Shall We Dance to enthral at Costa Hall

THE Geelong Symphony Orchestra (GSO) will wow audiences with Shall We Dance, a performance including works rarely shown in Geelong.

Conductor Mario Dobernig will lead the GSO at Costa Hall, directing players at the concert on Saturday, May 13 to “dance from classical ballet to flirt with a Spanish gypsy and even an encounter with Death himself”.

“Costa Hall will provide the perfect venue for this matinee concert from 3-5pm,” GSO president Wendy Galloway said.

“We’ve been working hard on this arrangement for quite some time now, and the orchestra is excited to present it to Geelong.

“We do try and attract families who might not usually attend classic music concerts, and we hope that they come along and try it.”

Australian Youth Classical Music 2022 Competition winner Lily Bryant will join the orchestra for a thrilling arrangement of melodies from French composer Georges Bizet’s Carmen.

The full line-up of melodies being played include “Prelude à l’après-midi d’un faune” by Claude Debussy, “Danse Macabre” by Camille Saint-Saëns, “Carmen Fantasy” by Bizet/arr. Borne, “Tchaikovsky Waltz” from Eugene Onegin, and the Tchaikovsky Ballet Suite from Swan Lake.

“It should just be a lovely afternoon and it allows the orchestra to set the standard for classical music in the region,” Ms Galloway said.

“I, personally, am a violinist, and I still remember the first time I performed as part of the orchestra, it was quite overwhelming as a sound.

“I had only done string groups prior to joining, but hearing the youth orchestra with the oboes, horns, and clarinets, it was marvellous to be a part of.

“If we can continue to strengthen our junior musicians here in Geelong in their aspirations in any way we can, we should strive for that.”

The GSO’s third and final concert for the year, Elgar’s Enigma, will be held on October 21.

To purchase tickets, head to geelongartscentre.org.au