Mozart was the first to explore this combination in his Clarinet Quintet of 1789, written for Anton Stadler, the most gifted clarinettist in Vienna at the time.

Across four exquisite movements we hear a gentle lullaby, a lively dance and lyrical passages that could almost be opera arias; while the clarinet is first among equals, all five instruments shine in this exquisite piece.

Nearly 250 years later, Australian composer Holly Harrison continues the tradition with Spitfire for clarinet and string trio. Inspired by music of the 1930s and three pivotal musical figures in Django Reinhardt, Stéphane Grappelli and Benny Goodman, Harrison describes the piece as ‘a feverish mix of jazz, Appalachian folk, blues and swing, with a touch of vaudeville’. All brought to life by the superb musicians of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in the picturesque Sydney Opera House Utzon Room.