’s flawless technique is coupled with an extraordinary sensitivity to the vast range of tonal colours available on its 8,756 pipes, which range in size from barely 10cm – no bigger than a ball-point pen – to a record-breaking 64 foot (19½ metre) Contra-Trombone stop. There is music of whisper-light delicacy and music of earth-shaking grandeur, and every possible shade and timbre in between. A second disc, released in 1993 and included as CD2 of this collection, continues this magical pairing of master-organist and world-renowned instrument, while extensive liner notes trace the organ’s fascinating history.Disc 3 takes us to Melbourne, where Drury explores the power and the subtlety of another splendid instrument: the T.C. Lewis organ in St Paul’s Cathedral. Across all three discs, Drury offers a dazzling range of repertoire, from monumental organ works by Reger and Liszt to orchestral classics by Bach, Elgar, Saint-Saëns and Wagner, brilliantly arranged for the ‘king of instruments’. This collection also features three thrilling improvisations by Drury himself – the only Australian ever to win the prestigious Tournemire Prize for improvisation. TRACKLISTING CD1 Music for a Grand Organ William Hill & Son Grand Organ, Sydney Town Hall 1        MENDELSSOHN arr. Best           War March of the Priests from Athalie2        FRANCK Cantabile3        GIGOUT Toccata4        WAGNER transcr. Lemare           Pilgrims’ Chorus from Tannhäuser5        DUPRÉ Cortège et Litanie6        PEETERS Aria7        SAINT-SAËNS transcr. Lemare           Danse macabre8        STANFORD Fantasia and Toccata9        DRURY Improvisation on a Theme of Nigel Butterley10      HOLLINS A Song of Sunshine11      MOSZKOWSKI arr. Goss-Custard           Romance sans paroles12      KOEHNE Gothic Toccata CD2 Pomp & CircumstanceWilliam Hill & Son Grand Organ, Sydney Town Hall 1        ELGAR transcr. Lemare           Pomp and Circumstance No. 12        BACH arr. Phillips Orchestral Suite No. 3: Air3-4     WHITLOCK Sonata in C minor5        LISZT Fantasy and Fugue on the Chorale ‘Ad nos, ad salutarem undam’6        ELGAR arr. Harris Enigma Variations: ‘Nimrod’7        DRURY Improvisation on a Theme of Peter Sculthorpe8        HOLLINS A Trumpet Minuet9        VIERNE Carillon de Westminster CD3 On a Grand ScaleT.C. Lewis Organ, St Paul’s Cathedral, Melbourne 1-2     SAINT-SAËNS Prelude and Fugue in C major3        DRURY Improvisation4-6     JACKSON Toccata, Chorale and Fugue          JONGEN 4 pièces, Op. 37 7        I. Cantabile 8        II. Improvisation – Caprice 9        III. Prière 10      IV. Choral11-12  REGER Fantasy on the Chorale ‘Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme!’ David Drury organ

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge is unquestionably one of the finest choirs in the world. Founded in the 15th century and drawing on an unbroken tradition of musical excellence, the Choir has captured the hearts of listeners all around the world. Generations of Australian audiences have thrilled to the exquisite beauty of the Choir’s annual Christmas festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, in radio broadcasts from the BBC; in July and August this year, they have the opportunity to hear these inspirational singers in the flesh, as the Choir embarks on a national tour for Musica Viva Australia.To celebrate this event, ABC Classic is delighted to release this limited edition collection of classic King’s College recordings, featuring three of its most respected directors: Stephen Cleobury, David Willcocks and Philip Ledger, and drawing on the repertoire being presented on the Choir’s Australian tour. The album takes us on a journey through the English choral music tradition, from a cappella Renaissance jewels by English masters William Byrd and Orlando Gibbons to the masterpieces of the 20th-century British