Alina Ibragimova plays Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto

The exhilarating virtuoso returns to direct the Australian Chamber Orchestra in a program full of intensity and passion.

Alina Ibragimova is an electrifying performer. She lives every moment of the music, inhabiting the emotion so completely you almost miss her technical mastery. A virtuoso in every sense of the word, she invites audiences into her world, offering an experience that is both authentic and thrilling.

Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto in D major is a concerto so demanding it was deemed unplayable by its original dedicatee. Reeling from a disastrous marriage and withdrawn from the world, Tchaikovsky sketched it in just 11 days, pouring his melancholy and restlessness into a work that audiences love and violinists savour. It encompasses romance and passion, pulsing with the dynamic rhythms of folk dance. 
 
Bookended by Tchaikovsky, the concert opens with Anton Arensky’s Variations on a Theme by Tchaikovsky: a lush string work of contrast and colour, at times playful and offbeat, at times tender and sonorous. Bacewicz’s shimmering Divertimento for String Orchestra offers a moment to showcase the invigorating brilliance and virtuosity of the Australian Chamber Orchestra and contrasts with a new commission from Pēteris Vasks, beloved for his languid, meditative music that speaks of longing, beauty and hope.

Consider this concert a celebration of human endeavour. This is music that demands mastery and expresses the full range of human emotion.

★★★★★ The phenomenal Alina Ibragimova was the night's brilliant star. The Guardian UK

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.

This performance is available as a part of an Australian Chamber Orchestra 2027 Subscription. Single tickets go on sale to the general public Fri 9 Oct.