Melbourne Recital Centre is bringing the musical wonder with some performances you really won't find anywhere else.
Nothing beats a fresh musical experience unlike any you’ve had before and it’s basically a 100% strike rate when you look at everything happening at Melbourne Recital Centre in September.
Challenge yourself to find a new musical experience with these one-off performances.
Keep up with the latest music news, features, festivals, interviews and reviews here.
Kristian Chong & Friends – Quartet for the End of Time
- When: Thursday, September 5th
- Where: Primrose Potter Salon
- Tickets here
Start September with acclaimed pianist Kristian Chong. He is teaming up with his buddies for a performance of Olivier Messiaen’s Quartet for the End of Time, an eight-movement masterpiece written during Messiaen’s time as a prisoner-of-war in World War II.
Crafted for the unusual combination of violin, cello, clarinet, and piano—chosen based on the instruments available in the camp—this work is often hailed as Messiaen’s magnum opus. The music is infused with Messiaen’s fascination with birdsong, using melodies that echo the freedom and beauty of birds, which he believed surpassed any human-made music. This isn’t a piece of music you will hear a lot, especially in such an intimate setting, so let Kristian and his clique start the month off right for you.
Jackie Bornstein – Peace & Love
- When: Friday, September 13th
- Where: Primrose Potter Salon
- Tickets here
Jackie Bornstein is hands-down one of Melbourne’s most enchanting jazz, bossa nova, and chanson singers. Her soulful voice will fill Primrose Potter Salon this September with her new show, Peace & Love, a celebration of love and life and a heartfelt response to the world’s recent tensions. Jackie hopes to foster empathy and understanding through her music via swinging and ethereal modern jazz pieces.
Singing in English, Portuguese, and French, Jackie and her band will journey through jazz, bossa nova, and pop, featuring works by iconic artists like Sting, Duke Ellington, Antonio Carlos Jobim, and more. It’s a celebration of life, connection, and inclusion that promises to be uplifting and unforgettable.
Vardos – Women of Eastern European Music
- When: Saturday, September 14th
- Where: Primrose Potter Salon
- Tickets here
Vardos’ tribute to the incredible women of Eastern European music will offer some sounds you likely haven’t heard before. The trio, led by violinist Alana Hunt, with Kirri Büchler on double bass and Sofia Chapman on accordion, brilliantly communicates the vibrant spirit of Eastern European folk and Romany music.
In this intimate Salon performance, Vardos pays homage to the influential women who have inspired and shaped their eclectic sound. From the legendary Macedonian Rroma singer Esma Redžepova-Teodosievska to Romanian popstar Loredana and Hungarian folk expert Salamon Beáta, the rich, diverse musical traditions these women helped cultivate will be on full display. You’ll see violin, accordion, double bass, viola, and vocals in five languages, and the Hungarian hurdy-gurdy combine to create a sound (and performance) unlike anything else.
Bach Cello Suites – Part 1
- When: Tuesday, September 24th
- Where: Primrose Potter Salon
- Tickets here
Get ready for a little SeptemBACH thanks to this special evening showcasing three of Bach’s most beloved suites, each performed by a different, highly distinguished cellist. Josephine Vains will be taking on the intricate and uplifting Suite No.6 in D. Playing on a unique 5-string baroque cello, Richard Narroway will interpret Suite No.4 in E-flat, and David Berlin, Principal Cellist of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, will finish things off with the iconic Suite No.1 in G.
Expect 75 minutes of Bach’s mastery in all its glory. De-stress, and let these powerful pieces take you somewhere else for a little bit!
Wallace & Gromit – The Wrong Trousers with Live Brass Band!
- When: Wednesday, September 25th, 11am & 6:30pm
- Where: Elisabeth Murdoch Hall
- Tickets here
We all love Wallace & Gromit, and their classic adventure, The Wrong Trousers, is being given a unique twist with live brass band accompaniment for the school holidays. Scarily, the film came out 30 years ago, so if your kids have yet to experience it, this is the way to do it. The Darebin City Brass Preston Band will bring the duo’s tangle with a mischievous penguin lodger and some techno-trousers to life.
A live-scored screening is a great way to spend some time with the family and the perfect ending to a very musical September at the Melbourne Recital Centre.
Grab your tickets to the events taking place at the Melbourne Recital Centre this September here.
This article was made in partnership with Melbourne Recital Centre.
