The Concert for Compassion

The Concert for Compassion was created around a dialogue in Ballarat to create a nurturing city.

The concert emerged from a conversation between Dr Lynne Reeder, from Compassionate Ballarat, and Federation University Arts Academy Director, Associate Professor Richard Chew.

By signing the global Charter for Compassion, Ballarat joined more than 430 compassionate cities around the world pledging to identify and solve social issues through compassionate action.

A Concert for Compassion features songs from Compassion, a song cycle by Nigel Westlake and Lior, Samuel Barber’s beautiful Adagio in its original version for string quartet and the Victorian premiere of Federation University Arts Academy Director Richard Chew’s post-conflict oratorio Stari Most, for orchestra, soprano and baritone soloists and chorus.

Stari Most is about building bridges in war-torn communities. In this piece of music – an anthem to the healing of a community – the choir, accompanied by operatic soloists and an orchestra of professional musicians, tell the story of the beautiful and historic bridge at Mostar in Bosnia Herzegovina, as it is systematically annihilated and rebuilt.

The libretto, by Peter Cann, sensitively explores how love and pain wove its way between the bullets and rubble hand in hand.

This performance of Stari Most features soloists from the state Opera of South Australia, students from the Arts Academy and Loreto College and the Inscape Chamber Orchestra, led by internationally acclaimed violinist Dunja Lavrova.

Film maker Alex McEwan provides a backdrop of stunning images made especially for the work.