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ACO: The Four Seasons - A Music Film In Conversation with Richard Evans and Matisse Ruby

1 May 2025

In the Playhouse

Cinema

Australia | 2024 | English | Concert Film | E

The Four Seasons is arguably the most recognisable piece of classical music ever written. This filmed ACO performance, directed by Richard Tognetti, highlights the symbiosis between Vivaldi’s Venice and the Middle East, interspersing Vivaldi’s masterpiece with music by Australian-Egyptian composer and oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros.

This special screening is followed by an insightful conversation with ACO Managing Director Richard Evans and film director Matisse Ruby, plus an audience Q&A.

One of the most rhapsodic, lyrical, explosive and imaginative Four Seasons you’re ever likely to hear.

The West Australian

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A truly cinematic orchestral experience

The Australian Chamber Orchestra has always forged its own path and refused to be constrained by genre or artform. With Artistic Director and violinist Richard Tognetti at the helm, the ACO has been producing films for over a decade, from their award-winning collaborations with BAFTA-nominated director Jennifer Peedom (Mountain, River) to their acclaimed series of music films, ACO StudioCasts, which were developed in partnership with director Matisse Ruby to create a truly cinematic orchestral experience. The Four Seasons, also directed by Ruby and with cinematography by Jeremy Rouse (Blaze), is the latest film release from this ground-breaking ensemble.

The Four Seasons is arguably the most recognisable piece of classical music ever written. This performance, directed by Tognetti, highlights the profound symbiosis between Vivaldi’s Venice and the Middle East, interspersing Vivaldi’s masterpiece with music by Australian-Egyptian composer and oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros. This coming together of Eastern and Western musical traditions honours Vivaldi’s classic while giving it new life. A must-see for music lovers and cinephiles alike.

Following the screening, join ACO Managing Director Richard Evans for an engaging live discussion. He will be joined by the film's director, Matisse Ruby, for an in-depth conversation along with an audience Q&A.

Presented by Sydney Opera House

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    Program

    Antonio Vivaldi The Four Seasons
    Interspersed with music by Joseph Tawadros

    Artists

    Richard Tognetti
    Director and Lead Violin

    Joseph Tawadros
    Oud

    James Tawadros
    Riq

    Australian Chamber Orchestra

    Matisse Ruby
    Film Director

    Jeremy Rouse
    Director of Photography

    Plan your visit

    Venue information

    Our foyers will be open two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars.

    You may bring drinks into the venue to enjoy during the performance. Hot beverages, red wine, glassware and food however cannot be brought in due to safety and to help maintain the character of the building.  

    All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer.

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