Nicholas Carter’s tenure as the Principal Conductor of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra has come to an end and he is returning to Germany where he is Chief Conductor of the Stadttheater Klagenfurt and the Kärntner Sinfonieorchester. Back in 2016, his appointment was significant as he was the first Australian – and a young Australian too – to be chosen as the principal conductor of an Australian orchestra in over thirty years. And he has not disappointed, proving himself to be an enthusiastic and intelligent conductor. The two performances of Faith & Beauty were his last as Principal Conductor but he is already booked to come back to the ASO next year, so he is gone but not forever.
Faith & Beauty opened with Dvořák’s Violin Concerto, a wonderful piece of musical Bohemia. The solo violin was played with understated elegance and charm by Grace Clifford, the ASO’s Emerging Artist in Association. Clifford is a delightful young musician with a lovely lyrical touch. Her violin danced gaily through this colourful and vigorous work and she was exceptional in the passages in the higher register. She appeared relaxed on stage, fully engaged in the music and interplaying well with the orchestra. At just 18-years-of-age, we can only anticipate the stellar career ahead of her. The audience was rightly appreciative of her musicianship, calling her back for multiple bows. The orchestra, too, showed their fulsome appreciation of her gifted playing.
