BY CUTCOMMON
We like to keep an eye on what’s happening in live performance — and in this list, we’re shifting our gaze towards the Melbourne Recital Centre.
There’s a huge amount of live music this August and September, so here are some of our top picks for classical and art music lovers. Jot these dates in your calendar, and enjoy what Australia’s talented musicians have to offer.
Chong, Barltrop and Narroway Play Trios, 16 August
Been to the Melbourne Recital Centre before? You might’ve heard the ever-popular Kristian Chong. The pianist will play alongside two other masterful chamber musicians: violinist Dale Barltrop (above), and cellist Richard Narroway. They’ve chosen Beethoven’s Sonata for Piano and Cello Op.5 No.2 in G minor, and Dvořák’s Piano Trio No.3 in F minor – a reliable concert program for your Saturday night. Make it a date in Primrose Potter Salon.
Chamber Made – Listening Acts Performance, 22 and 23 August
What is music, and how do you define it against the concept of sound? That’s what you’ll be thinking about in this Chamber Made performance. You’ll hear music made from an IV machine representing healing, and soundscapes that come from instruments custom-made for this event. It will be unusual, which is exactly what sparks your imagination as a listener. Enter this musical world with artists Biddy Connor, Aviva Endean, and Alexandra Spence.
Paul Grabowsky and Michelle Nicolle – Noir, 8pm on 30 August
If you missed out on tickets to hear composer-pianist Paul Grabowsky and jazz singer Michelle Nicolle, now’s your chance to get back in the game. The 6pm show is sold out, but you can check the Melbourne Recital Centre website to book the second show by popular demand. The program is filled with music from their ABC Jazz album Noir, so you can expect classics from Cole Porter, Frank Sinatra, and Grabowsky himself through this unique reimagining from the collaborative duo.
Stephen McIntyre Plays Schumann, 18 September
Take a deep dive into two works from Robert Schumann, Fantasie in C and Bunte Blätter. The former is considered a passionate love letter to Clara; she confessed that it made her ‘hot and cold all over’. Although it features a ‘Clara theme’, the work itself is dedicated to composer Franz Liszt, and features a musical quotation from Beethoven. Bunte Blätter is a collection of short piano pieces, and you will hear all of this under the skilful hands of Melbourne piano virtuoso Stephen McIntyre (pictured below).
The Big Idea – 10 Years of Rubiks Collective, 25 September
If you want to hear some new music from Melbourne’s best, one of your top picks is bound to be Rubiks Collective (pictured below). They’ve been around for exactly one decade, and they’re celebrating it in their anniversary concert featuring a brand-new work called The Big Idea. Hear this piece from Matthew Shlomowitz and Vid Simoniti, performed live by some of your favourite familiar faces.
Van Diemen’s band – Where Everything is Music, 25 September
Van Diemen’s Band is one of the most prestigious ensembles in Tasmania, and its configuration changes depending on which unique event you attend. You’ll be hearing VDB (pictured below) in Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. Founder and Baroque specialist Julia Fredersdorff is going to travel up from the island to perform alongside a group of expert early music players. The program features Afghan, Persian, and Western musical traditions.
Quartz – Schubert’s Death & the Maiden, 30 September
Kathryn Taylor. Philippa West. Merewyn Bramble. Zoe Wallace. These are the four string players who form Quartz, an ensemble that’ll bring two chamber works to the intimate Primrose Potter Salon. Franz Schubert’s Death and the Maiden is a string quartet he wrote towards the end of his life. In it, he reflected on a song he’d composed several years earlier about a woman who wishes for life; you’ll hear a musical quote in the quartet. It’s coupled with a well-loved movement from Cantilena Pacifica by Australian composer Richard Meale.
Check out the Melbourne Recital Centre website for the full program of live events in 2025.
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Images supplied.
