Jonny Greenwood has called the Australian Chamber Orchestra the “best in the world” after working with the Australian ensemble on a new piece titled ‘Water’..
Greenwood jumped ship from Radiohead and into the Australian Chamber Orchestra after finishing the last Radiohead tour. “I only knew them by reputation,” Greenwood said in a video statement. “So many people were describing them as the best chamber orchestra in the world. And then it feel out that the Radiohead tour finished in Australia and a happy coincidence, they asked me to write something for them. It was so good that I slightly feel I didn’t make the most of the opportunity”.
‘Water’ was composed by Greenwood especially for the ACO. He spent three months in Sydney at the end of the Radiohead tour working with the orchestra. Acts often work with orchestras but rarely as a complete collaboration. Richard Tognetti of the Australian Chamber Orchestra said, “It is rare for any composer to have access to an orchestra in a laboratory situation. Normally you write and then you have to present to an orchestra that has no time and has to quickly learn it”.
Greenwood worked at length with the ACO on the musical piece. “It was amazing to have workshop time and hear lots of things and have the luxury to edit things out and get it right,” he said.
Jonny Greenwood has written numerous classic works including the award-winning film score for ‘There Will Be Blood’, and scores for ‘The Master’, ‘Norwegian Wood’ and ‘We Need to Talk About Kevin’.
Australian audiences get the chance to hear Jonny’s Water, during the ACO’s Tognetti’s Beethoven tour which runs 26 October – 3 November.
Melbourne – Arts Centre: 26 and 27 October
Perth Concert Hall: 29 October
Canberra – Llewellyn Hall: 1 November
Sydney Opera House: 2 and 3 November
