In an era where classical music constantly seeks to reaffirm its relevance, the ANAM Orchestra Gala Concert offered a compelling argument for the prevailing impact of both old and new.

Under the baton of WASO’s Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser Asher Fisch, the concert showcased Australia and New Zealand’s finest young musical talents in a diverse program of classical and contemporary music.

The program juxtaposed compositions by British-born Anna Clyne and Perth-based Lachlan Skipworth alongside Brahms’ Symphony No. 2.

Andrew Nicholson, Asher Fisch and musicians of the Australian National Academy of Music. Photo © Pia Johnson

Clyne’s This Midnight Hour (2015) opened the evening with vividly evocative soundscapes. Based on poems by Juan Ramón Jiménez and Charles Baudelaire, the intentionally ambiguous narrative of Clyne’s work invited listeners on a unique sonic journey. For some, the frenetic energy and dramatic shifts in the music may have evoked an eventful dash through the night; for others, an intricate timepiece mimicking the mechanical interplay of gears and springs.

What was clear, however, was the synergy between the youth of both the composition and its performers, who handled its dynamic and rhythmic contrasts with skilful vigour. The...