Join us for a musical meditation on Marcus Aurelius’ Mediations in seven improvisations by one of Australia’s leading violinists.
Fri, 11 Jul 2025 6:00 PM - 7:00 PM AEST. Doors at 5:45pm
International violinist Rupert Guenther presents Marcus Aurelius “Meditations” - Violin Sketches in Sound as the world-premiere performance this year of his fascinating new original work for violin based on the life and work of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius (102-180 AD) drawing particularly from his book of writings “Meditations” in the highly atmospheric Chau Chak Wing Museum at University of Sydney.
The Marcus Aurelius work illustrates through music the great contrast in psychological maturity which a statesman of Aurelius’ integrity and humanitarian vision would bring to the world stage if suddenly appearing now, as a leader in the modern world, standing in stark contrast among our current rather psychologically unbalanced world leadership. In a series of 7 extended improvisations, Guenther brings these themes to life as musical meditations on Aurelius’ philosophy of “good-spiritedness” (the Greek eudaimonia): the path of a life spent practicing virtue and living in accordance with nature, and to be in self-control enough to live free from anger, envy, and jealousy, and how a world leader like this would help us achieve a future of security through wisdom, collaboration and cooperation, instead of seeking security through perpetual suppression, domination and wars.
This performance takes place on a specially designed electric baroque violin, custom made for the work and created in collaboration with Australian master luthier Paul Davies in regional Victoria.
“Guenther’s seamless, mood-shifting, jaw-drop-inspiring improvisations communicated beyond chronological time, outside cultures and stock sounds for particular instruments. His unique painting of sentiment, concerns and cultural contrasts from our time reach us with a much needed freshness in the concert format.” - Sydney Arts Guide
Pre-concert talk - Listen to composer-violinist Rupert Guenther talk about his composition of his new work inspired by Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations.
Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00 PM - 1:00 PM AEST
https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/meditations-on-meditations-inspiration-from-a-roman-emperor-tickets-1400630496519
Join international composer-violinist Rupert Guenther in this behind-the-scenes artist talk. In this fascinating presentation, Guenther takes us through the processes of creating music for his unique Marcus Aurelius concert which follows on in the evening.
The artist will explain and demonstrate the creative journey of taking inspirations from visuals, texts, historic and cultural evidence to create a bespoke concert experience of the beautiful narrative for solo violin, relating to the times and philosophy of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius (102-180 AD) and his writings, particularly his “Meditations”.
About our performer
Rupert Guenther is a European trained violinist-composer who specialises in bespoke concerts of inspired new works and sonatas of his own breathtaking improvisations. Hi performances are site-specific “spirit of place” works, drawing inspiration from thousands of years of human history, architecture, nature, significant events through time, landscape, science, astronomy, philosophy, paintings, poetry, geology, anthropology, ancient artefacts, the night skies, mystical knowledge and personal stories. Since 2003 has independently released over 35 albums of his evocative improvisations, including 5 albums of his sonatas and other collected works commissioned and recorded by Australia’s national broadcaster ABC Classic FM radio.