cathedral tradition: Charles Stanford, Gerald Finzi, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Hubert Parry and, at the heart of the album, Benjamin Britten’s meltingly beautiful and infinitely joyous A Ceremony of Carols, for treble voices and harp.TRACKLISTING  1        GIBBONS Hosanna to the Son of David 2        PURCELL Iehovah, quam multi sunt 3        FINZI Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice 4        STANFORD For Lo, I Raise Up 5-16   BRITTEN A Ceremony of Carols 17      PURCELL Remember Not, Lord, Our Offences 18      VAUGHAN WILLIAMS Valiant-for-Truth 19      BYRD Laudibus in sanctis 20      PARRY I Was Glad  Choir of King’s College, Cambridgeconducted bySir Stephen Cleobury (tracks 2, 4–16, 18 and 19)Sir David Willcocks (tracks 3 and 20)Sir Philip Ledger (tracks 1 and 17)Choir of King’s College, Cambridgeconducted bySir Stephen Cleobury (tracks 2, 4–16, 18 and 19)Sir David Willcocks (tracks 3 and 20)Sir Philip Ledger (tracks 1 and 17)

Rescued from the vaults and now available for the first time: two superb tracks by award-winning Australian organist David Drury. Recorded on the 1911 Murray M. Harris Organ in St James’ Church, Los Angeles, this digital EP presents one of the landmarks in 20th-century organ music: Joseph Jongen’s magnificent Sonata Eroica. Intensely beautiful and passionately rhapsodic, the Sonata Eroica traces a musical journey from simple folk melody to mighty fugue, finishing in a radiant burst of joyous sunshine. Drury takes full advantage of the colours and textures available on the Harris organ, bringing to life the grandeur of Jongen’s vision. 

ABC Jazz is excited to announce the release of Little Did They Know, an album of beautiful, melodic songs performed by Angela Davis, Tony Gould and Sam Anning.Recorded by producer Mal Stanley at the ABC’s Melbourne studios, it captures three musicians utterly in sync with each other. This trio have performed together quite a bit over the years, and have developed a simple, honest and melodic style, seeking to make things as beautiful as possible. “The recording is inspired by the simplicity and beauty of Bill Frisell’s compositions and improvisations as well as Lee Konitz’s trio record “Alone Together” with Brad Mehldau and Charlie Haden,” says Davis. “All three of us have a deep appreciation of simple, beautiful melodies and I think that comes through on the recording.”Featuring four original compositions by Davis herself, alongside arrangements of works by Haden, Frisell, Sammy Fain and one George Frederic Handel, Little Did They Know brings together three of Australia’s finest jazz musicians for a very special recording.Described by the Age as having ‘an instinctively melodic approach’, Angela Davis is a unique and sought-after musician currently based in Melbourne. She holds a Masters of Music from the University of the Arts in Philadelphia and has performed with numerous jazz luminaries including Carla Bley, Steve Swallow, Patti Austin, James Morrison, Dan Tepfer, Linda Oh & Sandy Evans.Pianist Tony Gould is one of Australia’s most respected musicians, with a career spanning more than 50 years of jazz, classical, and more. He has been involved in an extraordinary number of recording projects both as pianist and composer and has been at the forefront of music education in Australia via various tertiary institutions in Melbourne and throughout Australia, and has been a supporting artist to Dave Brubeck, Oscar Peterson, Sarah Vaughan, Jean Luc Ponty, Ray Brown, the Art Ensemble of Chicago and many other distinguished groups.Originally from Fremantle WA, Sam Anning has become an internationally sought-after bassist. He moved to Melbourne and became intensely involved in the jazz scene there, before a scholarship to the prestigious Manhattan School of Music saw him fully immersed in the New York jazz community.

