Bryce Dessner’s Trembling Earth

This richly textured program explores the enduring power of the natural world, from flowing rivers and oceans to forested mountains and fields

Umberto Clerici leads us into the lyricism of Dvořák’s Symphony No.8, a heartfelt celebration of Bohemia’s natural beauty. Alive with birdsong, rustic dances and sweeping melodies, its folk-infused tunes mirror Ligeti’s colourful Concert Românesc, a spirited glimpse of the composer before his avant-garde years.

Drawing inspiration from nature’s cycle of renewal and resilience, Bryce Dessner’s Trembling Earth weaves a haunting dialogue between cello and orchestra. Co-commissioned by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and written for the astonishing talents of rising star Anastasia Kobekina, it is the perfect vehicle for ‘…a player with huge potential and almost overwhelming sincerity.’ (The Strad).

Dessner’s St Carolyn by the Sea follows, thrumming with cinematic scope and post-rock energy — its breath-like string chords and winding guitar melodies unfolding like an echo from a dream. Dessner himself joins the Sydney Symphony to bring his own extraordinary work to life.

Program

LIGETI Concert Românesc 
Bryce DESSNER Trembling Earth (Cello Concerto) AUSTRALIAN PREMIERE 
Bryce DESSNER St. Carolyn by the Sea 
DVOŘÁK Symphony No. 8

Artists

Umberto Clerici Conductor 
Anastasia Kobekina Cello 
Bryce Dessner Electric Guitar 
Zane Banks Electric Guitar