The Sydney Symphony Family

Principal Conductor

In the years since Vladimir Ashkenazy first came to prominence on the world stage in the 1955 Chopin Competition in Warsaw, he has built an extraordinary career not only as one of the most renowned and revered pianists of our times, but as an inspiring artist whose creative life encompasses a vast range of activities.

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Assistant Conductor

Nicholas Carter graduated from the Faculty of Music, University of Melbourne in 2007, having studied voice and piano. For two years, he was a member of the inaugural Artist Development Program with Victorian Opera, studying with Richard Gill.

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Musicians Poster (pdf)

Our musicians in photos

Strings by section

Strings

The violins are the sopranos of the string section. There are more of them than any other instrument in the orchestra, so many, in fact that there are two sections and the first violins and second violins rarely play the same part. The violas play the inner voices in the harmony and many great composers, including Mozart and Brahms, enjoyed playing viola because they loved to be in the thick of the musical texture. The rich-toned cellos and double basses look after the bass line and provide the essential foundation for the music.

Woodwind by section

Woodwind

The flute, with its silvery tone, is the highest instrument in the woodwind family. The ancient Greeks believed that it sound would cure both epilepsy and sciatic gout.

The oboe sounds pastoral and the clarinet creamy. The cor anglais, which despite its English translation, is neither English nor a horn, does not often have a lot to do but when it plays, creates a uniquely melancholy sound. The bassoon often brings a note of humour.

Brass by section

Brass

The brass are the big guns of the orchestra! The moment they speak, the world changes. They add lustre, glamour and heroism to any music.

Percussion by section

Percussion and Timpani

Nothing creates a sense of anticipation like a drum roll: it always means that something momentous is about to happen, in the hall or in the music! Together the timpani (kettledrums) and the percussion instruments give orchestral music its vigour and drive.

Piano and Harp

The piano and harp each have more strings than any other instrument in the orchestra, but they’re not strictly members of the String section and we accord them a special place in the orchestra. Both are relatively latecomers to the orchestra family: the harp begins to turn up regularly in music written in the 19th century, the piano came into its own in the 20th.