As live music begins to return to Sydney, with bands and acoustic musicians starting to pop back up in bars and some music venues for physically distanced gigs, there is one group of music lovers for whom live appearances still seem quite far off: classical music aficionados. While the doors of the Sydney Opera House remain shuttered to audiences, albeit with a program of livestreamed concerts to keep us entertained, there’s no digital experience that can quite capture the thrill of being in the room with classical musicians and opera singers belting out glass-endangering notes.
Well, if you have a passion for the music of yore and at least $1,500 to spare, you can have the experience come to your home. A small group of world-class classical musicians are currently coming to private homes in Sydney and giving intimate 45-minute concerts for up to 20 guests combining opera arias and song cycles with solo piano music. Don’t have your own piano? They can arrange one for hire, starting at $800 for standing and $1,500 for a grand.
Live at Yours is an initiative from conductor and pianist Vladimir Fanshil, soprano Eleanor Lyons, tenor Andrew Goodwin, and pianist Vatche Jambazian. In more usual times these Australian artists would be travelling and performing internationally at venues like the Vienna State Opera, Bolshoi Theatre in Moscow, the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam, and locally at the Sydney Opera House.
“Since we’re here and all concerts halls are closed, we’re happy to trace back to the musical roots of salon-style concerts, where there’s a ‘Boheme’ style atmosphere. Guests can have a drink in hand and enjoy world-class artists in the comfort of their own home,” says Fanshil.
If you’d like to make the evening that much more memorable, you can add on catering with four substantial courses of fine canapés prepared by Elite Chefs Sydney and executive chef Matt Bates for $69 per person. Dishes are many and varied, but examples include freshly shucked Sydney Rock oysters with red miso, wakame, cucumber vinaigrette; and crispy shredded duck filo cigars with spiced orange glaze.
A typical evening with Live at Yours involves welcome drinks and canapés from 7-8pm, the concert from 8-8.45pm, and dessert, drinks and mingling with the artists until 10pm. The group has also conducted Sunday afternoon concerts following the same timing from 3pm.
If you have a grand piano just screaming to have a skilled hand tickle the ivories – or room to have a piano wheeled in for the evening – and you want to show just how the other half lives, you can make an enquiry over at liveatyours.com.au.
Don’t have the budget to bring the show into your saloon? Check out the best live shows in Sydney right now.