Classic 100: ComposerThe Top Ten & Selected HighlightsWho is your favourite composer?TheClassic 100, Australia’s favourite classical music countdown, this year asked Australia the big question. The votes poured in: for the household names, the ‘one-hit wonders’ and for the unsung heroes, for the giants of the past and the voices of today. Composers of mighty symphonies, grand operas and intimate piano jewels; of timeless meditations, enchanting ballets and stirring film scores. The result was a dazzling array of 100 composers from 15 countries, stretching across nine centuries of music.The full list of names was announced live on air over the long weekend in June, counting down from No. 100 to the ‘winner’, Ludwig van Beethoven, at No. 1. It’s the definitive ranking of Australia’s favourite composers.This 2CD album offers a handy ‘field guide’ to that list: the top ten composers, plus a selection of highlights from across the full hundred, giving a taste of the extraordinary variety of styles, eras and genres. The timeless purity of medieval abbess Hildegard of Bingen; the sultry tangos of Astor Piazzolla. The irrepressible good humour of Haydn; the solemn beauty of Samuel Barber’s Adagio for Strings; the towering might of Wagner and the delicate flight of Vaughan Williams’ Lark Ascending.It’s a wonderful way to dip your toe into the vast ocean of classical music, or introduce a friend to the glories of these magnificent composers. TRACKLISTCD1Rank1     BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5: I. Allegro con brio12     JS BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: I. Allegro23     MOZART Symphony No. 40: I. Molto allegro34     TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture45     HANDEL Zadok the Priest56     VIVALDI The Four Seasons: Spring: I. Allegro67     CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 278     SCHUBERT Trout Quintet: IV. Theme and Variations89     RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2: I. Moderato910    ELGAR Enigma Variations: Nimrod1011    VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending – excerpt11  CD2 1     MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto No. 2: III. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace122     WILLIAMS Raiders of the Lost Ark: Main Title153     KATS-CHERNIN Wild Swans:Eliza Aria164     MAHLER Symphony No. 5: IV. Adagietto205     HAYDN Trumpet Concerto: III. Allegro256     HILDEGARD OF BINGEN O eterne Deus337     WAGNER Ride of the Valkyries358     FAURÉ Pavane399     RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez: I. Allegro con spirito5410    BARBER Adagio for Strings6111    KHACHATURIAN Spartacus: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia6312    PIAZZOLLA Libertango6413    EINAUDI I giorni6514    PACHELBEL Canon7815    ORFF Carmina burana: O Fortuna99 

Classic 100: Composer8CD box setWho is your favourite composer?In 2019, the Classic 100 asked the ultimate musical question: who is the composer you can’t live without?There were those for whom this was an impossible task. One listener compared the process to choosing ‘a favourite child’; another, ‘which limb I couldn't live without’. But Australia did choose – in record numbers. Over 120,000 votes were cast, and every one had a story behind it. We heard the reasons why certain composers are an indelible part of your life: because of memories associated, or the feelings their music evokes, or often a reason beyond words.Beethoven was perhaps an unsurprising winner. For many, he is so important because he reflects the full palette of our own lives. ‘He understands,’ said one voter, deftly capturing his ineffable genius in two words. And while your votes put the top four – rounded out with JS Bach, Mozart and Tchaikovsky – in a league of their own, other composers in the top 100 were often just a handful of votes apart.This boxset brings together music by all 100 of the top composers – more than 10 hours of music across 8 CDs. Celebrate your favourites, and explore some new ones!VOLUME I CD11     BEETHOVEN Symphony No. 5: I. Allegro con brio2     JS BACH Brandenburg Concerto No. 3: I. Allegro3     MOZART Symphony No. 40: I. Molto allegro4     TCHAIKOVSKY 1812 Overture5     HANDEL Zadok the Priest6     VIVALDI The Four Seasons: Spring: I. Allegro7     CHOPIN Nocturne in E-flat major, Op. 9 No. 28     SCHUBERT Trout Quintet: IV. Theme and Variations9     RACHMANINOFF Piano Concerto No. 2: I. Moderato10   ELGAR Enigma Variations: Nimrod11   VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending – excerpt CD212   MENDELSSOHN Violin Concerto No. 2: III. Allegretto non troppo – Allegro molto vivace13   DVOŘÁK New World Symphony: II. Largo14   BRAHMS Symphony No. 4: I. Allegro