QPAC

Trio Mediæval and Arve Henriksen join Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra for a soul-stirring evocation of ancient landscapes and Northern light

From the cold, clear quiet of a wintery morning, comes the music of an ancient landscape: the snow-strewn mountains and shores along the Baltic and Nordic seas. Richard Tognetti directs this extraordinary collaboration between the international vocal phenomenon Trio Mediæval, jazz trumpeter Arve Henriksen and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO). 

Playing with a larger ensemble boosted by our 2026 Emerging Artists, the Orchestra invites you into an evocative sound world. Ancient hymns from Iceland, Norway, Sweden and Estonia capture the majesty of the frozen North, together with the quiet joy of Sigur Rós and the haunting beauty of Hildur Guðnadóttir. Guðnadóttir has quickly become one of the most sought-after composers in Hollywood. Her score for the HBO series, Chernobyl, won her an Emmy and GRAMMY Award while her soundtrack to Todd Phillips’ Joker won the Golden Globe and Academy Award for Best Original Score. 

Interspersed with the fevered energy of Schnittke’s Concerto Grosso and Riley’s electric Half Wolf Dances Mad in the Moonlight, the program will draw you in to a world of wonder. Trio Mediæval’s ethereal harmonies and unexpected collaborations, and Henriksen’s rare softness and spirituality have captivated audiences around the world. Making their debut with Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra, this is a soul-stirring concert that will stay with you long after you leave the concert hall.