Stuttgart Connect MSE x JuKO 2025
MSE Welcomes Junges Kammerorchester Stuttgart for a Winter of Music-Making
This winter, the Melbourne String Ensemble had the pleasure of hosting our friends from Junges Kammerorchester Stuttgart (JuKO) for a visit filled with rehearsals, collaboration, and the unmistakable joy of music-making across continents.
From the outset, the two ensembles found common ground in their shared repertoire and mutual enthusiasm for chamber and combined string playing. Sectional rehearsals gave way to full combined sessions, as MSE and JuKO musicians worked side by side, building toward a shared performance that would showcase the very best of both ensembles.
The evening opened with the MSE and JuKO combined ensemble, conducted by Fintan Murphy, performing Elgar's Introduction and Allegro for Strings, Op. 47 - a work whose interplay between soloists and full ensemble proved a fitting showcase for the depth of talent across both orchestras. MSE's own Arietta, Prelude, Intermezzo & Chamber ensembles then combined forces under Rohan Mack's baton, performing Intrada & Allegro, a piece for combined strings written by R. Mack. JuKO followed in their own right, conducted by Michael Böttcher, with a moving rendition of Michael Nyman's De l'Hôtel de Ville à la Concorde from La Traversée de Paris, rounding out the first half.
Following interval, JuKO continued to showcase their own talents, with a lively performance of B. Herrmann's Psycho: A Short Suite for String Orchestra, before closing the evening with Tchaikovsky's beloved Serenade for Strings in C Major, Op. 48 - a rich and joyful farewell that brought the audience to its feet.
It was an evening that captured everything MSE stands for: the power of music to build friendships and bridge distances, and the joy of young musicians - from MSE's Arietta, Prelude, Intermezzo & Chamber ensembles and our guests at JuKO alike - coming together to create something truly memorable. We're already looking forward to welcoming JuKO back before too long.
About JuKO
Founded in 1978 by conductor Thomas Zehetmair, JuKO is one of Germany’s most highly regarded youth chamber orchestras, based in Stuttgart. The ensemble is renowned for its energy, precision, and musical sophistication, performing a wide repertoire that ranges from Baroque to contemporary works. Its members, aged between 14 and 22, are selected for their exceptional musicianship and commitment to ensemble playing, and many go on to distinguished professional careers.
A Longstanding Collaboration
The friendship between MSE and JuKO spans more than two decades. Since their first collaboration in 2003, the two ensembles have come together nine times — both in Melbourne and in Stuttgart’s world-famous Liederhalle concert hall. Across the years, these exchanges have gone far beyond the music itself: students have been billeted by families in both cities, forming deep and lasting connections. On MSE’s most recent visit to Stuttgart, several of our students were even hosted by families whose children had been JuKO members during that very first tour — a wonderful testament to the enduring spirit of this partnership.
Reflecting on the event, Fintan Murphy wrote:
“MSE and JuKO have worked together nine times, both in Melbourne and in the famous Liederhalle in Stuttgart. We have played many concerts together, and students have been billeted by families in both cities. Over the years, our students have made lasting connections and friendships, and on our last tour to Stuttgart, some of our students were hosted by families who were themselves members of JuKO on the first tour of 2003.
For our concert in Melbourne we played the Elgar Introduction and Allegro together, and Stuttgart finished the concert with the Tchaikovsky Serenade. It was a wonderful concert — a continuation of our collaboration of over 20 years.”
The Stuttgart Connect concert was more than just a performance; it was a celebration of music’s power to unite people across generations, cultures, and continents.