“…a brilliant performance on a famously difficult instrument from Chad Kelly…”

by Tony Burke

★★★★★ “…[kept] the audience on the edge of their seats. One gets the impression that Chad Kelly and the ensemble really understand this kind of music…”

by Aryan Mohseni

“…The string players on their period instruments sounded completely switched on with perfect timing….This was good as music gets.…Kelly proved his worth as an instrumentalist. Fantastic stuff.”

by Rob Kennedy

“…A glittering finish to AHE’s tenth anniversary year…”

by Paul Nolan

★★★★ “…The 14 members of AHE under Artistic Director Skye McIntosh were in thrilling form for this work, and the energy coming off the stage from the tight ensemble and Kelly with his darting movements was positively electric.”

by Steve Moffat

“…The musicians displayed an impressive sense of ensemble interacting with the narrator with careful timing and dynamic balance. Their individual performances were exceptional…”

by Shamistha de Soysa

“the pleasure they took in performing and their interactions rubbed off on the delighted audience”

by Helen Musa

“while the storytelling was captivating and indeed enlightening, it was the many superb musical interludes that made the show for me…Bravo Skye McIntosh and AHE for an inspired program and a dynamic performance.”

by Pepe Newton

“…The Australian Haydn Ensemble exudes precision, elegance and spirit, particularly in the finale…”

by Carol Dance

★★★★ “ Haydn specialists and a theatrical giant give us a life well imagined….[John] Bell was masterly as Papa”

by Steve Dow

“The Australian Haydn Ensemble were virtuosic, delicate, dramatic and revolutionary in equal measure. ”

by Jacqui Smith

★★★★ 1/2 “ It was a privilege to be able to listen to this rendition”

by Aryan Mohseni

“…the jubilant harmonies thundered to a mighty end, once more concluding a fine concert by a fine ensemble”

by Jessie Tu

“Exemplary performance by [Australian] Haydn Ensemble ”

by Graham Arnold

★★★★★“…such a thoughtful and moving performance, and it confirmed that each of the soloists, the Australian Haydn Ensemble and the Sydney Chamber Choir are the ‘lights of the firmament’, of which Uriel speaks, that adorn Australia’s flourishing early music scene”

by Aryan Mohseni

“A sustained ovation for The Creation…This was my first encounter with the Australian Haydn Ensemble and what a thrill – glorious individual and ensemble playing all night.”

by Alan Holley

“The orchestra with its treasure trove of historic and copied instruments was absolutely on fire, beautifully realising Haydn’s genius”

by Shamistha de Soysa

“The choir and soloists sang their hearts out. The AHE, in its tenth year, sounded full and strong. Everything came together perfectly…”

by Rob Kennedy

★★★★ 1/2 ”Australia's first-ever period-instrument presentation of The Creation revealed the fresh vitality and range of colours in Haydn’s score.”

by Vincent Plush

★★★★“ Stellar launch of an anniversary season…McIntosh and her colleagues brought out the singing, almost operatic lines of the music with its graceful embellishments”

by Steve Moffat

“The highlight of the final movement was a magnificent solo for first violinist Skye McIntosh which was an opportunity to showcase her virtuosic dexterity”

by Aryan Mohseni

“It was a glorious evening as the quartet played Haydn, Boccherini and Mozart with the Harbour views seen through the glass-walled Utzon Room.”

by Carol Dance

“The Australian Haydn Ensemble is a cornerstone of keeping alive the incomparable music and the elements of the Classical era.”
by Shamistha de Soysa

★★★★★“The Australian Haydn Ensemble’s playing was excellent throughout — crisp, well-balanced and adroitly led by the Ensemble’s guest director Erin Helyard and artistic director and first violinist Skye McIntosh.”
by Chris Reid

★★★★★“Those who purchased tickets to all three concerts should count themselves lucky. Haydn’s Solar Poetics was smartly curated and expertly performed.”
by Nicola Woolford

“The Australian Haydn Ensemble are an early music orchestra at the top of their game.
The Australian Haydn Ensemble, like Pinchgut Opera, is a national treasure”

by Nicholas Routley

“ Energetically conducted by Erin Helyard from the keyboard …and skilfully led by violinist Skye McIntosh, the Ensemble impresses with every note and every phrase….. It’s really quite astonishing, and the audience applauded enthusiastically whenever it got the chance.”
by Kym Clayton

“It was another example of fine playing by the Australian Haydn Ensemble, under the direction of Helyard. This group has set a new benchmark in Australia in the performance of music of the Classical era.”
by Stephen Whittington

“Love and joy shine through in fine concert”
by Len Power

★★★★ 1/2 “…AHE’s precise timing and intonation and spot-on ensemble playing were on display under Helyard’s firm but relaxed control. … beautifully constructed performance…It is hard to imagine a more optimistic and positive end to the year than this concert…”

“…luxuriant sounds loaded with dramatic verve…BRAVO! to the Australian Haydn Ensemble and Erin Heylyard for a formidably nuanced performance of convincing spirit and sophistication”

“BRAVO! to the Australian Haydn Ensemble and Erin Heylyard for a formidably nuanced performance of convincing spirit and sophistication”

“…each of the seven players emerged as a virtuoso in their own right, tackling the irrepressible invention of Beethoven’s variations on a theme.”

“ …chamber versions of the classics bring to light symphonic works in a smaller scale form, and in this concert, the AHE showed just how powerful they can be.”

“ McIntosh was the star of this final section,”

“ The ensemble’s performance was electric….I stand in awe of what they were able to do with this work.”

“…group nuance made the string conversation poignant and fluid”