Australian Chamber Orchestra
ARTISTIC DIRECTOR: RICHARD TOGNETTI AO
2026 Season
Unflagging energy and maverick imagination
The Times UK
Welcome to the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s 2026 Season
The Australian Chamber Orchestra is one of the most acclaimed chamber orchestras in the world. Led by their pioneering Artistic Director Richard Tognetti, the Orchestra is defined by its exceptional virtuosity and an irrepressible sense of adventure and curiosity.
Their 2026 National Concert Season features majestic symphonies of the 18th and 19th centuries through to Romantic masterworks and trailblazing new music from the most captivating composers of today. It’s a season where you’ll discover, and rediscover, some of the greatest music ever written.
As a touring orchestra, they bring this extraordinary world of music to concert halls around the country, with an unflagging commitment to their craft, to one another, and most importantly, to their audience.
The Australian Chamber Orchestra invites you to join them on the adventure.
Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody
Tue 10 February - Sat 14 February
John Luther Adams is a Pulitzer Prize-winning American composer whose music is a profound response to the natural world. In the world premiere of his expansive Horizon, you’ll explore the extremes of the Australian landscape.
The Devil’s Violin
Tue 16 September - Sat 20 September
The devil played the violin for Tartini in a dream. The music was charismatic, electrifying, fiendishly difficult and utterly transfixing. Tartini awoke and transcribed the melody, penning the Devil’s Trill sonata. It can only be played by someone astounding.
Schubert’s Fantasy & Octet
Tue 26 May - Sat 30 May
Richard Tognetti’s affinity for Schubert is evident in every note he plays. Here, he directs an ACO ensemble featuring a handpicked selection of Australia’s top wind players in two exquisite works that showcase Schubert as a master of chamber music.
Isle of Light
Tue 16 June - Sat 20 June
A genre-defying voyage from the pastoral majesty of Vaughan Williams to the experimental universe of Kate Bush, directed by British virtuoso Lawrence Power.
From WInter's Stillness
Sat 1 August - Fri 7 August
Trio Mediæval and Arve Henriksen join Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra for a soul-stirring evocation of ancient landscapes and Northern light.
Pekka Kuusisto: Legends & Luminaries
Sat 3 October - Wed 7 October
Pekka Kuusisto returns to the Australian Chamber Orchestra after nearly a decade to direct music from four prodigious talents. Kuusisto is an artist unbound by convention, who embodies an artistic freedom that is unexpected and thrilling
Beethoven's Pastoral
Sat 14 November - Wed 18 November
To see Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra perform Beethoven is to experience a ‘magnificent unanimity’* of vision, drama and expressive force.
Christmas Oratorio
Tue 8 December - Wed 9 December
A performance of Bach’s Christmas Oratorio is a transformative experience. Sublime choral and orchestral magic culminate in a feast for the senses.
2025 National Concert Season
If there’s a better chamber orchestra in the world today, I haven’t heard it.
The Chicago Tribune
One of the wonders of the musical world.
The Guardian UK
The Australian Chamber Orchestra is celebrating fifty years in 2025 and is one of the most acclaimed chamber orchestras in the world, renowned for their inspired programming, unrivalled virtuosity, energy and individuality. Under the direction of Artistic Director Richard Tognetti, they take audiences on the adventure to create truly transformative experiences.
With Richard Tognetti at the helm, marking his 35th year as the ACO’s pioneering Artistic Director, ACO 2025 embodies the intrepid and collaborative spirit that has earned the Orchestra international acclaim and an adventurous and incredibly loyal national audience.
50 years in the making, the ACO’s 2025 National Concert Season pays homage to the past while embracing a bold and ambitious vision for the future. From classic masterworks to international stars making their Australian debut, join them in celebrating this milestone year and experience the thrill of the ACO like never before.
I have always felt that the ACO has the most curious and engaged audiences in the world and as we approach our 50th anniversary year that is truer than ever
Richard Tognetti
A Musical Awakening
Tue 16 September - Sat 20 September
The music of Beethoven, Pēteris Vasks and Max Richter centres this exploration of music’s ability to nurture, heal and nourish.
Cocteau’s Circle
Sat 8 November - Wed 12 November
Richard Tognetti directs the Australian Chamber Orchestra as they dive into an era of innovation and wonder, featuring renowned Australian soprano Alexandra Oomens.