Finding harmony across borders

When violinist Noam Yaffe steps onto the stage this week with the Australian World Orchestra (AWO), he’ll be returning to familiar ground, both musically and personally. Born in Sydney but now based in Tel Aviv, Yaffe has built a career that bridges continents and cultures.

“This is now my third year playing with the Australian World Orchestra, and each time it is an immense honour,” he told The AJN ahead of the orchestra’s history-making performance of Mahler’s Fourth and Fifth Symphonies. It’s the first time the two pieces will be performed together in the Southern Hemisphere. “For a musician still at the beginning of my career, it is a privilege to be able to make the annual pilgrimage to play with some of the world’s greatest orchestral musicians. The orchestra is a delight to play with; it feels like being swept up in a wave of energy.”

The AWO will be conducted by Artistic Director and Chief Conductor Alexander Briger, and the ambitious program will see the musicians onstage for more than two hours.

“This concert is a testament to the exceptional quality of the Australian World Orchestra, comprised of the finest musicians from Australia and around the globe,” Briger said. “Their extraordinary talent and dedication allow us to present such an ambitious program. By performing these two symphonies in one evening, we aim to create an unforgettable experience that celebrates the power of music to transcend boundaries and touch the soul.”

For Yaffe, his love of the violin started at the age of five.