Distinguished clarinettist Francesco Celata, of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, joins forces with Festival Co-Directors Monica Curro and Stefan Cassomenos, for an eclectic journey across continents. Our quest begins with the shifting Balkan borders of the Ottoman Empire, a musical melting pot celebrated by composers as diverse as Beethoven, Bartók, Liszt, and Skalkottas. We head towards the Caucasus with Khachaturian’s homage to his Armenian heritage, then continue across the Great Steppe to the Western frontier of China with Tan Dun’s ethno-musical excavation. We voyage to the Far East and to Southeast Asia, with Hosokawa’s Mai and Ngurah’s Pelog Variations, before completing our journey with a world premiere from emerging Australian composer Neeharika Shyju, in an exploration of her own cultural roots in South India.