non troppo15   WILLIAMS Raiders of the Lost Ark: Main Title16   KATS-CHERNIN Wild Swans:Eliza Aria17   SIBELIUS Finlandia18   SCULTHORPE Left Bank Waltz19   PUCCINI La bohème:O soave fanciulla20   MAHLER Symphony No. 5: IV. Adagietto21   VERDI Nabucco:Va’, pensiero22   DEBUSSY Clair de lune CD323   SAINT-SAËNS Organ Symphony: IIb. Maestoso - Allegro24   SHOSTAKOVICH Symphony No. 8: II. Allegretto25   HAYDN Trumpet Concerto: III. Allegro26   PÄRT Spiegel im Spiegel27   GERSHWIN Rhapsody in Blue28   RAVEL Boléro29   GRIEG Piano Concerto: I. Allegro molto moderato CD430   EDWARDS Maninyas: III. Second Maninya31   WESTLAKE Antarctica: Penguin Ballet32   PROKOFIEV Montagues and Capulets from Romeo and Juliet33   HILDEGARD OF BINGEN O tu suavissima virga34   BIZET The Pearl Fishers: Duet35   WAGNER Ride of the Valkyries36   GLASS Violin Concerto No. 1: First movement37   SATIE Gymnopédie No. 138   BERNSTEIN Candide: Overture39   FAURÉ Pavane40   MORRICONE The Mission: Gabriel’s Oboe41   R STRAUSS Four Last Songs: Frühling42   HOLST The Planets: Mars, the Bringer of War43   COPLAND Fanfare for the Common Man44   MONTEVERDI Orfeo: Prologue – excerpt VOLUME IICD545   PURCELL Dido and Aeneas: Dido’s Lament46   STRAVINSKY The Rite of Spring – excerpt47   SCHUMANN Träumerei48   TELEMANN Tafelmusik: Conclusion49   BRUCH Violin Concerto No. 1: III. Finale50   BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes from Peter Grimes: I. Dawn51     BORODIN Prince Igor: Polovtsian Dances52     TALLIS Spem in alium53     LISZT Liebestraum No. 354     RODRIGO Concierto de Aranjuez: I. Allegro con spirito55     ROSSINI The Barber of Seville: Largo al factotum56     RIMSKY-KORSAKOV Scheherazade: I. The Sea and Sinbad's Ship CD657     BERLIOZ Symphonie fantastique: March to the Scaffold58     GRAINGER Handel in the Strand59     ZIMMER Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl60     CPE BACH Trio Sonata in A major: I. Allegretto61     BARBER Adagio for Strings62     C SCHUMANN Romance No. 163     KHACHATURIAN Spartacus: Adagio of Spartacus and Phrygia64     PIAZZOLLA Libertango65     EINAUDI I giorni66     J STRAUSS II Blue Danube Waltz67     JENKINS Benedictus68     RUTTER For the Beauty of the Earth69     BRUCKNER Symphony No. 7: III. Scherzo70     BOCCHERINI Minuet CD771     SMETANA Vltava (The Moldau) – excerpt72     SULLIVAN The Gondoliers: Overture73     ALBINONI Oboe Concerto in D minor: II. Adagio74     MUSSORGSKY Pictures at an Exhibition: Promenade and Gnomus75     J STRAUSS I Radetzky March76     BYRD Ave verum corpus77     BARTOK Concerto for Orchestra: II. Giuoco delle coppie78     PACHELBEL Canon79     CORELLI Christmas Concerto: Pastorale80     RICHTER Vivaldi Recomposed: Spring 181     SHORE The Fellowship of the Rings: The Fellowship82     PALESTRINA O beata et benedicta83     FANNY MENDELSSOHN Piano Trio: II. Andante espressivo84     RESPIGHI Ancient Airs and Dances: Bergamasca85     BARRY Out of Africa: Theme86     ALLEGRI Miserere – excerpt CD887     BARTON Kalkadungu Yurdu88     PAGANINI Violin Concerto No. 1: II. Adagio espressivo89     MASSENET Thais: Meditation90     GLANVILLE-HICKS Etruscan Concerto: III. Scherzo91     NYMAN: The Piano: The Heart Asks Pleasure First92     KORNGOLD Die tote Stadt: Glück, das mir verblieb93     KOEHNE Tivoli Dances: I. Santa Ana Freeway94     RAMEAU Les Indes galantes: Overture95     GÓRECKI Symphony of Sorrowful Songs: II. Lento e largo96     WHITWELL She Walks in Beauty97     D SCARLATTI Piano Sonata in G major, Kk45498     VINE Piano Concerto No. 1: 2nd movement99     ORFF Carmina burana: O Fortuna100         POULENC Mélancolie

What did the early Australian colony sound like? Apart from ‘Bound for Botany Bay’, it’s not a question we ask ourselves very often. But it’s a question that Shane Lestideau has set about trying to answer. Having just completed a master’s degree on music in eighteenth-century Scotland, Shane was curious to know how much of this repertoire had been brought to Australia during the early years of European colonisation. The opportunity to research the topic was presented in the form of the 2019 National Folk Fellowship. It allowed her full access to the National Library of Australia’s music collection, and she spent several weeks digging out the oldest and most interesting examples of Scottish baroque, classical and folk music as played and cherished by European immigrants in Australia. The stylistic distinctions between these three genres of music are particularly blurred in Scotland where one commonly finds traditional Scottish airs used in chamber and orchestral music.When it came to recording these works, Shane needed a band of brilliant, versatile performers who could move seamlessly between styles and musical