Australian Chamber Orchestra

The Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO) is an Australian orchestra focused on chamber music based in Sydney.

Australian Chamber Orchestra
Short name	ACO
Founded	1975 (1975)
Location	Walsh Bay Wharves Precinct, Sydney
Concert hall	City Recital Hall
Music director	Richard Tognetti
Website	aco.com.au

History

The Australian Chamber Orchestra was founded by cellist John Painter in 1975.^[1] Richard Tognetti was appointed lead violin in 1989 and subsequently appointed artistic director.^[1]

As well as frequent Australian tours, the Sydney-based Australian Chamber Orchestra often tours Asia, Europe and the US, including regular performances at London's Wigmore Hall, New York City's Carnegie Hall and Lincoln Center, Vienna's Musikverein and Washington's Kennedy Center.^[2] The ACO is the only frequently touring Australian musical ensemble internationally.^[3]

In 2014 an album of the orchestra, featuring the American soprano Dawn Upshaw as soloist, won three Grammy Awards.^[4] The orchestra appears in the films Musical Renegades^[5] and Musica Surfica^[6] and the television series Classical Destinations series two.^[7]

In 2005, ACO Collective, a second ensemble combining emerging artists and Australian Chamber Orchestra musicians was formed as a training and regional touring orchestra.^[8]

The ACO musicians perform on a collection of ten Golden Age string instruments, including three Stradivarius violins.^[9] Richard Tognetti performs on a 1743 Guarneri del Gesù violin,^[10] on loan from an anonymous benefactor. Principal violin Satu Vänskä performs on the 1726 Belgiorno Stradivarius on loan from Guido and Michelle Belgiorno-Nettis,^[11] Principal cello Timo-Veikko Valve performs on a 1616 Amati cello on loan from the ACO Instrument Fund^[12] and principal violin Helena Rathbone plays a 1732 Stradivarius violin on loan from an anonymous benefactor.^[13]

In 2021, the orchestra was described as "extremely online".^[14]

Awards and nominations

AIR Awards

The Australian Independent Record Awards (commonly known informally as AIR Awards) is an annual awards night to recognise, promote and celebrate the success of Australia's Independent Music sector.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
2021	Brahms: Symphonies 3 & 4 Ensemble Offspring – Songbirds (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Independent Classical Album or EP	Nominated	[15][16]
2022	River (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Independent Classical Album or EP	Nominated	[17][18]
2024	Beethoven (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Independent Classical Album or EP	Won	[19]
2025	Memoir of a Snail	Best Independent Classical Album or EP	Nominated	[20]

ARIA Music Awards

The ARIA Music Awards is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987.

Year	Nominee / work	Award	Result	Ref.
1987	Mozart in Delphi	Best Classical Album	Nominated	[21]
1993	Janáček: Kreutzer Sonata for Strings, Barber: Adagio for Strings, Walton: Sonata for Strings (with Richard Tognetti)		Won
1994	Mendelssohn: Octet in E-flat for Strings, Op. 20; Sinfonia No. 9 in C. Swiss (with Richard Tognetti)		Nominated
	Symphony Serenades and Suites (with Richard Tognetti)		Nominated
1996	Peter Sculthorpe: Music for Strings		Won
	Spirit		Nominated
1997	Il Tramonto – The Sunset		Nominated
2000	Beethoven Violin Concerto & Mozart Symphony No. 40 (with Richard Tognetti)		Nominated
2004	Musical Renegades	Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album	Nominated	[22]
2007	Bach Violin Concertos (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Classical Album	Won	[21]
2009	Classical Destinations II		Nominated
2010	Mozart Violin Concertos (with Richard Tognetti & Christopher Moore)		Nominated
2011	Mozart Violin Concertos Vol 2 (with Richard Tognetti)		Nominated
2016	Mozart's Last Symphonies (with Richard Tognetti)		Nominated
2017	Mountain (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album	Nominated	[22]
2019	Heroines (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Classical Album	Nominated	[21]
2022	River (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Original Soundtrack or Musical Theatre Cast Album	Won	[23][24]
2023	Indies & Idols (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Classical Album	Won	[25]
2024	Beethoven Symphonies 1, 2 & 3 'Eroica' (with Richard Tognetti)	Best Classical Album	Nominated	[26]