Mozart & Murphy

Principal musicians from the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra perform the only two quintets ever written for historical basset clarinet and strings: Mozart’s iconic, beloved Clarinet Quintet, and the shimmering, ocean-inspired Wavelength by Australian composer Nicole Murphy, commissioned by ARCO in 2024. Also featured is Mozart’s String Quartet in C, written when he was only 17 – a remarkable early example of his characterful chamber music.

Wavelength draws on the ocean and the shimmering tone colours of historical basset clarinet and gut strings, inviting listeners to hear the sun rise on the horizon, the glow of phosphorescent seas at dusk, and a storm unfolding through the night.

There are only two of these instruments in Australia, and this is the first piece written for it since Mozart’s time, commissioned exclusively by ARCO. This concert marks Wavelength’s Melbourne premiere.