200 Years of Mastery: Llewellyn Series Two – Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony

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200 Years of Mastery: Llewellyn Series Two - Beethoven's Ninth Symphony

On 7^th and 8^th August, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra marked the 200^th anniversary of Beethoven's 9^th Symphony and premiered 'Daughters of Elysium' by Miriama Young, inspired by Friedrich Schiller's 'Ode to Joy'.

© Canberra Symphony Orchestra, 2024 / Credits: Arianne Schlumpp

On 7^th and 8^th August, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra marked the 200^th anniversary of Beethoven's 9^th Symphony and premiered 'Daughters of Elysium' by Miriama Young, which was inspired by Friedrich Schiller's 'Ode to Joy'.

The performances, which were supported by the Delegation of the European Union to Australian, were part of the Llewellyn Series Two: Beethoven 9' reopening festivities for the iconic Llewellyn Hall in Canberra, following its restoration.

The event was honoured by the presence of Her Excellency Governor-General Sam Mostyn AC and the diplomatic corps in Canberra. We brought together the Australian-European community to showcase our shared cultural heritage and our love of music.

Sharing a story about the Symphony's inaugural performance, Ambassador Visentin explained that Beethoven's Ninth Symphony was a fitting musical piece for an Australian and European collaboration because historically it is associated with values that both the EU and Australia hold dear: culture, diversity and inclusivity.

At the end of the 1824 performance in Vienna, the audience, in order to properly include the Maestro in the tribute, adapted to Beethoven's impairment ­- as he was deaf at the time - by not clapping but instead waving their handkerchiefs and hats. Tonight, we celebrate the power of the values that we, Europeans and Australians, cherish: culture, diversity, and inclusivity.