ASO Fires On All Cylinders for New Motorsport-Inspired Commission
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) will present the World Premiere of Concerto del Motore, a motorsport-inspired production.
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Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s (ASO) highly anticipated 2026 season is off and running, with organisers revealing a new World Premiere as part of the program, Concerto del Motore.
Australian composer and pianist Joe Chindamo will lead Concerto del Motore as part of ASO’s Symphony Series, In the Quiet, at Adelaide Town Hall on Friday 17 and Saturday 18 April.
Inspired by and written for ASO Principal Clarinettist, Dean Newcomb, the new composition explores his passion for motorsport, in particular drifting, something Newcomb enjoys when he’s not leading the ASO’s clarinet section.
The idea for Concerto del Motore came about during a conversation Chindamo and Newcomb had in the car on the way to the Barossa Valley.
“Joe was interested in my love for drifting and what I was capable of behind the wheel as well as a musician,” explains Newcomb. “There was a desire to create something that hasn’t been done before in the orchestral world and make a statement about the commitment required to pursue any passion to the extreme.”
Chindamo adds, “It’s been a thrill to work closely with Dean to create a concerto that reflects not only his artistry and musicianship, but the life he leads beyond the stage. For me, the piece is about the romance of risk, and that slightly perverse human instinct to flirt with danger. It moves from the solitude of the driver before the race into the spectacle of the track - not unlike a soloist stepping on stage- where danger, play and triumph collide.”
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Image Saige Prime
This commission is the latest in a long line of ASO productions championing new Australian works as part of the 2026 Season.
“Performing and commissioning new music is, and always has been, in the ASO’s DNA. Orchestras are not museums and new work constantly renews our art form,” says Simon Lord, ASO Director, Artistic Planning.
Chindamo’s work is paired alongside Copland’s Quiet City, a quieter piece highlighting solo trumpet and horn and featuring performances from ASO musicians Peter Duggan, Cor Anglais and David Khafagi.
The program climaxes with Rachmaninov’s much-loved Second Symphony.
Tickets for the ASO Season 2026 are on sale now at aso.com.au.
