Musician Onboarding · Rapture & Ruin
Welcome to Horizon.
Everything you need before your first rehearsal —
and the agreement that confirms your place.
Read through. Then complete the form below.
Returning Horizon musician? Complete the shorter returning-player form →
Welcome
You were invited intentionally.
You have been invited to take part in a Horizon Orchestral Studio project because we believe you are capable of contributing to a high-level ensemble. It is a space for musicians who want to be engaged artistically, think carefully, and perform at a high standard.
Horizon is built on a belief that music can be shared more directly — that orchestral performance, approached with care and intention, reaches people in a way little else does.
What Horizon Is
Formation and performance, built together.
Horizon Orchestral Studio is a professional orchestral environment in which advanced pre-professional conductors develop their craft within a mentored setting, while musicians work at a high level within a disciplined and artistically serious ensemble.
Conducting is a craft that can only be learned through practice — real rehearsals, real feedback, real orchestras. Horizon provides exactly that.
Horizon Classical
Outwardly, Horizon Orchestral Studio presents Horizon Classical — a concert conceived as a guided, immersive encounter with music. Described as "cinema for the ears", it is not a traditional recital format, but a direct and personal experience designed for first-time listeners and those returning with fresh ears alike.
This season, Horizon Classical presents Rapture & Ruin — three Russian orchestral masterworks tracing a single emotional arc, anchored by pianist Calvin Abdiel in Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2.
Artistic Leadership
Conducting Fellow
Hans Sangtoki
Hans Sangtoki is an emerging conductor based in Sydney, currently the inaugural Honours in Conducting student at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music under Professor Benjamin Northey. He has participated in masterclasses with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and Jakarta Simfonia Orchestra. Hans founded Horizon Orchestral Studio to develop platforms for advanced conducting training, and continues his work educating younger generations in orchestral music as Artistic Director of Cantate Deo Youth Orchestra.
Mentorship
Hans is mentored by Professor Benjamin Northey as part of his studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. This project supports the practical component of that training. Professor Northey may be present during the rehearsal process.
Artistic Team — Rapture & Ruin
Concertmaster
Adele Ohki
Adele Ohki serves as Concertmaster of Horizon Orchestral Studio for Rapture & Ruin, bringing ensemble leadership and orchestral experience to the project.
Piano Soloist
Calvin Abdiel
Indonesian-Australian pianist and Decca Australia recording artist. Third Prize, Sydney International Piano Competition 2021. Critics have described his playing as having “extraordinary pianistic authority” — “a commander of the piano.”
Read bio →
Conducting Mentor
Prof. Benjamin Northey
Professor at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and Hans Sangtoki's conducting mentor. Of orchestral training, he has said: “The biggest problem for young conductors is opportunities to conduct orchestras. Ensemble time is the one thing that makes the biggest difference.”
Rapture & Ruin — Artistic Vision
“There is a kind of beauty that ruins you.”
Three Russian masterworks. A single emotional arc. Glinka's overture opens with concentrated, irresistible joy. Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet traces Shakespeare's tragedy through twenty minutes of mounting devastation. Rachmaninoff's Piano Concerto No. 2 — the evening's centrepiece — is forty minutes of overwhelming beauty, surrendered to by both performer and audience.
For conductors
The Russian orchestral tradition demands precision and abandon in equal measure. This programme is a study in extremes.
For audiences
You are not required to bring expertise or prior knowledge. Only presence. These works will do the rest.
For musicians
To perform this repertoire is to give something of yourself. There is no detached execution of Rachmaninoff. This is what Horizon is built for.
Programme
Three works. One arc.
From the exhilaration of Glinka to the devastation of Tchaikovsky to the overwhelming beauty of Rachmaninoff — this programme asks musicians and audiences alike to surrender to what the music demands.
Mikhail Glinka
Ruslan and Ludmilla — Overture
The evening opens
Concentrated, unstoppable joy. A five-minute overture that sets the entire emotional register of the night.
Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
Romeo and Juliet Fantasy Overture
Twenty minutes tracing Shakespeare's great tragedy — one of the most concentrated emotional arcs in the orchestral repertoire.
Sergei Rachmaninoff
Piano Concerto No. 2 in C minor
Following the interval
Calvin Abdiel, piano
The evening's centrepiece. Forty minutes of overwhelming beauty. Performed by Calvin Abdiel.
Schedule
Three rehearsals. One concert.
All sessions are mandatory. If you have a confirmed conflict, declare it in the form before submitting.
