Scotland Unbound
10 November 2024
Guitarist Sean Shibe makes his Australian debut in this inspired and thrilling season closer.
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Date |
Time |
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Sunday 10 November 2024 |
2pm |
In English
Wheelchair accessible
No language barrier
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House
Scotland Unbound
Sean Shibe plays guitar without limits. He is a chameleon of the new generation: he’s met with acclaim in the great recital halls of the world (and his recent Bach album was described by Gramophone Magazine as “the best-ever Bach recording on guitar”), but he also forges new horizons by ranging fearlessly beyond classical music. You can’t help but get carried away with his magic.
For his Australian debut, Shibe celebrates his Scottish heritage in a thrilling ride through the Highlands and beyond.
With Shibe on classical guitar and Tognetti directing the strings of the ACO, the concert opens with a Scotland steeped in lore. Lady Margaret Wemyss died in 1648 at the untimely age of 18, but her legacy lives on in the haunting solo music she collected in her family’s Fife castle. These tunes are interspersed with the irresistible rhythms of Scottish folk songs, while a new commission from Cassandra Miller, one of the most soul-stirring composers writing today, brings this rich history right up to date.
Then tradition is thrown to the wind as Shibe takes up his electric guitar and the ACO steps into a technicolor world of musical invention. Martyn Bennett’s Bothy Culture takes inspiration from the 90s rave scene in Edinburgh while being rooted in the traditions of the Highlands and ancient cultures. Lad, by Julia Wolfe, originally composed for nine bagpipes and arranged here for electric guitar and strings, has been described by the composer as a “dive into a psychedelic landscape, at once multilayered, fractured, ecstatic, silent, driving, cacophonous, and direct.”
At just 32, Shibe is one of the most exhilarating young stars performing today, and a perfect match for the electric energy and musical curiosity for which the ACO is famous. This is the concert you’ll reflect on in years to come: “I saw him when…”
Presented by the Australian Chamber Orchestra.
Program
TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH Solo lute manuscripts compiled by Lady Margaret Wemyss
JAMES MACMILLAN (arr. George Duthie) From Galloway
TRADITIONAL SCOTTISH Suite of folk songs
CASSANDRA MILLER New Commission for solo guitar and strings (Australian Premiere)*
JULIA WOLFE (arr. electric guitar and strings) Lad (Australian Premiere)
DAVID FENNESSY Hirta Rounds (Australian Premiere)
MARTYN BENNETT (arr. electric guitar and strings) Bothy Culture: Selections
*Co-commissioned by the Dunedin Consort (supported by John Ellerman Foundation), Barbican Centre, Saffron Hall, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Cheltenham Music Festival.
Artists
Richard Tognetti
Director & Violin
Sean Shibe
Classical & Electric Guitars
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Australian Chamber Orchestra
Throughout 2024 the ACO travels across genres and artforms, traversing centuries of music from the celebrated classics to the sounds of tomorrow as only it can. And the spark at the heart of it all: the Orchestra, leading the way and igniting this season of extraordinary music for you.
Other information
Venue information
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
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Covid-safe information
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Frequently asked questions
Ticket purchases and collection at our Box Office is discouraged and eTicket or postal delivery methods should be used, wherever possible. However, if you are collecting your tickets from the Box Office, we recommend doing this at least 60 minutes before the event starts. If you have already received your tickets, the venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Please take your seats as soon as you arrive.
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Please contact Box Office on 9250 7777 as soon as possible to advise if you can no longer attend. If you can no longer attend because you are unwell, or have been in contact with someone displaying COVID-19 symptoms, the Opera House has introduced flexible ticketing options to help you.
Foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.
The venue doors will be open 45 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and 30 minutes pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances.
Please bring a credit or debit card for any on site purchases to enable contactless payment. You’re welcome to bring your own water bottle but no other food and drinks are permitted inside our venues. Opera Bar, Opera Kitchen and Portside are also available for you to enjoy.
The health, safety and wellbeing of everyone at the Sydney Opera House is our top priority. In line with this commitment, the Opera House will become a smoke-free site from Saturday 1 January 2022.
By becoming a smoke-free site, the Opera House seeks to reduce exposure to harmful second-hand smoke, as well as minimise the impact of smoking on the environment, including litter and pollution of the surrounding marine environment.
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