In their 9 year history, the Omega Ensemble have come a very long way. This year they find themselves the resident ensemble at Sydney’s City Recital Hall and have curated a series of concerts of chamber music, each showcasing a different guest performer.

In quite a bold move, David Rowden, Omega’s Artistic Director and clarinetist, chose to open the year with a concert of lesser-known works featuring virtuoso accordionist James Crabb. The music was a mix of tangos, fugues and pieces in the form of a ‘theme and variations’. The repertoire performed was often incredibly obscure, however this provided the audience with an unexpected treat as each piece in the program was a new jewel to unpick and discover.

The program opened with Desde Adentro (from within) composed by Antonio Agri, with input from José Caril. Agri is famous for his work as violinist in Astor Piazzolla’s ‘Quinteto Nuevo’, and the influence of Piazzolla could be heard in this lush tango. Composed for accordion, string quintet and piano, Desde Adentro was gentle to the ears of those familiar with the music of Piazzolla, but not without charm.

The Omega Ensemble then proceeded to transport us to an entirely different soundscape, with a...