Canberra’s newest concert hall brings the best of international talent to Red Hill

Posted on 18 April, 2023

It’s promising to bring world-class performances to Canberra—and now Red Hill’s newest concert hall is finally open to the wider community.

There’s no denying that since its opening in 2022, the Snow Concert Hall (which you can find nestled in the Canberra Grammar School Red Hill campus) has always been destined to become a hub for music lovers—but as it prepares for a new International Concert Series, it’ll soon host some of the finest musicians in the world for a series of not-to-be-missed events that will change the landscape of music in Canberra.

Featuring the best of classical music (from piano solos to the music of a modern-day Louis Armstrong) the curated musical events have come to life under the careful direction of Ana de la Vega, the Snow Concert Hall’s Artistic Director—and one of the best classical flautists in the world.

Named the ‘The New Wonder-Flautist’ by Germany’s leading newspapers, Ana is thrilled to be kicking off the International Series with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra on Saturday 20 May, promising that audiences can expect to see a series of performances that will enrich not only Canberra but the surrounding region.

“I was so lucky that I got to go to Europe, and I was able to study in Paris and experience the best of the Western European tradition of classical music…and I’m really excited that I now have that opportunity to bring some of that to Australia and particularly Canberra,” says Ana.

“Of course, we have great concerts in Canberra already, but I envision Canberra to be a musical hub and destination for those artists, and now we have the Snow Concert Hall we can do that because we musicians, we follow acoustics…we have the honey pot, and the bees will come.”

Returning to Australia after 16 years of playing on the world’s most renowned stages—including Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, Wigmore Hall London, and Munich Philharmonie Gasteig to name a few—the first performance of the series will see Ana taking centre stage in the stunning venue with Victoria’s preeminent chamber orchestra, presenting a beautifully balanced program featuring the work of Mozart, Samuel Barber, Vivaldi, and more.

Describing the experience of playing in the hall as “that indescribable magic one feels in halls such as the Wigmore Hall in London, the Berlin Philharmonie, and the Concertgebouw Amsterdam”, Ana is looking forward to sparking a conversation between world-renowned musicians about the beautiful experience of performing at the Snow Concert Hall—one that she envisions will stretch beyond the music into an all-encompassing “wholesome” experience for anyone that attends.

But what makes the Saturday 20 May concert extra special is Ana’s career has now come full circle as she gets ready to play her very-first Australian orchestral concert.

“During COVID, it was really when I had a chance to slow down and realise my life has been firmly planted in Europe, but I also realised the thing I had sacrificed so much for—climbing to the top as a classical musician—could be taken away at any moment,” she says.

“A switch flicked in me, and I realised I’m Australian, I cannot spend the rest of my life in Europe…Australia has always been where I come home to relax and now it’s the beginning of a new era where I merge my two lives. Having played with the greatest chamber orchestras in the world, I now get to play with my own.”

Credit: Lucien Fischer.

Following Ana’s first performance, the months of June, July, and August will then see legendary UK-based Australian pianist Piers Lane take the stage during the concert series to bring a program packed with piano composer giants, as well as the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra (who will be taking up a six-day residency).

Looking forward to “the moment when the last note is played on the first concert night…knowing we’ve started something beautiful and brilliant”, Ana ultimately hopes that under her creative direction, the Snow Concert Hall will become not only a cultural and musical destination but a place of absolute excellence.

“That is really what this is about. It’s about celebrating the best of this genre,” she says.

“I grew up on a farm when I decided to play the flute—I’d never even see a flute. I wasn’t exposed to classical music at all, I’m a proper Aussie farm girl who heard Mozart over the radio by chance and as a seven-year-old completely became obsessed…I love introducing people to this genre that otherwise wouldn’t have chosen to listen to it.”

Click here for the full program and make sure you don’t miss out—after all, it’s not often some of the best classical musicians in the world collaborate in Canberra.