The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s Baroque Unleashed concert combines Baroque hits with hidden gems. Can you tell us about the thinking behind your programming?

Absolutely! I wanted to craft a concert that really shows off the sheer electricity of Baroque music. We’re diving into those fiery favourites that audiences love, but also digging up some lesser-known works that deserve their moment in the spotlight. It’s about giving people the thrill of recognition while also surprising them with something unexpected. There’s so much richness in the Baroque repertoire, and I think this program captures that energy beautifully.

Australian Brandenburg Orchestra performing in Paradisum. Photo © Laura Manariti

You have always enjoyed doing detective work to uncover pieces from the archives. Has that been the case here?

That’s one of the great joys of what I do. There’s nothing like going down a rabbit hole in an archive and stumbling across a piece that hasn’t seen the light of day for centuries. Some of the gems in this program came from exactly that kind of digging – dusty manuscripts, overlooked corners of libraries. And when we bring them back to life on period instruments,...