The beguiling textures and perfumes of Spain have captured the imaginations of artists around the world for centuries. This April, ACO Artistic Director Richard Tognetti and the Australian Chamber Orchestra explore musicians’ enduring fascination with the streets of Madrid and Barcelona, performing music from Boccherini and Ravel to Miles Davis and Chick Corea.

Opening with Spanish-inspired favourites including Boccherini’s Night Music of the Streets of Madrid and Bizet’s Carmen Suite, the concert will feature a reimagining of Miles Davis’ Sketches of Spain and American jazz legend Chick Corea’s orchestral masterpiece, Spain, which will see the ACO collaborate with Australian jazz greats including ARIA award-winning pianist Matt McMahon and trumpeter Phil Slater.

“The ACO will delve into two of the most extraordinary musical imaginations of the 20th century, Miles Davis and Chick Corea, for the first time,” said Tognetti. “For this program we’ve thought globally and acted locally as, in another first, we’ll be working with Australian jazz musicians – some of the greatest jazz musicians on the planet – led by pianist Matt McMahon, to perform this remarkable music.”

McMahon is one of Australia’s most celebrated jazz pianists and composers. As a frequent attendee of ACO concerts throughout his career, he is eagerly looking forward to reorchestrating Spain in collaboration with Tognetti for these performances.

“I remember seeing an ACO concert when Richard had just become the Artistic Director and being interested to see in what direction the Orchestra would go – and I’ve enjoyed so many performances since that time,” McMahon said. “I love the way the ACO performs pieces that are hundreds of years old with the same spirit as they play new music, in collaboration with such a diverse array of artists. As an improvising musician, there are plenty of times when I’ve thought ‘I’d love to get involved with some of those colours I’m hearing’ – I’m really looking forward to that actually happening now.”