Skip to main content

Tea & Symphony with the Second Violins

09 June, 2020

Alongside their exceptional playing, our Second Violins are renowned in the Orchestra for their incredible baking skills.

In honour of our Tea & Symphony series, our Second Violins have paired their mouth-watering recipes with a fitting classical work. Scroll through the gallery for their perfect afternoon pairings.

"Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto and my Flourless Chocolate Cake are each classics and I adore them both! I’m always thrilled when this piano concerto comes up in our concert schedule, especially when it’s played by the likes of Emanuel Ax. It is so noble and raises the spirit. So why not eat a classic chocolate cake while listening to it?" – Emma Jezek
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Emma Jezek
"My Easter Carrot Cake is inspired by Mahler’s sublime Symphony No. 2 – The Resurrection. This was the first symphony I played in the Sydney Town Hall after winning my audition with the Sydney Symphony. To say I was excited was an understatement. I’ve become great friends with everyone in my section since, and baking and eating cake has become a serious tradition!" – Monique Irik
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Monique Irik
"Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony is a must with Tiramisu. What better way to enjoy a peaceful afternoon than with a piece of Tiramisu, accompanied by the joyful sounds of Mendelssohn’s Italian Symphony, which immediately evokes images of a sunny Italian landscape." – Marina Marsden
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Marina Marsden
"Scones and Elgar is my perfect afternoon pairing. Elgar’s Serenade for Strings has a nostalgic quality for me, reminding me of my English mentors and colleagues I’ve met throughout my career; Chamber Strings of Melbourne with Christopher Martin, ACO emerging artists with Helena Rathbone and Sydney Symphony with the very British Andrew Haveron." – Marianne Edwards
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Marianne Edwards
"My Chocolate Sprinkle Donuts match wonderfully with Aaron Copland’s Appalachian Spring. As the only American in the section, I felt I should properly represent by pairing my dessert with this beloved American composer’s masterpiece. Appalachian Spring is fun, vast, and often beautifully simple...just like my donuts!" – Alice Bartsch
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Alice Bartsch
"During this time of isolation, I’ve found comfort in baking and the luxury of having time to bake more complicated recipes. I’ve chosen to pair my Cherry & Ricotta Danish with Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony as it’s very much a comfort piece for me. I first played this piece in the Australian Youth Orchestra and with a week of intensive rehearsals felt like I knew it really well! Now whenever we play it in Sydney Symphony it really feels like coming back to a good friend." – Emma Hayes
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Emma Hayes
"I’m pairing my Cinnamon Scrolls with Brahms’ Second Symphony. This is one of my favourite symphonies and something I was really looking forward to playing this year. It’s also the first piece I played on tour with the Sydney Symphony to China and South Korea. So I am filled with happy memories whenever I listen to this beautiful work!" – Victoria Bihun
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Victoria Bihun
"Brahms’ Third Symphony pairs perfectly with my Flourless Orange Cake. I love all Brahms’ symphonies to both play and listen to, but at the moment I have been listening to this one a lot especially when I’m cooking! Who doesn’t love eating cake while they’re listening to their favourite piece of music?" – Kirsty Hilton
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Kirsty Hilton
"This Norwegian Apple Cake recipe is from a cookbook given to me by Siri from Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra who I met through her exchange in our section. While baking this cake I was reminded of the symphony we played together – Mendelssohn’s Third Symphony (also known as the Scottish)!" – Wendy Kong
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Wendy Kong
"It might not be a dessert, but Spanakopita pairs nicely with Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony. The two are a meeting of two parts of me: my Greek heritage and my newfound Finnish-ness. I was lucky enough to live and work in Helsinki last year. The Sydney Symphony were due to play Sibelius’ Fifth Symphony in May this year. At the end of May I was due to head back to visit my Finnish friends. While I can’t visit at the moment, I can listen to my favourite Sibelius symphony and remember snow and lakes and korvapuusti!" – Rebecca Gill
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Rebecca Gill
This stunning Watermelon and Strawberry Cake was created by Riikka Sintonen and her daughter Sanni. Riikka played with the Sydney Symphony in 2019 and the first few months of 2020 on exchange from the Finnish National Opera and Ballet Orchestra! What classical work would you pair with this gorgeous Cake?
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Riikka Sintonen
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Emma Jezek
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Monique Irik
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Marina Marsden
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Marianne Edwards
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Alice Bartsch
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Emma Hayes
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Victoria Bihun
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Kirsty Hilton
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Wendy Kong
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Rebecca Gill
200609 Tea and Symphony with the Second Violins Riikka Sintonen