A cropped portrait of a man holding a violin against a dark backdrop.

The Devil’s Violin

  • Classical Music
  • Australian Chamber Orchestra
  • Concert Hall
  • Run time: 120 minutes, including interval Subject to change
  • Seating map

Virtuoso Ilya Gringolts directs the Australian Chamber Orchestra in a program that pushes the violin to its fiery limits

The devil played the violin for Tartini in a dream. The music was charismatic, electrifying, fiendishly difficult and utterly transfixing. Tartini awoke and transcribed the melody, penning the Devil’s Trill sonata. It can only be played by someone astounding. 

Ilya Gringolts is that player, returning with his dazzling virtuosity and commanding stage presence for his third tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. In the rehearsal room, Gringolts brings an intellectual curiosity and joy in experimentation, whether he’s playing Vivaldi or breathing life into new music. On stage, the result is an assured mastery, where the most difficult music appears effortless. The Australian Chamber Orchestra is one of his favourite ensembles, collaborators capable of answering his nuance and creativity with their own curiosity and skill. 

Gringolts and the Australian Chamber Orchestra explore their shared passion for authentic interpretations of Italian Baroque music in a sparkling program featuring Geminiani, Tartini and Vivaldi – where Gringolts will be joined by ACO Principal Violin Satu Vänskä – performed in contrast with contemporary works. Enigmatic Russian composer Sofia Gubaidulina’s String Quartet No.2 looks to the harmonies of heaven from an unsettled, earthbound soul. Renowned Australian composer Paul Stanhope’s Giving Ground is a dramatic answer to Geminiani’s famous Concerto Grosso.

Experience the violin pushed to its very limits with Ilya Gringolts and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, in this fiery display from two of the world’s greats.

Presented by the Australian Chamber Orchestra

Event details

Program

Johann Paul von Westhoff 
Violin Sonata No.3 in D minor: III. Imitation of the Bells 

Antonio Vivaldi 
Violin Concerto in D minor, RV237 

Sofia Gubaidulina 
(arr. strings) String Quartet No.2 

Giuseppe Tartini 
(arr. strings) Violin Sonata in G minor “Devil’s Trill” 

Mieczysław Weinberg 
Aria, Op.9 

Antonio Vivaldi 
Concerto for Two Violins in C major, RV507 

Paul Stanhope 
Giving Ground* 

Francesco Geminiani 
Concerto Grosso No.12 in D minor “La Follia”

*Commissioned by the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Artists

Ilya Gringolts 
Director & Violin

Satu Vänskä 
Violin

Australian Chamber Orchestra

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Attending this event

Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is located beneath the largest of Sydney Opera House’s roof sails, filling the upper levels of the west side of the building. Best accessed through the covered concourse. 

All Sydney Opera House foyers are 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).

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