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Concert Guide Library

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Classical music comes from the life of the creator, from their heart to yours. Delve into the history of the music you’ve experienced by exploring our concert guides. Scroll down to view our concert guide history.

Our concert guides contain a world of information, from information about our guest artists and conductors to insights into the music. All that and more awaits you here in our Concert Guide Library.

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2024 Season Concert Guides

Vasily Petrenko conducts The Rite of Spring: 27–30 November
Simone Young conducts Die Walküre: 15 & 17 November
Simone Young conducts Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony: 9 November
Simone Young conducts Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony: 8 November
Ingrid Fliter performs Chopin: 30 October–2 November
Nobuyuki Tsujii in Recital: 28 October
Elgar's Enigma Variations: 25 & 26 October
Electric Fields with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 19 October
George Gershwin's An American in Paris: 17 & 18 October
Berlioz & Ravel: 11 & 12 October
Mozart & Poetic Inspirations: 11 October
Transfigured Night: 10 October
Donald Runnicles conducts Mahler’s Fourth Symphony: 25–28 September
Donald Runnicles conducts the Duruflé Requiem: 20 & 21 September
Karen Gomyo performs Dvořák's Violin Concerto: 14 & 15 September
Eumeralla, A War Requiem for Peace by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon: 11 September
The Cat Empire with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 5–7 September
Beethoven's Septet: 30 & 31 August
How to Train Your Dragon in Concert: 23 August–3 September
Augustin Hadelich and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 17 & 18 August
Augustin Hadelich and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra: 15 August
Augustin Hadelich performs Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto: 7–10 August
Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony: 2 & 3 August
Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony: 27 & 28 July
Wata: a gathering for songmen, improvising soloists and orchestra: 24 July
The Symphonic World of Dance: 20 July
Janáček, Ravel & Piazzolla: 19 & 20 July
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Jess Gillam: 19 July
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra with Jess Gillam: 18 July
Saint-Saëns' Organ Symphony: 10–13 July
Dalia Stasevska conducts Sibelius' Fifth Symphony: 5 & 6 July
Handel & Sparkling Baroque: 28 June
Handel's Water Music: 27 June
Alexander Melnikov in Recital: 24 June
Alexander Melnikov performs Shostakovich: 22 & 23 June
Vaughan Williams & Shostakovich: 14 & 15 June
The Music of John Williams: 13–16 June
The Splendour of the Baroque: 7 June
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra with the Australian String Quartet: 7 & 8 June
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra with the Australian String Quartet: 6 June
The Sydney Symphony performs Compassion: 29–31 May
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra performs Ngapa William Cooper: 24 & 25 May
Ngapa William Cooper: 23 May
Joyce Yang in Recital: 20 May
Joyce Yang performs Grieg’s Piano Concerto: 18 & 19 May
Dvořák & Bernstein: 17 & 18 May
When George Met Arnold: 15 May
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