Omega Ensemble Welcomes Michael Collins for Unforgettable Performance of Modern Classics in ELEVATOR MUSIC

Omega Ensemble is thrilled to present Elevator Music, a captivating showcase of the clarinet featuring legendary British clarinettist, Michael Collins in his first Australian appearance in six years.

In three special performances from 16th to 21st August at the Melbourne Recital Centre, City Recital Hall, Sydney, and Newcastle City Hall, Elevator Music will showcase one of the world’s leading proponents of the clarinet, alongside the premiere of a new work by Australian composer Graeme Koehne.

Celebrated for his “irresistible exuberance” (Gramophone), Michael Collins first captured international attention at the age of 16, winning the woodwind prize at the first BBC Young Musician of the Year Competition in 1978. One of the world’s most recorded clarinettists, Collins holds the title of the most frequently invited wind soloist at the BBC Proms. In recent years, he has performed as a guest conductor with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, BBC Symphony Orchestra, and Zurich Chamber Orchestra.

Joining Collins on stage is acclaimed Australian clarinettist, and Omega Ensemble’s Artistic Director, David Rowden. Renowned for his expressive artistry and technical brilliance, Rowden has enjoyed a career spanning over two decades, with performances across the UK, France, Italy, Germany, Japan, South Korea, China, the USA, and Australia.

Together, the duo will perform the world premiere of Graeme Koehne’s Double Clarinet Concerto. Koehne’s latest work is a tongue-in-cheek thriller filled with joyful contrasts, soul-searching melodies, and heart-racing rhythms.

Also featured in the program are Grammy-nominated composer Anna Clyne’s Stride and Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto. Using fragments of Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata, Clyne’s Stride refracts the work’s adored lyricism, in a captivating exploration of tension and release.

Aaron Copland’s Clarinet Concerto is a timeless masterwork that brilliantly showcases the clarinet’s expressive range. Opening with one of the composer’s most tender melodies, the work launches into an energetic cacophony of jazz rhythms and concludes with a thrilling clarinet ‘smear’.

Omega Ensemble’s Artistic Director David Rowden said, “When I was 20, I moved to the other side of the world to study at the Royal Academy of Music. On my first day in London, I bought a last-minute ticket to hear Michael Collins perform with the Philharmonia Orchestra. That moment made a lasting impression — and now, years later, my career has taken a similar path. Michael and I are both passionate about premiering new music, so it’s a real privilege to share the stage with him for the world premiere of Graeme Koehne’s Double Clarinet Concerto”.

Tickets for Elevator Music, and the rest of the 2025 season, are currently on sale now.