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This week's concert guides

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Osmo Vänskä conducts the music of Sibelius

24–27 April | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

2024 Season Concert Guides

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony: 8–11 May
Ngaiire & the Sydney Symphony Orchestra present FIREFLIES with GODTET: 4 May
A Musical Tempest with John Bell: 2 & 3 May
Osmo Vänskä conducts the music of Sibelius: 24–27 April
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban™ in Concert: 17–20 April
Singin' in the Rain: 12–13 April
Mendelssohn's Octet: 12 & 13 April
Donald Runnicles conducts The Protecting Veil: 27 & 28 March
Beethoven's Third Symphony: 20–23 March
Víkingur Ólafsson performs Bach’s Goldberg Variations: 18 March
Simone Young conducts Gurrelieder: 15 & 16 March
Schumann's Second Symphony with Simone Young: 9 March
Schumann's Second Symphony with Simone Young: 8 March
Simone Young conducts Mahler’s Fifth Symphony: 28 February–2 March
Meg Washington with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 3 February
Sydney Symphony Under the Stars: 20 January

2023 Season Concert Guides

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ Part 2 in Concert: 7–10 December
Professor Brian Cox: Symphonic Horizons: 30 November–2 December
Simone Young conducts Das Rheingold: 16 & 18 November
Anne-Sophie Mutter & The Music of John Williams: 9–11 November
Alexander Gavrylyuk performs Tchaikovsky: 1–4 November
Li-Wei Qin performs Haydn's Cello Concerto No.1: 28 October
Mozart & Haydn: 27 October
Li-Wei Qin performs Haydn's Cello Concerto No,1: 26 October
The Sydney Symphony performs Mozart: 20 October
Daniel de Borah performs Mozart: 19 October
Lilya Zilberstein in Recital: 16 October
Birds of Tokyo and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 28–30 September
Beethoven 7 & Bruch's Violin Concerto: 16 September
Beethoven 7 & Bruch's Violin Concerto: 15 September
Schubert's Octet: 15–16 September
Nicola Benedetti performs Marsalis: 6–9 September
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: 2–3 September
Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra and the Sydney Symphony: 31 August – 1 September
The Sydney Symphony performs Britten's Serenade: 25 August
Andrew Haveron directs Britten's Serenade: 24 August
Dvorák's Symphony No.7: 18–20 August
Diana Doherty performs Ross Edwards: 11–12 August
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: 2–5 August
Javier Perianes in Recital: 31 July
Black Panther in Concert: 27–29 July
Play with Ray: 25 July
Beethoven & Mozart: 21–22 July
Introduce your Family to the Magic of the Orchestra: 16 July
Ray Chen performs Tchaikovsky: 12–15 July
Simone Young conducts Tchaikovsky's Ballet Music: 7–9 July
Britten & Prokofiev: 30 June – 1 July
Simone Young & Steven Isserlis: 1 July
Simone Young & Steven Isserlis: 30 June
The Music of Hans Zimmer: 23–25 June
Spinifex Gum & the Sydney Symphony: 21 June
Brass Musicians of the Sydney Symphony: 16 June
Sydney Symphony Brass Musicians: 15 June
Steve Reich and Bach: 9–10 June
Mozart's Great Mass in C minor: 7–10 June
The Sydney Symphony performs Beethoven: 29 May – 2 June
The Sydney Symphony performs Beethoven: 24–25 May
Stephen Hough in Recital: 15 May
Stephen Hough performs Rachmaninov 2: 13 May
Respighi's Roman Trilogy: 12 May
Stephen Hough performs Rachmaninov 2: 11 May
Symphony Spectacular: 5 May
Arabella Steinbacher performs Lentz: 28–29 April
Elgar's Cello Concerto: 19–22 April
Donald Runniciles conducts Brahms 2: 14–16 April
JS Bach's Magnificat in D: 1 April
JS Bach's Magnificat in D: 30–31 March
Mozart's Gran Partita Serenade: 31 March
Mozart's Gran Partita Serenade: 30 March
The Princess Bride in Concert: 23–25 February
Gershwin's Rhapsody in Blue: 17–19 March
Pictures at an Exhibition: 8–11 March
Marie-Ange Nguci in Recital: 6 March
Dvořák's String Quintet No.3: 3 & 4 March
Disney 100: The Concert: 23–25 February
Mo’Ju with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 21 February
Janáček’s String Quartet No.2: 17 & 18 February
Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade: 16–18 February
Simone Young conducts Mahler's First Symphony: 8–11 February
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows™ Part 1 in Concert: 2–5 February

