Vocal music and a major ballet dominate Tognetti’s program next year.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra’s new season launched today with perhaps the ensemble’s most diverse and innovative offerings to date. In typical ACO style, the program traverses Gregorian chant through to new Australian composition; pillars of the Western Classical tradition to wild, avant-garde imaginings; and the requisite cross-country field trip, this time from the coast to the desert.

A strong focus on vocal music sets 2012 apart from previous years, says artistic director Richard Tognetti. “We ensured that the three tours were different flavours but the whole vocal component was somewhat coincidental.”

British quartet The Hilliard Ensemble (comprising a countertenor, two tenors and a baritone) demonstrate their affinity with both early music and contemporary composition, presenting the medieval Veni Creator Spiritus as a prelude to Ross Edwards’ recent work based on the same chant. Then, the crowning glory of the ACO’s Beethoven symphony series: the Ninth will feature the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge and a stellar cast of international singers.  Although several ensembles are set to perform Symphony No 9 around the country in 2012, Tognetti insists the ACO’s will be “an experience unlike any others taking place next...