Comprising mostly of teachers, students, and alumni of the schools in Brisbane and the Gold Coast, the Michael Haydn Orchestra also brings together musicians from the leading collectives of Australia and abroad. We celebrate the local musical talent along with the local cultural heritage. During our concerts, we will combine music-making with presentations in collaboration with leading specialists in musical and artistic topics we seek to explore with our audience.
FOUNDER
MARCO BELLASI
Principal Conductor
Music Director
Prize-winning conductor, a dual citizen of Italy and Australia, Marco has recently finished his appointment as Junior-Fellow conductor at the Royal Northern College of Music.
In addition to the RNCM orchestra, he has worked with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Manchester Camerata, Hallé Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Ulster Orchestra, Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini and the Ensemble 10/10.
His repertoire includes symphonic, choral, opera and contemporary music. He met critical success in the RNCM for his performance of Sibelius’ Symphony No 2, Prokoviev's Violin Concerto No 1 and Ravel’s 'La Valse'. He also conducted Stravinsky’s’ Feu d’Artifice’ in the Bridgewater Hall in Manchester and Steve Reich’s’ Eight lines’ in the presence of the composer. He worked with Sir Mark Elder CBE and has assisted him at various times with the Hallé Orchestra. He was an active participant in the 2017 'Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy' where he worked with Riccardo Muti on Verdi's Aida and performed in a public concert in Ravenna Italy. In addition to his International music career, he is the Musical Director at the Northern Rivers Symphony Orchestra and has worked on many occasions with the Gold Coast Chamber Orchestra.
EDOARDO CASALI
Principal Bassoon
Artistic Consultant
Edoardo was born in Bologna and began studying the piano at the age of 9 and then bassoon at the age of 16 in Bologna with Lorenzo Bettini, graduating with top marks in 2015. He then studied at the RNCM with Stefano Canuti and Roberto Giaccaglia, graduating with Distinction.
He’s currently studying Composition at the Conservatorio Giuseppe Verdi in Milan.
As a soloist he has perfomed concertos by Vivaldi, Michael Daugherty and C. M. Von Weber in both Italy and the UK.
As a passionate chamber musician he has performed with different groups: he's currently playing in a trio with Kimi Makino (Viola n. 2, BBC Philharmonic.
He has also worked with the Orchestra Giovanile Cherubini and Riccardo Muti, The Hallè, BBC Philharmonic and Manchester Camerata.
He has been touring in Italy, Europe and China. He is now working with the Orchestra Giuseppe Verdi in Milan.
CO-FOUNDER
SAVVA ZVEREV
Violin Soloist
Conductor
Michael Haydn and the Path to Enlightenment
Michael Haydn (1737-1806) was Salzburg’s leading composer during his lifetime and a respected composition teacher who taught, amongst others, Anton Diabelli, and Carl Maria Von Weber, the father of the Romantic German Opera; he also influenced and inspired composers such as Franz Schubert. Michael Haydn was a contender of Mozart's father, Leopold, at the court of Salzburg and had a strong musical influence over his son Wolfgang Amadeus. Young W.A. Mozart absorbed Michael Haydn's style and his great knowledge of counterpoint during the years he spent in Salzburg. Even when Mozart left Salzburg for Vienna, he continued to be inspired by Michael Haydn's compositions, which he often got on loan from him and which he copied; he sometimes even reworked some of these into his compositions. Michael Haydn's name and oeuvre were overshadowed for unexplained reasons after his death; perhaps this happened because of the ever-growing fame of his elder brother Joseph Haydn or perhaps because his figure would come into the way of a popularised false image of W.A. Mozart as a genius that needed no teachers or cultural roots. The name Michael Haydn perfectly represents our aim to inspire the Mozarts of the future!
“I thought to myself, ‘May thy pure and peaceful spirit hover around me, dear Haydn! If I can ever become like thee, peaceful and guileless, in all matters none on earth has such deep reverence for thee as I have.’ (Sad tears fell from my eyes. . . .)” Franz Schubert wrote these words in his diary after visiting Michael Haydn's grave in Salzburg.
UPCOMING PERFORMANCE
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