ODE TO JOY will see Maestro Clerici lead the Orchestra, with internationally acclaimed didgeridoo virtuoso William Barton and powerhouse violinist Véronique Serret along with soprano Eleanor Lyons, mezzo soprano Deborah Humble, tenor Andrew Goodwin, baritone Michael Honeyman and the Brisbane Chamber Choir performing Beethoven’s magnificent Symphony No.9 (Choral) along with Sculthorpe’s celebrated Earth Cry. Barton and Serret will also perform, for the first time in the Concert Hall, their collaboration Kalkani, described as ‘a message of peace and love carried by the eagle spirit’, transformed into a stunning orchestral version.

Beethoven was born 251 years ago, and his work still resonates with contemporary composers. We start the evening with a fresh touch: Frederik Neyrinck presenting a new work for choir, a setting of a text from the first article of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, reflecting the revolutionary ideals that Beethoven passionately believed in. Then it’s time for the ninth – Beethoven’s last symphony is so monumental that the number says it all. This Ode to Joy is almost two hundred years old, and only improves with age.