Welcome to our new website! Discover more about our new brand and online experience here.
Presented by Melbourne Recital Centre and Musica Viva Australia
Jess Hitchcock & Penny Quartet


An exquisite song-cycle for the here and now.
Fresh from transformative performances that captivated audiences in Adelaide and Perth Festivals, Musica Viva Australia and Melbourne Recital Centre proudly present Jess Hitchcock and Penny Quartet as part of NAIDOC week – an experience designed to connect us to something deeper.
Jess Hitchcock is a Melbourne-based Indigenous singer-songwriter, opera and jazz singer, writer and composer. A true storyteller whose narratives resonate far beyond entertainment. Her endlessly versatile voice creates moments of profound connection, whether in the intimacy of a studio, the grandeur of a stage, or the expansive energy of a football stadium.
Penny Quartet is an award-winning Australian string quartet with an appetite for innovation. From regional touring to festival appearances to international performances, they transform conventional listening into experiences of genuine discovery.
Together, Jess and the Pennies present an evening of music that creates space for reflection and renewal through the collaborative vision of 11 Australian composers, each commissioned to reimagine one of Jess's songs for voice and string quartet.
The result is an exquisite song-cycle for the here and now, interwoven with solo quartet repertory, offering precious moments of clarity amid our complex lives. Will you recognize each composer's unique perspective? Will you discover new dimensions to familiar emotions?
And will you find yourself moved by the authentic presence of Jess's voice? Without question.
Duration: 1 hour (no interval). Please note, running times are approximate and subject to change.
Tickets
Premium $125 ($110 Concession)
A reserve $92 ($80 Concession)
B reserve $65 ($56 Concession)
Under 40
A & B Reserve $49
MobTix
A & B Reserve $15*
A Transaction Fee between $4 and $8.50 applies to orders made online and by phone. Delivery Fees may also apply. A ticket limit of six is in place online to ensure fair ticket access for all. Want to bring a bigger party? Call our Box Office during business hours on (03) 9699 3333 to book.
*Mobtix is a special allocation of tickets that provides First Nations peoples both within and outside Australia access to a discounted rate for certain concerts. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people from Australia are eligible, as well as Māori, Pasifika, and First Nations people from other countries.
Artists
Jess Hitchcock
Penny Quartet
Program
Iain Grandage
Days are Long
Isaac Hayward
Homeward Bound
Jessica Hitchcock
Collide
Harry Sdraulig
Soak to My Bones
Ben Robinson
Leader of the Pack
Jessica Hitchcock
By the Sea
Holly Harrison
On my Own
James Mountain
Together
Christine Pan
Fight for Me
Jessica Hitchcock
Running in the Dark
Alex Turley
Unbreakable
Iain Grandage
Not a Warzone
Caroline Shaw
Plan and Elevation: The Grounds of Dumbarton Oaks
i. The Ellipse
ii. The Cutting Garden
iii. The Herbaceous Border
iv. The Orangery
v. The Beech Tree