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Matthew Hindson’s Concerto for Violin in US Premiere

Feb. 01, 2011

Matthew Hindson’s Concerto for Violin, Australian Postcards, composed in 2001 and commissioned by Ars Musica Australis through its founder, Fr. Arthur Bridge, is an homage to the composer's homeland pulling inspiration from specific locations and aspects of its culture. One of the principles that Bridge outlined when commissioning the work was that it reflect in some way the "spirit in Australia," a similar theme found in other violin concertos lodged at the Australian Music Centre such as Peter Sculthorpe’s Irkanda IV. Hindson explains:

The approach that I implemented in this piece was that of ‘Australian Postcards’ – i.e. a set of movements that in some way reflected some Australian place or outlook. I decided that each of the ‘postcards’ would portray contemporary rather than historical Australian culture.

The work is cast in three movements with the first inspired by the enormous wind turbine at Kooragang Island; the second, a tribute to the economically burdened small towns in the country's more rural outposts; and the third, based on the cultural phenomenon of Grand Final Day, the culminating point in every sport’s season in Australia where emotions run high in hopes of winning the biggest game of the year.

The Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra is joined on stage by Lara St. John, who recorded the concerto on her own label (available for purchase here) and gave the Canadian premiere in May, 2010. The Rochester Philharmonic presents the work on February 17 and 19.

For more on the composer Matthew Hindson, go to www.fabermusic.com.

Learn more on the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra's concert at www.rpo.org.

Matthew Hindson
Concerto for Violin (2001)
Australian Postcards
for violin and orchestra
pic.2.2.ca.2.bcl.2.cbsn-4.2.3.1-timp.2perc-hp-str
ca. 30’

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