30 JULY–2 AUGUST | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CONCERT HALL
In this dazzling showcase of the piano, exquisite musician Javier Perianes evokes Saint-Saëns’ vibrant and romantic memories of Egypt in the thrilling ‘Egyptian’ Piano Concerto No.5. Also featuring Rossini’s William Tell Overture – one of the most famous openings in classical music – and Shostakovich’s 15th and final symphony, a farewell both cryptic and profound, expect the unexpected in this concert filled with orchestral storytelling.
30 JULY–2 AUGUST | SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE CONCERT HALL
In this dazzling showcase of the piano, exquisite musician Javier Perianes evokes Saint-Saëns’ vibrant and romantic memories of Egypt in the thrilling ‘Egyptian’ Piano Concerto No.5. Also featuring Rossini’s William Tell Overture – one of the most famous openings in classical music – and Shostakovich’s 15th and final symphony, a farewell both cryptic and profound, expect the unexpected in this concert filled with orchestral storytelling.
Lyrical Woodwinds in the City
7 August, City Recital Hall | 8 August, The Art House, Wyong
From the piccolo to the bassoon, woodwind instruments are capable of an extraordinary range of tones, colours and textures. This concert is a rare chance to hear the woodwind musicians of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra on their own, in music by two great late-Romantic masters.
Stephen Layton conducts Bach, Mozart & Handel
21 & 23 August | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Stephen Layton is one of the world’s greatest choral conductors, an expert in vocal music from the Renaissance to the modern day. In this concert he conducts Baroque and Classical masterpieces by Bach, Handel, Mozart and Haydn, featuring guest soloist Sara Macliver.
Schools Concert: Peter & the Wolf
22 August | Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
These bite-sized musical journeys at the Sydney Opera House introduce students to the sensational world of live orchestral music at this world-class venue. Each 50-minute concert combines exciting musical pieces with interactive performances that are designed to inspire the next generation of music lovers.
Schoenberg & Williams
29 & 30 August | Sydney Opera House Utzon Room
Schoenberg’s Transfigured Night is an intoxicating work. Influenced hugely by Brahms and Wagner in both the richness of the writing and the high drama of the narrative it depicts, it is one of the great works of late Romantic chamber music.
Tangled Up in Biography: Shostakovich, Bob Dylan and Sorting Fact from Fiction
29 July 2025
Historical and biographical context is crucial to our understanding of music. But what to do when, in the case of Shostakovich and Bob Dylan, that context is contested - even deliberately misleading?
‘It’s Wonderful That It’s for Everybody.’ Stephen Layton on the Universal Appeal of Music
15 July 2025
The acclaimed English conductor returns to Sydney with a rich program of Baroque and Classical era masterpieces that offer a fascinating insight just how interconnected Europe was in the 18th century.
Behind the Music: Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé
4 June 2025
The flute plays a huge role in Maurice Ravel’s Daphnis and Chloé – not just in the music itself, but also in the Greek legend on which it is based. Musician, writer and 2023 Sydney Symphony Orchestra Flute Fellow Lily Bryant explores the story behind Ravel’s largest work, and shares her experiences of performing the piece ahead of upcoming performances in July.
Who Was Richard Strauss?
23 May 2025
The German composer and conductor Richard Strauss (1864–1949) is beloved by audiences and musicians around the world for his richly-textured musical works. We asked Chief Conductor Simone Young and Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles, two of the world’s great Strauss conductors, for their insights into the man and his music ahead of two concerts that promise to be highlights of our 2025 Season.
Shostakovich: The Autobiographical Symphonist
9 May 2025
Dmitri Shostakovich is regarded as one of the great composers – but what makes his music so arresting? With the Sydney Symphony performing two Shostakovich symphonies in 2025, broadcaster, writer and self-avowed Shostakovich devotee Paolo Hooke explains why his work remains so compelling and so relevant today.
“True Music Is a Revelation, It’s a Medicine”: Daniel Lozakovich Spreads the Good Word
7 April 2025
Swedish violinist Daniel Lozakovich is a young man full of passion for life and music. Ahead of his Australian debut in May he talks about the transcendent power of art and the ‘otherworldly’ Sibelius Violin Concerto.
