Perth Town Hall proved an elegant backdrop to what was an entertaining afternoon of music from multitalented composers, brought together by a multitalented musician himself, conductor and soloist John Keene. Currently the Associate Principal Double Bass of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Keene proved both a talented conductor and soloist in this program of string-centric works for chamber orchestra. Featuring compositions from Pleyel, Bottesini, Atterberg and Haydn, the concert was an exploration of lesser-known works which proved a successful combination, the outcome of which was an enjoyable Saturday afternoon chamber concert.

John KeeneConductor and double bass player John Keene. Photo © Nik Babic

There appeared to be an underlying theme to the choice of repertoire, subtly unifying the program, the aspects of which were highlighted in Keene’s own mid-performance commentary. Pleyel, Bottesini and Atterberg all had additional occupations alongside composing: Pleyel was a piano builder and ran a publishing house, Bottesini was an opera conductor and Atterberg was a qualified engineer. Undertaking the roles of both soloist and conductor, Keene himself exemplified the role of multi-professional musician, as if part of this theme himself. Although not explicitly stated as a theme, the suggestion...