From desert to water, classical to electro, orchestras to vocal legends, March at Melbourne Recital Centre offers a diverse display of music.
Melbourne Recital Centre has curated a lineup of contrasts and variations on a theme.
Etran de L’Aïr swings in with the hypnotic sounds of Saharan desert rock, all electrifying guitar solos, persistent beats and music bound to place and home. Sunny Kim’s Ensemble Ochaye presents Water Song, many places drawn together in a cross-cultural musical experience where different traditions, instruments and identities flow together into a single present experience.
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Their acts span the globe, from beloved homegrown vocalists Vika and Linda performing a special show drawing from decades of song to American-born Iceland-based synth storyteller John Grant touring off the back of his newest album.
There are contrasting explorations of the classical also, with the intimacy and emotion of Paolo Pandolfo’s solo virtuoso performance of the viola de gamba and an ensemble presentation of Bach and Mozart from the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra.
Etran de L’Aïr
- When: Tuesday, March 4th
- Where: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
- Tickets here
Etran de L’Aïr evokes the sun-soaked city of Agadez, their home and the heart of Saharan rock. Formed in 1995, this family band of brothers and cousins have become global sensations and are Agadez’s most phenomenally popular wedding band.
Their lively, pan-African sound is based in Tuareg roots and the spirit of celebration, blending influences of Malian blues, Hausa bar bands, and Congolese Soukous. Expect vibrant performances with overlapping guitar solos, hypnotic reverb and dynamic percussive beats. Be carried away by the spirit and sound of the desert city and the places that touch it.
Sunny Kim’s Ensemble Ochaye – Water Song
- ]When: Friday, March 7th
- Where: Primrose Potter Salon
- Tickets here
South Korean vocalist Sunny Kim and the Ensemble Ochaye (named for traditional Korean ceremonial music) bring a unique experience in Water Song. It explores cross-cultural connections through music, with a blend of Korean, Chinese, Iranian and western instruments and international and Australian artists, drawn together by the power of water.
Personal and traditional elements flow into each other to create a fresh sonic experience and unity of these diverse forms. Immersive and beautiful, these syncretic sounds are led by a South Korean tradition and a confluence of musical elements and stories from around the world to explore water as a symbol of connection and renewal.
Paolo Pandolfo – Adieu Sweet Love – The Art of Melancholy
- When: Wednesday, March 12th
- Where: Primrose Potter Salon
- Tickets here
Master of the viola de gamba, Italian virtuoso Paolo Pandolfo has spent his life researching and performing with this classical instrument. For this show, Pandolfo distils centuries of musical history into the purity of a curated solo set, including the works of Tobias Hume and Bach and de Machy’s French suite. Part history, part modern interpretation, a showcase of a single instrument and its skilled performer in an evening of musical purity.
The venue acoustics of the Primrose Potter Salon are reminiscent of the European courts where these songs were originally performed, making this an absolutely inimitable evening of focused musical experience from this acclaimed soloist.
John Grant
- When: Thursday, March 13th
- Where: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
- Tickets here
John Grant is a baritone balladeer of electronic music. He blends ’80s style synth, ’70s pop structures, folk lyricism and classical roots for in expansive storytelling style all his own.
He touches subjects with his characteristic humour and melancholy, oscillating between campy electropop vocals and sorrowful reflections in sweeping soundscapes of synth.
His latest album, The Art of The Lie, is concerned with both the present state of the world, the portraits of his own interior life and the broader human experience. His Melbourne Recital Centre performance, pared back from the lush layers of synth on the album, presents a catalogue of his work and a more intimate experience with his music.
An Evening with Vika & Linda
- When: Friday, March 14th
- Where: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
- Tickets here
Vika & Linda, Australia’s iconic songstress sisters, are back at MRC for a special performance with producer and collaborator Cameron Bruce on piano.
From their beginnings singing in church and at family events as children, the Bull sisters went on to find success as backing vocalists with blues-rock group the Black Sorrows, reaching the ARIA charts in the ’90s. Since 1994 they’ve performed as a duo act, releasing numerous albums and collaborating with such Australian legends as Paul Kelly, Kasey Chambers and John Farnham.
Putting a lifetime of shared song into a single evening, it promises to be an unforgettable retrospective of their career.
Freiburg Baroque with Siobhan Stagg
- When: Monday, March 24th
- Where: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
- Tickets here
The world-renowned Freiburg Baroque Orchestra presents a journey through great works of the Baroque and Classical periods, led by musical director Gottfried von der Goltz.
Opening with Bach’s Symphony in G minor, they move through a selection of Mozart’s masterpieces: Piano Concerto No. 9 (with Australian pianist Kristian Bezuidenhout), Violin Concerto No. 5 and Symphony No. 40 (which will be performed on period instruments).
This first of two performances showcases the drama, vibrance and energy these historic works continue to express, interpreted by a captivating ensemble of musicians.
The Melbourne Recital Centre March program runs from March 4 to 24. For the full program, head here.
This article was made in partnership with Melbourne Recital Centre.