periods, who could play these works as they were intended to be played.And what a band it is, featuring the beautiful voice and harp playing of Claire Patti (The Velvetones), Shane Lestideau andBen Dollman (Australian Brandenburg Orchestra) on period violins, Rachel Johnston on cello (formerly of the Australian String Quartet), and Emily-Rose Šárkova (from the genre-blending ensemble Chaika) on piano and piano-accordion.The result is One Hundred Days Away, a haunting album focusing on songs and tunes that are linked to the sea, a nostalgia for ‘home’, or the struggle to settle in unfamiliar lands. Part classical, part folk, part Scottish, part Australian, this album captures the musical – and emotional – landscape of the early Australian settlement.Evergreen EnsembleClaire Patti soprano & Celtic harpEmily-Rose Šárkova piano accordion & pianoRachel Johnston celloShane Lestideau violin, violin d’amoreBen Dollman violin & viola

Music by Dr Allan Zavod | Words by Dr Alan FinkelNarrated by Sir Richard BransonMelbourne Symphony Orchestra conducted by Benjamin Northey“…delivering such an important message in a language that is as accessible as possible is key to The Environmental Symphony’spotential to communicate with a broad audience.” – Limelight (2015)ABC Classic presents The Environmental Symphony, an ambitious and epic work that spans five billion years, from the formation of the planet through to the devastation of our current age.Released on United Nations World Environment Day, Wednesday June 5, The Environmental Symphony sounds a warning of what will happen if we don’t act boldly and decisively to address our climate crisis, but ends with an optimistic vision of a greener, cleaner future.With music by the genre-bending Dr. Allan Zavod, words by Dr. Alan Finkel, narrated by Sir Richard Branson, and performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and conductor Benjamin Northey, this recording is a major international release that lends some musical muscle to the ongoing political and environmental fight against climate change. Known for his unique creative blend of improvised jazz and classical music, Dr. Allan Zavod wasone of Australia’s most exciting pioneers of fusion music – a pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and conductor, he broke down barriers between genres alongside international superstars such as Eric Clapton, Frank Zappa, Sting, Nigel Kennedy and many more. The Environmental Symphony was his last major work before his death in 2016.Dr Alan Finkel, a friend and admirer of Allan Zavod’s performance and creative prowess, was honoured when Zavod asked him to provide the storyline and the libretto for The Environmental Symphony. They shared the belief that music and science could unite to provide a fresh insight into the problem of global warming. Currently Australia’s Chief Scientist and a former Chancellor of Monash University and President of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, Finkel has had a long and successful career in industry. He has received many accolades and awards, and is passionate about science education.Since starting youth culture magazine Student at aged 16, Sir Richard Branson has found entrepreneurial ways to drive positive change in the world. In 2004 Richard established Virgin Unite, the non-profit foundation of the Virgin Group, which unites people and entrepreneurial ideas to create opportunities for a better world. Most of his time is now spent building businesses that will make a positive difference in the world and working with Virgin Unite and organisations it has incubated, such as The Elders, The Carbon War Room, The B Team and Ocean Unite. He also serves on the Global Commission on Drug Policy and supports ocean conservation with the Ocean Elders.Australian conductor Benjamin Northey is the Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Associate Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. Highly active in the performance of Australian orchestral music, Northey is an Honorary Fellow at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, his awards include the prestigious 2010 Melbourne Prize Outstanding Musician’s Award and the 2002 Brian Stacey Memorial Scholarship, as well as multiple awards and nominations for his numerous CD recordings with ABC Classic.The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is a leading cultural figure in the Australian arts landscape, bringing the best in orchestral music and passionate performance to a diverse audience across the nation and around the world. Each year the MSO engages with more than 5 million people through live concerts, TV, radio and online broadcasts, international and regional tours, recordings and education programs. From its home at Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne, to free summer concerts at Melbourne’s largest outdoor venue, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, the MSO evolves and inspires a broad range of audiences with more than 160 concerts a year. Sir Richard Branson narratorMelbourne Symphony OrchestraBenjamin Northey conductor

