The Australian Chamber Orchestra finishes their tour in the U.S. at Stephens Auditorium March 24.

Joining the Australian Camber Orchestra on tour are pianist Olli Mustonen and a principal trumpet from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Christopher Martin.

Richard Tognetti has been the leader of the orchestra since 1989 after he graduated from Berne Conservatory in Switzerland. Previously, he had studied at the Sydney Conservatorium in Wollongong, Australia.

The orchestra, founded in 1975, is comprised of 17 string players: ten violins, three violas, three cellos and one double bass. The current musicians who play in the orchestra did not play when it first began.

“I think a lot of chamber orchestras were founded around that time because musicians wanted to be in control of their own destinies rather than just being sheep in orchestras,” Tognetti said. “Maybe there was a democratization in the workplace.”

For their performance at Stephens, the orchestra is playing selections from Visions Fugitives, Opus 22 by Prokofiev, arranged by Barshai and Tognetti, Piano Concerto Number 1 in C minor by Shostakovich, Prelude and Scherzo for String Octet, Opus 11 by Shostakovich and Serenade for Strings by Tchaikovsky.

The Australian Chamber Orchestra is at 7:30 p.m on March 24 at Stephens Auditorium. Tickets can be bought at the north entrance of Stephens Auditorium.