★★★★☆ An epic night out as new-music trailblazers pull out all the stops.

Deakin Edge, Federation Square
August 11, 2015

Plexus is a force to be reckoned with. While most ensembles take years to establish, Plexus has charged into Australia’s new music scene with a blazing passion, so far commissioning 70 new works since the group’s launch in 2014. The ensemble is a meeting of powerful musical forces: Monica Curro (violin) and Philip Arkinstall (clarinet) are long-time MSO favourites, and Stefan Cassomenos is an internationally regarded recitalist and soloist.

As a testament to the group’s collaborative vision, Tuesday night’s concert saw Plexus team up with a host of fine musicians in delivering a truly epic program. Expanding beyond the purely instrumental, the ensemble was joined by vocalists Deborah Cheetham (soprano), Liane Keegan (contralto) and Daniel Carison (bass-baritone), plus the Royal Melbourne Philhamonic Choir conducted by Andrew Wailes. The core group too was beefed up by guest musos (and fellow MSO members) cellist Michelle Wood and double bassist Damien Eckersley, filling out the ensemble’s low register and providing some much needed support in the meaty works on the program.

To open the concert, the five instrumentalists and Liane Keegan gave...