ABC Jazz is proud to release a new album from Judy Bailey’s Jazz Connection. This iconic Sydney outfit has been led by award-winning pianist Judy Bailey oam – one of Australia’s most highly regarded jazz artists, composers, arrangers and educators – since the 1990s. Made up primarily of emerging artists, most of them studying at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Jazz Connection is an elite jazz orchestra that fosters talented young jazz musicians, giving them the opportunity to perform live at prestigious festivals and venues such as the Sound Lounge (Seymour Centre), Jazz Groove Association (Club 505) and the Sydney Opera House.Judy Bailey is one of Australia`s leading musical identities, with numerous awards, including the inaugural APRA award for Jazz Composition, an Australian Entertainment award for Jazz Performance, the Order of Australia Medal for services to Jazz and Education, and the Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music. She continues to teach at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.This studio album, recorded in December 2018 at Sydney’s Studio 301, showcases Bailey’s compositional talent, featuring both new works and new big band arrangements of some of her classics hits. Recorded in a single day, the album captures the energy and creative flair of the band - which features up-and-coming soloists including Tom Avgenicos, Lachy Hamilton and 2018 National Jazz Award winner Alex Hirlian.All tracks written and arranged by Judy BaileyJudy Bailey’s Jazz ConnectionSaxophones:          Lachlan Hamilton                                Jack Stoneham                                Michael Avgenicos                                Chris Higgins                                Anthony TummilloTrumpets:               James Power                                Tom Avgenicos                                James Sarno                                Tom ArblasterTrombones:           Ellie Shearer                                Jacob Parks                                Lawson McGuinness                                Des CanningsRhythm Section:     Matt Harris (piano)                                Yutaro Okuda (guitar)                                Sarah Evans (bass)                                Alex Hirlian (drums)

“Australia’s greatest composer” Limelight magazinePeter Sculthorpe created an Australian classical music that for the first time spoke directly of the land, the people and the spirit of this country.Released to coincide with what would have been his 90th birthday, The Best of Peter Sculthorpe brings together more than two hours of his best-loved and most iconic works, from solo piano works played by Tamara-Anna Cislowska, to orchestral works and concertos performed by great soloists William Barton, Karin Schaupp and Amy Dickson, and his 18th and final string quartet.Born in Launceston on 29 April 1929, Sculthorpe rose to international recognition by creating a uniquely Australian style of music. From the wet season of the Northern Territory in Kakadu to the brutality of the southern summer in Sun Music IV, from the seaside war memorial that inspired Small Town to the timeless connection between Indigenous people and their land represented in Earth Cry, Sculthorpe captured the extremes of the country’s natural landscape, and stirred the imagination of its people.Sculthorpe was made an officer of the Order of Australia in 1990, and an Australian National Living Treasure in 1998. He died in 2014, at the age of 85. TRACKLISTING  PETER SCULTHORPE 1929–2014 CD11.       Music for Bali2.       Earth Cry          William Barton didgeridoo         Island Songs – Concerto for Saxophone3.       I.     Song of Home4.       II.    Lament and Yearning          Amy Dickson saxophone5.       Small Town6.       Sun Music IV7.       Djilile          Tamara-Anna Cislowska piano8.       On High Hills9.       Irkanda IV          Richard Tognetti violin10.     New Norcia CD21.       Left Bank Waltz          Tamara-Anna Cislowska piano2.       Nourlangie – Concerto for Guitar          Karin Schaupp guitar3.       Evocation          Tamara-Anna Cislowska piano4.       From Ubirr          William Barton didgeridoo         String Quartet No. 185.       I.     Prelude6.       II.    A Land Singing7.       III.   A Dying Land8.       IV.   A Lost Land9.       V.    Postlude          Flinders Quartet10      Kakadu