The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has announced its 2019 season, with a string of guests – both conductors and concerto soloists – filling the gap before Norwegian maestro Eivind Aadland takes over from Marko Letonja (who steps down at the end of this year) as the orchestra’s Chief Conductor in 2020.

Aadland will, however, conduct the orchestra in 2019 – as will Letonja, who returns in his new role of Conductor Laureate, amongst a line-up including Swedish soprano Nina Stemme, Australian soprano Nicole Car, British early music specialist Stephen Layton and the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s Artistic Director Richard Tognetti.

Richard Tognetti. Photo © Mick Bruzzese

Tognetti opens the orchestra’s mainstage concerts with a bang, performing Mozart’s Fifth Violin Concerto and Richard Meale’s Cantilena Pacifica with the orchestra and conducting Beethoven’s Coriolan Overture and First Symphony.

He’s just one of many violin soloists on the 2019 season, with American violinist Benjamin Beilman up next, performing the Tchaikovsky Concerto on a program alongside Neilsen’s Helios and Dvořák’s Eighth Symphony, conducted by Italian-born Danish conductor Giordano Bellincampi.

British conductor Stephen Layton joins the TSO in April for Bach’s St John Passion, with soloists soprano...