2022 Season Concert Guides

Holst's The Planets & Britten: 7–10 December
Simone Young conducts Beethoven's Fidelio: 24 & 26 November
Beethoven's Violin Sonatas with James Ehnes: 20 November
People's Choice Concert with Simone Young: 17–19 November
James Ehnes performs Beethoven: 17–19 November
Lior & Compassion: 4 & 5 November
Takemitsu & Shostakovich: 28 & 29 October
Daniel Müller-Schott performs Dvorák: 27, 28 (7pm) & 29 October
Daniel Müller-Schott performs Dvorák: 28 (11am)
Schubert & Brahms: 21 & 22 October
Mozart's Haffner Serenade: 19–21 October
Jean-Efflam Bavouzet in Recital: 17 October
Sergei Prokofiev's Peter & the Wolf: 16 October
Ravel's Piano Concerto: 12–15 October 2022
Andrea Lam performs Mozart: 6 & 9 October
Augustin Hadelich performs Brahms: 21–24 September
Debussy, Copland & Elgar: 15–17 September
Yeol Eum Son performs Mozart: 9 (7pm) & 10 September
Yeol Eum Son performs Mozart: 9 (11am) September
Yeol Eum Son in Recital: 5 September
Ravel, Nielsen & Strauss: 2 & 3 September
A Midsummer Night’s Dream with Simone Young: 26 & 27 August
Max Richter: The Four Seasons: 19 & 20 August
Ray Chen performs Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto: 18 & 21 August
Javier Perianes performs Beethoven: 10–13 August
Simone Young conducts A German Requiem: 5–7 August
Bo Skovhus in Recital: 5 August
Simone Young & Hilary Hahn: 28–30 July
Simone Young conducts Mahler 2: 20–24 July
Beethoven & Mozart: 24 & 25 June
Inspired by Bach: 22 & 23 June
The Italian Baroque: 8 & 9 June
Alexander Gavrylyuk in Recital: 6 June
Alexander Gavrylyuk performs Prokofiev No.1: 1–4 June
Brahms & Tchaikovsky: 4–7 May
Beethoven Symphony No.1: 8 & 9 April

2021 Season Concert Guides

Beethoven & Brahms: 16–19 June
Grieg's Piano Concerto: 12 June
Mozart & Shostakovich: 11–12 June
Sydney Symphony Brass: 28 May
Adams & Shostakovich: 27 May
Beethoven's Pastoral Symphony: 12–15 May
Schubert & Mahler: 8 May
Mahler's Fourth Symphony: 6 May
Tchaikovsky & Grieg: 30 April – 1 May
Sibelius Symphony No.2: 22 April
Haydn & Gabrieli: 27 March
Haydn: Seven Last Words: 26 March
Mozart & Schumann: 17–20 March
Andrew Haveron performs Bach: 3–4 March
Dane Lam conducts Saint-Saëns: 26 February
Jonny Greenwood & Saint-Saëns: 25 February
Simone Young conducts Beethoven: 18–20 February
Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto: 10–13 February

2020 Season Concert Guides

Debussy, Mozart & Rimsky-Korsakov: 13 March
Scheherazade: 11–13 March
Debussy and Ravel: 26–29 February
The Rite of Spring, Sydney Coliseum Theatre: 22 February
The Rite of Spring, Sydney Town Hall: 19–20 February
The 1950s Latin Lounge: 5–8 February