Rehearsal 1
Tuesday 21 July
6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sydney Conservatorium of Music · 1 Conservatorium Rd, Sydney
Rehearsal 2
Wednesday 22 July
6:30pm – 9:30pm
Sydney Conservatorium of Music · 1 Conservatorium Rd, Sydney
Rehearsal 3
Thursday 23 July
6:30pm – 9:30pm
International Reformed Evangelical Church · 556–558 Botany Rd, Alexandria
Concert
Friday 24 July
Concert 7:30pm
Call time — all players
Doors open
Horizon Classical: Rapture & Ruin — Verbrugghen Hall
Venues
Two venues.
Rehearsals 1 and 2 and the concert are at Verbrugghen Hall. Rehearsal 3 is at IREC Sydney in Alexandria.
Rehearsals 1 & 2 · Concert
Verbrugghen Hall
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 1 Conservatorium Rd, Sydney NSW 2000
Train to Martin Place or Circular Quay — 10–15 minute walk through the Domain. Limited paid parking is available nearby.
Allow sufficient time to arrive, unpack, and be ready at the start time. Rehearsals begin promptly.
Rehearsal 3 — Thursday 23 July
International Reformed Evangelical Church
556–558 Botany Rd, Alexandria NSW 2015
Limited parking via the rear entrance on Beaconsfield Lane. Plenty of free street parking in the surrounding area during evening sessions.
Route 309 from Waterloo Metro Station or Green Square Station.
Sheet Music
Practice parts will be sent to your email shortly — please watch your inbox.
Digital sheet music is encouraged where possible.
Spare parts will be available on the day if needed.
Concert Logistics
Concert attire: standard concert blacks — all black, formal, no bright accents.
Programme order: Glinka · Tchaikovsky [interval] · Rachmaninoff Piano Concerto No. 2.
Call time for all players: 5:30pm on Friday 24 July at Verbrugghen Hall.
Doors open 7:00pm. Concert begins 7:30pm. Approximately 1.5 hours including interval.
Expectations
Rehearsal culture at Horizon.
Arrive fully prepared.
Having learnt your part and understood the structure of the work. Rehearsal time is for building ensemble, refining detail, and shaping musical direction.
Arrive early.
Be physically and mentally ready at the start time. Rehearsals begin promptly, and the ensemble depends on every member being present and engaged from the outset.
Listen as much as you play.
Attention to detail is central to the process. Adjusting to balance and responding quickly to direction are part of your contribution.
Communicate directly.
If anything arises that may affect your participation, raise it as early as possible.
What You Can Expect
What Horizon offers in return.
From Horizon, you can expect clear musical direction, a structured rehearsal process, and an environment that takes the work seriously. You will be challenged in ways designed to develop your musicianship, ensemble awareness, and artistic discipline.
A conductor and artistic team who care deeply about the artistic integrity of the project.
Rehearsals that are structured, focused, and do not waste your time.
A professional performance presented under the Horizon Classical concert series at Verbrugghen Hall.
Payment of an agreed fee + superannuation where applicable, on receipt of invoice.
Genuine consideration for future Horizon projects, based on standard and conduct.
The Performance
“Cinema for the ears. A direct and personal encounter with music — without preconception, without barrier.”
The performance is presented under Horizon Classical — a concert format conceived as a guided, immersive encounter with music. Rapture & Ruin is not a traditional recital. It is an evening that asks you to experience the emotional weight of three Russian masterworks directly. No knowledge of classical music is required of the audience. No formal dress code.
The programme follows an arc from exhilaration to devastation to overwhelming beauty — from Glinka's overture through Tchaikovsky's tragic Romeo and Juliet, to Rachmaninoff's Second Piano Concerto with Calvin Abdiel as soloist. Approximately 1.5 hours including interval.
From the Mentor
After the Project
What happens when the concert is done.
Horizon is building toward a reputable ensemble with high standards for advanced conducting training — alongside artistically serious, paid projects for early-career professionals. Your participation matters now and moving forward.
Rapture & Ruin is part of an ongoing series. Musicians who engage seriously with the process will be considered for future projects as Horizon continues to develop its programme.
Submit your invoice to the Horizon team promptly after the performance. Payment will be processed on receipt.
If applicable, you will receive a link from our clearing house (AustralianSuper) to submit your super details. Watch your email after submitting this form.
Musicians who engage seriously with the process will be considered for future Horizon projects. The ensemble is growing across seasons.
Photography and video from rehearsals and performance may be used by Horizon for promotional and archival purposes, as agreed in your contract.
Following your form submission, you will receive any remaining materials. Preparation should begin immediately — your readiness will directly shape the first rehearsal.
We look forward to working with you.
— Hans Sangtoki
Section 2 of 2
Confirmation & Agreement
Complete all sections below to confirm your place in the ensemble. Fields marked with an asterisk are required before submission.