Melbourne Chamber Orchestra
Orchestra
Melbourne Chamber Orchestra is Victoria’s preeminent small orchestra and the leading independent Victorian chamber music organisation.
For over 30 years, the orchestra has created a distinctive orchestral practice, with a collegial ethos, exploratory programming, and ambitious regional touring. The Artistic Director is the respected Australian violinist, chamber musician and artistic leader Sophie Rowell.
In up to 60 performances and events each season, MCO brings together the state’s most exciting chamber musicians to create music with uncompromising artistic quality, impressive finesse and extraordinary passion.
A performance by MCO conjures both the intimacy and detail of chamber music and the grandeur and spectacle of orchestral music. MCO reinvents itself as chamber music ensembles and small orchestras, curating an eclectic selection of music for the enjoyment of thousands of attendees a year.
Through its programming, MCO expands the potential of the chamber orchestra, bringing new musical possibilities to the public. The orchestra performs music from before Bach to tomorrow, opening vibrant windows on our musical heritage while taking orchestral music into the future. The orchestra has commissioned over 100 new works and arrangements to champion contemporary composition and diversify the orchestral repertoire.
Through its touring, the Orchestra creates powerful fine music experiences to inspire Victorians wherever they are. In 2023, MCO ensembles will present over 20 performances on tour for thousands of listeners across the state. The orchestra presents its festival, A Feast of Music, in Daylesford annually.
The orchestra presents a twelve-concert flagship Melbourne orchestral season at the Melbourne Recital Centre. Broadcasts and streaming by MBS Fine Music network and Australian Digital Concert Hall extend access to its work nationally and internationally.
