Sir Andrew Davis, chief conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, described its recently announced 2017 season as ‘a marvellous feast of music making’. It certainly is a combination of favourite pieces to be performed by excellent interpreters including Daniil Trifonov, at 26, one of the really important young pianists on the circuit who will perform Rachmaninov No.1 in March. Much admired Czech conductor Jakub Hrusa will take a break from his duties at Glyndebourne and elsewhere to conduct Bartok and Shostakovich in August. A particularly starry element will be violinist and conductor Maxim Vengerov, already a favourite here from earlier visits.

In addition to his Melbourne concerts, Vengerov is appearing in Sydney in February and also in Brisbane in November this year, closing the QSO 2016 season with a Tchaikovsky Gala; furthermore he will be QSO artist in residence for 2017. At 42, Vengerov, born in the Soviet Union, is now an Israeli citizen. In 2005 he injured his shoulder and was unable to return to string playing for six years. He was not idle; he started several festivals, made music documentaries and developed his skill as a conductor, crowning it all by getting married.

Greatly praised for his artistry and virtuosity, Maxim Vengerov will open the MSO season playing the irresistible Tchaikovsky Violin Concerto and conducting the Rimsky-Korsakov showpiece Scheherazade. Apart from the rest of the season, that concert itself will be ‘a feast of music making’.

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