Starburst

Opening the Omega Ensemble's 2026 Season with exhilarating flair, Shostakovich's daring Concerto No. 1 for Piano, Trumpet and Strings takes centre stage in a whirlwind of classical fanfare, jazz-hall swagger and streetwise energy. Led by charismatic pianist Vatche Jambazian, the ensemble is joined on stage by special guest David Elton (Principal Trumpet, Sydney Symphony Orchestra).

Traversing the full spectrum of human experience, from tenderness to tumult, this performance also features Gerald Finzi's lyrical Clarinet Concerto, a twentieth-century masterpiece of tender beauty, alongside Jessie Montgomery's radiant Starburst, a constellation of sound where genres collide.

In a continuation of a dynamic creative partnership, Australian composer Lachlan Skipworth unveils A Turning Sky, a new double concerto for clarinet and trumpet written for David Rowden and long-time collaborator David Elton, bringing two solo voices into dazzling interplay and energy.