2019 Season Concert Guides

Mahler's Klagende Lied: 4–7 December
American Harmonies: 28–20 November
Paul Lewis in Recital: 18 November
Turangalîla-Symphonie: 21 November
A Russian Gala: 8–9 November
Andrew Haveron performs Mozart: 14–15 November
The Composer is Dead: 10 November
Mendelssohn and Martinů: 25–26 October
A Paris Happening: 25 October
Fauré's Requiem: 23–26 October
Bruckner Symphony No.7: 17–19 October
Vivaldi's Four Seasons: 13 October
The Four Seasons: 10–12 October
The Soldier's Tale: 27–29 September
Holst's Planets: 25–28 September
Andreas Brantelid performs Elgar's Cello Concerto: 18–21 September
The Music of Swan Lake: 4–5 September
Beethoven and Brahms: 23–24 August
Shostakovich Symphony No.4: 28–31 August
Schubert and Liszt: 21–24 August
Mozart's Symphony No.29: 15–17 August
Berlioz's Symphonie Fantastique: 9 August
Kirill Gerstein performs Ravel and Gershwin: 8 August
Kirill Gerstein performs Grieg's Piano Concerto: 7–10 August
David Robertson conducts Britten's Peter Grimes: 25–27 July
Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony: 18–19 July
Dohnányi and Shostakovich: 5–7 July
Beethoven Symphony No.5: 3–8 July
Lang Lang Gala Performance: 27–29 June
Boccherini and Glazunov: 21–23 June
Music of the Oud: 20–22 June
Dvořák's Symphony No.6: 14–15 June
Cellos of the Sydney Symphony: 7 June
Last Night of the Proms: 6–8 June
Emma Matthews sings Mozart Arias: 30–31 May
Yulianna Avdeeva performs Chopin's Piano Concerto No.1: 15–18 May
Sydney Symphony Celebrates Paul Goodchild: 8–10 May
Lisa Moore in Recital: 29 April
David Drury: 5 April
Simone Lamsma performs Beethoven's Violin Concerto: 3–8 April
Haydn & Beethoven: 29–30 March
Barry Douglas performs Brahms: 27–30 March
Alessio Bax in Recital: 25 March
Alessio Bax performs Mozart: 21 March
Pictures at an Exhibition: 17 March
Scottish Fantasy: 7–9 March
Music of Count Basie & Duke Ellington: 23 February
The Sydney Symphony & Jazz at Lincoln Center: 21–25 February
2019 Season Opening Gala: 8–9 February
A Lunar New Year: 1–2 February

2018 Season Concert Guides

Prokofiev Five: 12 November
Beethoven Seven: 7–9 November
The Happiness Box: 4 November
Playlist with Kees Boersma: 30 October
French Fellowship: 26 October
Beethoven Nine: 25–27 October
Thibaudet plays the Egyptian Concerto: 17–20 October
The Last Days of Socrates: 11–12 October
Tchaikovsky's Cello Favourites: 27–29 September
Mozart and Wagner: 22 September
Ashkenazy's Romeo and Juliet: 19–22 September
Benjamin Grosvenor in Recital: 17 September
Playlist with Catherine Hewgill: 11 September
Bruch and Dvořák: 8 September
Sinfonia Flamenca: 6–8 September
Brahms Revelation Symphony No.4: 22–24 August
Mahler Six: 8–11 August
Steven Osborne in Recital: 6 August
Spanish Nights: 2–4 August
Debussy and Shostakovich: 21 July
Pictures at an Exhibition: 18–21 July
Mozart's Horn Concerto No.3: 12 July
Spirit Realms - Sacred and Profane: 4–6 July
Simon Trpčeski in Recital: 2 July
A Night at the Speakeasy: 29–30 June
Verdi's Requiem: 21–25 June
Grieg and Villa-Lobos: 16 June
SSO Percussion Stars: 15 June
Anne-Sophie Mutter plays Tchaikovsky: 14–16 June
Mozart and the Piano: 24 May
Spirit of Delight: 16–19 May
Yulianna Avdeeva in Recital: 14 May
The Bernstein Songbook: 10–12 May
Playlist with Matthew Wilkie: 1 May
Marsalis and Korngold: 14 April
Beethoven's Mass in C: 11–14 April
Mozart and Mendelssohn: 5–6 April
David Drury in Recital: 23 March
Anne Sofie von Otter sings Schubert: 22–24 March
Bach and Beethoven: 17 March
Nelson Freire plays the Emperor: 14–17 March
Who Needs a Conductor Anyway?: 11 March
Heaven is Closed: 28 February – 2 March
Taikoz and the SSO: 22–24 February
Mozart and the French Connection: 22–23 February
Magnificent Mozart: 9–10 February
Seductive Mozart: 5–7 February
Dramatic Mozart: 1–3 February

