““Sizzled with a tempestuous energy that was thrilling . . . passion, power, and brilliance . . . an extended standing ovation.””
““The ‘sunrise’ opening of [Haydn’s] Symphony No. 6, ‘Le Matin’ was rendered beautifully with a lush blend in the strings. McIntosh brought a sense of spontaneity and excitement to the solo violin passages . . . [In Mozart’s Symphony No. 29], the players gamely tackled the drama . . . bringing an undeniable swagger to the final Allegro con spirito.””
““Hoedown-style fun on lead violin . . . Full of brio and bright colors . . . Alternating ease and zest . . . ebulliently driven.””
““It was a joyous occasion hearing a rollicking good piece with inspired performances, well deserving of the standing ovation from the enraptured audience . . . inspirational musicality and rhythmic energy . . . [The orchestra] was absolutely on fire, beautifully realising Haydn’s genius.””
““A polished, style-conscious ensemble [with] plenty to say about the music . . . infectious swing.” ”
BIOGRAPHY
Formed in 2012, the Australian Haydn Ensemble (AHE) burst onto the Australian music scene with passion and energy. It has performed all over Australia and has enjoyed many invitations to major Australian festivals such as the Adelaide Festival, the Canberra International Music Festival, the Melbourne Festival, and many others.
AHE made its premiere U.S. tour in October 2023 with performances from coast to coast, including a New York début at Carnegie Hall.
Under the direction of Artistic Director and violinist Skye McIntosh, AHE is one of Australia’s leading historically-informed orchestras. AHE brings together world-class musicians who excel in both modern and period instrument performance and are highly committed to both historical research and performance. The group’s repertoire is principally music of the late Baroque and early Classical eras. The ensemble's name pays tribute to the great "Papa Haydn," who was a central figure of late 18th century music in Europe.
AHE has built a reputation for its vibrant and accessible performances, which are faithful to the sound-worlds that would have been familiar to Haydn and his contemporaries. AHE has received critical acclaim for its début recording on ABC Classics, The Haydn Album, which premiered at No. 1 on the Australian Classical Aria Charts. Gramophone magazine hailed the group as "a polished, style-conscious ensemble."
The Australian Haydn Ensemble has collaborated with many leading international and Australian historical specialist performers including Midori Seiler (Germany), Melvyn Tan (UK), Marc Destrubé (Canada), Catherine MackIntosh (UK), Charles Neidich (USA), Stefanie True (Canada), Erin Helyard (Australia), Neal Peres Da Costa (Australia), Sara Macliver (Australia), Helen Sherman (UK) and David Greco (Australia).
AHE's latest CD release is Beethoven Piano Concertos Nos. 1 & 3 with leading historical keyboardist Neal Peres Da Costa. It has been applauded by leading music historian Clive Brown, who said it "marks a new and exciting development in period-instrument performance of Beethoven’s music. It offers a highly persuasive combination of impressive musicianship and convincing historical research."
Skye McIntosh, Founder/Artistic Director/Violin soloist
REVIEWS
★★★★★ FIVE STARS
"A performance that will be hard to match . . . It was a privilege for a Sydney audience to experience such a thoughtful and moving performance."
—https://stateoftheart.net.au
★★★★“Stellar launch of an anniversary season . . . McIntosh and her colleagues brought out the singing, almost operatic lines of the music with its graceful embellishments”
—https://limelightmagazine.com.au
"The highlight of the final movement was a magnificent solo for first violinist Skye McIntosh which was an opportunity to showcase her virtuosic dexterity . . . the diversity of expressive capability throughout all movements was on show not just for Boccherini, but also for the entire ensemble."
—https://stateoftheart.net.au
"A large and spellbound audience . . . gave the Australian Haydn Ensemble, Sydney Chamber Choir, soloists and conductor a sustained ovation for their performance . . . And it was most deserved applause. A masterful performance of a masterpiece . . . This was my first encounter with the Australian Haydn Ensemble and what a thrill – glorious individual and ensemble playing all night . . . All of Australia deserves to hear this production of Haydn’s masterpiece. Audiences can be assured that the Australian Haydn Ensemble performs at the highest of international standards."
—www.classikon.com
"Everything came together perfectly, setting a high standard for the next nine days for this important and distinctive international music festival. The long, long standing ovation and many bows from the capacity audience said it all."
—https://citynews.com.au