The safe space of music

Internationally acclaimed pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk is swapping the world’s grandest concert halls for something far more intimate this October, as he performs in Sydney and Melbourne with Live at Yours.

Following his sold-out national tour with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Ukrainian-born virtuoso, hailed by Gramophone Magazine as a “prodigiously gifted pianist and life-force”, will appear at Sydney’s Great Synagogue and Melbourne’s Toorak Synagogue.

The program is a rich blend of brilliance and depth, featuring Liszt’s whirlwind Tarantella, Mozart’s sparkling Sonata in C Major, and a moving selection from Chopin, including the Fantasy in F minor, Fantasy Impromptu, and a soul-stirring nocturne.

For Gavrylyuk, playing in these sacred spaces is more than a concert, it’s an act of connection. “It’s very humbling,” he told The AJN. “Spaces like that carry so much spirit. Generations of prayer, memory, human experience. When one plays there, one feels as if the sound isn’t only singular anymore, it belongs to something much bigger, shared. To bring music into that kind of atmosphere is a real privilege.”

The Sydney concert will be held under the Great Synagogue’s magnificent starry ceiling, while Melbourne audiences will gather under Toorak Synagogue’s Byzantine dome and stained-glass windows. Both will be hosted by broadcaster Megan Burslem, adding warmth and storytelling to the evening.