2017 Season Concert Guides

Bluebeards's Castle: 29 November – 2 December
Belshazar's Feast: 24–25 November
Alexander Gavrylyuk In Recital: 20 November
Beethoven One: 17 November
Gripping Shostakovich: 15–18 November
Dramatic Shostakovich: 10–13 November
The Bush Concert: 5 November
Katie Noonan's Elxir with Michael Leunig: 2–4 November
Sibelius & Mahler: 25–30 October
Rachmaninoff on Fire: 18–20 October
Dream Sequence: 15 October
Carnival of the Australian Animals: 24 September
Saint-Saëns in the Morning: 22 September
Megan Washington and the SSO: 21–23 September
The 'Rach 2': 31 August – 2 September
New World Memories: 23–26 August
Imogen Cooper in Recital: 21 August
Beethoven & Bruckner: 17–19 August
Gnarly Buttons: 13 August
Evening Salon: 10 August
Shefali's Playlist: 8 August
Pieter Wispelwey plays the Bach Cello Suites: 6–7 August
Ravishing Ravel: 27–29 July
Mahler 3: 19–24 July
Dancing with the Orchestra: 13–15 July
High Noon: 6–7 July
Orli Shaham in Recital: 3 July
Mendelssohn's Octet: 1 July
Dutoit conducts Colours of Spain: 29 June – 1 July
Pelléas et Mélisande: 23–28 June
Don Quixote: 15–17 June
Last Night of the Proms: 8–10 June
Nick's Playlist: 30 May
Morning Inspiration: 25 May
Nobuyuki Tsujii in Recital: 22 May
Nobuyuki Tsujii plays Chopin: 19–20 May
Beethoven's Wind Octet: 13 May
Tchaikovsky's Pathétique: 10–15 May
Elgar's Cello Concerto: 20–22 April
Symphony, Suite & Slides: 5–6 April
Death and the Maiden: 1 April
Songs and Vistas: 29 March – 1 April
Olympian Orchestra - Music for Sport: 26 March
Kate Miller-Heidke and the SSO: 23 March
Symphony for the Common Man: 15–18 March
Leah's Playlist: 7 March
Daniil Trifonov in Recital: 6 March
Young Russians: 1–4 March
Colour & Movement: 22–24 February
Robertson conducts Tchaikovsky: 20 February
Vengerov plays Brahms: 17-18 February
Organ Grandeur: 17 February
Music Under the Moon: 11 February
Victory Lap: 2–3 February

2016 Season Concert Guides

The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess: 26 November – 3 December
Oblique Strategies: 20 November
Dedications: 16–18 November
Pinchas Zukerman & the SSO: 10–12 November
Alexandre's Playlist: 1 November
Beethoven's Finale: 26–29 October
Jayson Gillham in Recital: 24 October
Beethoven's Pastoral: 20 October
Beethoven's Heroic: 12–17 October
The Pied Piper of Hamelin: 9 October
Mad about Mozart: 6 October
Nelson Freire in Recital: 26 September
Nelson Freire Plays Schumann: 21–24 September
Pink Martini: 15–17 September
Mahler 2: Resurrection: 27–28 August
Petrushka: 17–18 August
The Firebird: 10–13 August
The Rite of Spring: 4–6 August
From Paris to Prague: 15 July
Sound of Heaven: 7–11 July
Pastorale: 2 July
Romantic Fantasies: 29 June – 4 July
Channel Crossings: 23–25 June
Hollywood Rhapsody: 16–18 June
SSO Brass Play West Side Story: 10 June
LangLang: 8–11 June
Mozart at Night: 2 June
Rick's Playlist: 24 May
The Composer is Dead: 22 May
Haydn's Creation: 11–16 May
Winds of Change: 14 May
Leningrad Symphony: 4–6 May
Heavenly Creatures: 22 April
Dohnányi conducts Brahms 2: 14–16 April
Strings Attached: 9 April
Romantic Memories: 6–9 April
Heavenly Creatures: 31 March
James Morrison Presents: 20 March
Lerida's Playlist: 15 March
Pierre-Laurent Aimard in Recital: 14 March
Crossing the Threshold: 13 March
From the Canyon to the Stars: 9–12 March
Scheherazade: 2–4 March
Wynton Marsalis's Swing Symphony: 25–27 February
Wynton Marsalis and the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra: 24 February
Serenade: 19 February
Beethoven Ascendant: 17–19 February
Garrick Ohlsson in Recital: 15 February
Beethoven Triumphant: 10–13 February
Beethoven Alive: 4–8 February