Once again St Francis Xavier's Cathedral is opening its doors for our popular lunch time organ recitals.

Matthew Shiel made history by performing the world’s first piano recital of music composed by artificial intelligence at the Edinburgh Festival 2025; this event was broadcast on Al Jazeera and subsequently commissioned by Dame Wendy Hall's Web Science Institute (UK). AI Mozart is a ground-breaking concert of original piano pieces composed by artificial intelligences in an eclectic variety of styles blurring the line between human genius and artificial intelligence. For the grand finale, YOU the audience compose a brand new piece using AI! This show is where Mozart meets machine. 

Following last year’s sold-out Edinburgh Fringe show, romantic piano pieces meet candlelit Venetian masked balls as award-winning British pianist Matthew Shiel exposes the scandalous love affairs of the great composers. Features a new romance composed specially for tonight's artist by Dr Alfredo Caponnetto – Notturno VI, alongside digital animations by acclaimed Shanghai artist and Disney illustrator Emma Yitong Shen.

Rediscover a forgotten masterpiece

The myth of Orpheus and his lost wife Eurydice grapples with the inescapable forces of love and death that define our existence. It has captured the imagination of composers, writers and audiences for millennia.

Ensemble Lumen has the privilege of opening our 2026 Lunchtime Concert Series with Swivel & Swerve – a recent work by Holly Harrison, a composer noted for writing some of ‘the most exciting works to come out of Australia over the past decade’ (Limelight). Wynton Marsalis’s Meeelaan follows, introducing a taste of the composer-performer’s New Orleans style in an intriguing work for bassoon and string quartet. Rounding out the program is Ravel’s beloved Piano Trio, offering its own exploration of diverse influences: the first movement honouring his Basque heritage, the second an ode to Malayan poetry, and the third a Baroque-inspired Passacaglia.

Programme:
Franz Schubert
- 12 Viennese German Dances, D. 128
- 12 Ecossaises, D. 299
- 34 Valse Sentimentales, D. 779

Alma Moodie, born in 1898 in regional Queensland, was one of the pre-eminent violin soloists in Europe during the early 20th century. Helping to bring this remarkable Australian virtuosa out of the historical shadow, the Alma Moodie Quartet shares the dedication to music, both popular and neglected, that their namesake championed.

Programme:
Prokofiev - Symphony No. 1, "Classical" arr. for Bassoon, Saxophone and Piano

The soaring oratorio El Niño by John Adams, one of the leading composers of his generation, had its Australian premiere at the 2002 Adelaide Festival in a landmark production directed by Peter Sellars.

El Niño: Nativity Reconsidered is a new chamber adaptation of this monumental work, featuring Grammy Award-winning singer Julia Bullock. Hailed as “intimate, affecting and quietly rich with activism” (The New York Times), this distilled rendering centres the maternal voice within what has historically been delivered as a patriarchal narrative.

Carl Vine, one of our nation’s foremost composers, gained prominence for his compositions for dance. In his first Piano Sonata (1990), he explores complex textures with interesting cross-rhythms and rhythmic drive, building up layers of resonance that vary from ‘pointed polyphony’ to being ‘granite-like in density, propelling the music irresistibly towards its climax.’ Peter Sculthorpe's Left Bank Waltz is a nostalgic, jazz-inflected piano piece that evokes the atmosphere of 1930s Parisian café culture with its gentle waltz rhythm and wistful melodic charm.

Pairing effortless lyricism with intense virtuosity, Italian-based violinist Sergej Krylov captures the brilliance of his instrument’s extremities. Greatly influenced by cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, with whom he regularly shared a stage as a young violinist, Krylov’s nuanced artistry has seen him perform with many of the world’s great orchestras, as well as holding the role of Music Director of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra.

Pairing effortless lyricism with intense virtuosity, Italian-based violinist Sergej Krylov carries the influence of the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, with whom he regularly shared a stage as a young violinist. Krylov has held the multi-faceted role of Music Director of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra since 2008, while performing as soloist with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin…

Rooted in the rich traditions of the APY Lands, this performance celebrates the spirit of Aṉangu culture. Blending tradition with contemporary expression, audiences will be immersed in a diverse array of performance styles, from the ancient and deeply spiritual rhythms of Inma (cultural song and dance), to the harmonious strength of choir, and the contemporary voices of rap, reggae, and R’n’B.

Each element speaks to the ongoing evolution of Aṉangu expression — blending tradition with the modern, and honouring connection to Country, community, and culture. More than a performance, this is a statement: of resilience, of creativity, and of the unbroken, ever-adapting story of the Anangu people.

Pairing effortless lyricism with intense virtuosity, Italian-based violinist Sergej Krylov carries the influence of the great cellist Mstislav Rostropovich, with whom he regularly shared a stage as a young violinist. Krylov has held the multi-faceted role of Music Director of the Lithuanian Chamber Orchestra since 2008, while performing as soloist with orchestras such as the London Philharmonic, Orchestre National de Lyon and the Deutsche Symphonie-Orchester Berlin…

Richard Mills’s recent Sonata for Cello and Piano introduces a contemporary Australian voice, exploring the expressive potential of the duo with inventive textures. Written during a period of separation from his wife, Shostakovich’s Cello Sonata contains his trademark rhythmic drive, wit and intensity, creating a dynamic dialogue between cello and piano.

Programme:
Henri Brod - Trio for oboe, bassoon & piano, Op. 5
Ben Hoadley - Trio
Joe Chindamo - "Trio Fantastique" (2021)

Adelaide’s own Silk Strings Ensemble (Felix Wang, David Dai and Lester Wong) returns with Turkish vocal virtuoso Dr. Aysegul Altiok, drummer Satomi Ohnishi, pianist Yundi Yuan and bassist Tim Matthew. Together they create rich arrangements, surprising twists and a heartfelt tribute to cultural diversity and connection.

Programme:
Henri Brod - Trio No. 1, Op. 5
Benjamin Britten - Temporal Variations (oboe and piano)
Joe Chindamo - Trio Fantastique (2021)
- Interval -
William Hurlstone - Sonata for bassoon and piano
Andre Previn - Trio for oboe, bassoon & piano

Slava, Leonard, Vladimir and Andrew are renowned nationally and internationally as leading soloists and passionate advocates for  their distinctive instrument. They are also recognised for their formidable and diverse repertoire. For UKARIA, they present a  beautifully balanced program showcasing intimate delicacy and extravagant flair. The concert opens with Bach’s sixth Brandenburg  Concerto, here arranged by James Smith for guitar quartet…

Aurora Vocal Ensemble celebrates our Southern Skies and the land below in 'Lyra' — a shimmering program of music inspired by flight, light, and belonging. Named for the constellation that sings across the heavens, Lyra invites listeners to look upward and outward, to find beauty in the vastness above and wonder beneath our feet.

Elegance, virtuosity, humour and youthful energy will be on display in Mozart’s Divertimento in D major, K. 136. Sparkling with charm and graceful wit, it is a perfect example of his early mastery in light-hearted chamber writing. Alessandro Marcello’s Oboe Concerto in D minor follows, performed by Jade Elsdon. First attributed to Vivaldi, and then his brother, Marcello’s composition is a Baroque pearl renowned for its expressive lyricism and ornamentation. Rounding out the program is Carl Nielsen’s Little Suite for Strings, Op. 1, a youthful yet inventive work, with lively themes and textures that hint at the bold voice he would later develop.