“Does tradition survive in the face of profound change?”  This is a question relevant to us in our time as it was to European artists in the 1920’s.    Having suffered the shock of an unprecedented industrialised World War, and faced with an uncertain future, European composers sought new ways to express their new realities.

Whilst some imagined novel concepts of sound—impressionism, and others created entirely new languages—serialism, neo-classical composers  aspired to balance tradition and change by combining expanded 20th century vocabulary with 19th century aesthetics.    If the tension between change and tradition is universal, then it is unsurprising that this classical-modern hybrid style would endure the volatile decades and remain appreciable to listeners centuries later.    Jill Chen and Hunter Mah present pieces for flute and guitar by prolific and influential neo-classical composers Jean Françaix (1912-1997) and Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco (1895-1968).

Receive a $10 Esplanade Mall voucher with every ticket purchased. The voucher will be emailed to ticket holders on the day of the concert. T&C apply.