Classical wave to fill walls at St Luke’s

Two Christian College music teachers are on a mission to delight Surf Coast audiences with the renowned scores of classical music.

Professional violinists Olivier and Rosalind Bonnici moved to Torquay from Oxford (United Kingdom) about three years ago. The couple played in a chamber group named The Musicians of the Dreaming Spires for over a decade, performing three concerts a year in a stunning medieval church situated in the heart of the city.

Determined to enliven the coast with their passion for the genre, Olivier and Rosalind have founded a small orchestra featuring seven locals. Dubbed The Musicians of the Great Ocean Road, the group will deliver their inaugural performance on Sunday September 22 at St Luke’s Anglican Church on Pride Street.

“I am currently concertmaster of the Geelong Symphony Orchestra and have a vision to bring quality, classical concerts in beautiful venues to Torquay, and depending on the response, other towns of the Surf Coast Shire,” said Olivier.

“It (performing in Oxford) was very much something we used to love doing, and we want to do it again.

“We thought it’d be fun to have an orchestra for Torquay and the Surf Coast. There are so many artists and other types of music around town, but a lot of people actually like classical music.”

Olivier, who is Head of Strings at Christian College, studied at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Musique in Lyon (France) before he moved to London and became an associate in performing at the Royal College of Music.

He said his drive to establish a local orchestra was fuelled by his passion for classical music, and not by monetary potential.

The Musicians of the Great Ocean Road will perform for the first time on Sunday September 22 from 3pm at St Luke’s Anglican Church (17/19 Pride Street, Torquay) alongside Ocean Grove flute soloist, Brighid Mantelli.

Tickets are $20 per person and available at the door. Concession card holders can enter for $15. Under 12s attend free.