First Light
Principal Musicians of the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra
Nicole van Bruggen clarinet & basset clarinet
Rachael Beesley violin
Alison Rayner* violin
Stephen King* viola
Natasha Kraemer* cello
*to be confirmed in 2026
First Light
First Light: Music Illuminated by the Sunrise.
A clarinet melody, rising like the sun from shimmering strings. Five of Australia’s most brilliant musicians. Works beloved and new from an age of discovery, emotion and light.
ARCO’s First Light takes in a sweep of classical quartets, including the buoyant Mozart K.157, the melancholy Cavatina from Beethoven’s Op.130, and a brilliant new ocean-inspired work by Brisbane composer Nicole Murphy. At the pinnacle is Haydn’s Sunrise quartet in a sparkling 18th-century clarinet arrangement by Vincenzo Gambaro, an Italian clarinettist and entrepreneur who arranged pieces by his friends Beethoven, Haydn and Mozart to highlight the clarinet’s lush tones.
First Light brings five principals from the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra into the intimacy of chamber music, including co-artistic directors and long-time musical friends Rachael Beesley (violin) and Nicole van Bruggen (clarinet).They’re joined by Alison Rayner (violin), Stephen King (viola) and Natasha Kraemer (cello) – all nationally and internationally acclaimed experts in historically informed performance.
PROGRAM
Program Version 1: No Interval (Standard Version)
Vincenzo GAMBARO (1772–1828)
Clarinet Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major
arranged from string quartets by Joseph Haydn
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
String Quartet No. 4 in C major, K.157 (1772)
Ludwig van BEETHOVEN (1770–1827)
Cavatina from String Quartet No. 13 in E-flat major, Op.130 (1825)
Nicole MURPHY (b. 1984)
Wavelength
for historical basset clarinet and string quartet (2024)
Concert run time: approx. 1 hr
Program Version 2: With Interval
Vincenzo GAMBARO (1772–1828)
Clarinet Quartet No. 1 in B-flat major
arranged from string quartets by Joseph Haydn
Wolfgang Amadeus MOZART (1756–1791)
String Quartet No. 4 in C major, K.157 (1772)
Interval (20 mins)
Franz SCHUBERT (1797–1828)
String Quartet No. 7 in D major, D.94 (1811)
Concert runtime: approx. 80 mins, including 20 min interval
About the Artists
Internationally renowned, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra (ARCO) is one of Australia’s leading historically informed performance (HIP) ensembles. ARCO's mission is to inspire, educate, enlighten and connect communities through the transformative creativity and joy of HIP music. Called ‘the best HIPsters under the Southern Cross’ by Limelight, ARCO brings music to dynamic life with fresh sounds and luminous historical instruments. Touring nationally since 2014, ARCO lifts the music off the page and into minds and hearts, connecting us all across time and space.
Nicole van Bruggen is ARCO’s principal clarinettist and co-artistic director. A highly respected exponent of historical clarinets since 1995, she performs with some of Europe and Australia’s finest ensembles and is in demand as an educator in Historically Informed Performance.
Rachael Beesley is ARCO’s conductor, concertmaster and co-artistic director. An internationally renowned Australian-British violinist, director and music educator, she performs with distinguished orchestras worldwide, is highly regarded as a chamber musician and soloist, and teaches at prestigious music conservatories.
Alison Rayner has performed with ARCO since 2022. She has held leadership roles with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, spent ten years with the Oslo Philharmonic and Norwegian Chamber Orchestra, and now appears regularly with Australian orchestras, quartets and historically informed performance ensembles.
Stephen King is ARCO’s principal violist. A former long-term member of the Australian String Quartet and the ACO, he is now a regular guest principal with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. He teaches at the Elder Conservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide.
Natasha Kraemer has performed with ARCO since 2017. A British-Australian cellist, she has performed with leading HIP ensembles in Australia and Europe, plays for film soundtracks and festivals, and also sings and plays in the folk band Bella Frankie.
Education for all is a key part of our mission, and we incorporate these activities into all our touring.
- HIP WORKSHOPS
Our HIP Workshops offer dynamic development opportunities for school- and tertiary-level students, youth and community orchestras, professional musicians and music teachers. Led from the violin by eminent conductor and ARCO co-artistic director Rachael Beesley, with side-by-side tuition from ARCO principals, these workshops introduce musicians to the ideas, techniques and background of Historically Informed Performance, helping them discover new sound-worlds, creative collaboration and freedom of expression. Tailored to each group for a unique experience. - SOLO AND CHAMBER MUSIC MASTERCLASSES
We offer masterclasses to soloists and chamber groups of all levels, focusing on interpretative and stylistic elements of HIP that elevate performance to the next level. - TALK&TEA
Talk&Tea is the audience’s chance to meet our musicians (and their beautiful historic instruments) up close! Held just after the concert, Talk&Tea is an informal session where music-lovers can learn a bit about the program, ask questions and chat with us and fellow audience members. Free for audience members. - AGED CARE PERFORMANCES
Live music has been shown to create significant benefits for physical, mental and social health, especially in seniors - and this outreach is a key focus for ARCO. We are happy to offer tailored on-site performances at aged care facilities to improve accessibility to this beneficial experience.
21 Feb - 31 March
1 May - 28 June
13 July - 27 Sept
1 flat-seated chair for our cellist (no arm rests, not bucket seat - a piano stool is often perfect).
Stage lighting for good music legibility.