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Three violinists (one man and two women) play violin with intensity, in front of a black backdrop.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

An orchestra of world standing

Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is an orchestra of world standing and one of the leading orchestras in the Asia-Pacific region. The Sydney Symphony performs approximately 150 concerts each year to an annual audience of more than 350,000. The Orchestra not only performs core symphonic repertoire but engages in collaborations with other art forms and commissions new works by Australian and international composers to ensure the vibrancy of orchestral music for generations to come.

This is an orchestra worthy of sharing the international stage with America and Europe’s finest.

Limelight Magazine

Season 2024

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Join Chief Conductor Simone Young and a dazzling roster of guest artists in performances that unleash the power of music that is totally alive.

Every Sydney Symphony performance is unique. Each is an opportunity to experience a musical story as it unfolds around you. Make those moments yours.

Explore the season
A group of three violinists playing their instruments against a black background.
A woman in her 60s with long brown hair stands in front of an orchestra at the conductors desk, waving to the orchestra.

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A white woman in her 60s with long brown hair holds her hands under her chin looking at the camera with a small, warm smile.

Sydney Symphony Chief Conductor Simone Young

Exhilarating music heard live can be a life-changing experience.

When there are only a few metres between you and the world’s greatest musicians, you can feel the power of the music. The sound waves, the atmosphere. That’s something that only live music can create.

In 2024, discover an extraordinary season of concerts. It is a season full of landmarks and large-scale epics that can only be truly experienced live, alongside music full of the most intimate moments.

We mark 150 years of Arnold Schoenberg with the Sydney premiere of his epic love story Gurrelieder, featuring 125 musicians and 200 singers. We join in the global celebrations for Anton Bruckner’s 200th anniversary, performing his Eighth Symphony – a true cathedral of sound.

You will be able to discover major voices in new music. I am delighted to be directing the Australian premiere of French composer Camille Pépin’s exquisite Violin Concerto. Deborah Cheetham Fraillon’s Eumeralla, A War Requiem for Peace, a powerful reminder of our own history, and Wata by Paul Grabowsky, a song of new beginnings, both receive their Sydney premieres.

We are excited to present Ngapa William Cooper, a wonderful new collaboration between Nigel Westlake, Lior and Lou Bennett, that brings to light a moving and fascinating story of compassion.

World-renowned artists will bring their enormous talent and creativity to Sydney, including Renaud Capuçon, Augustin Hadelich, Víkingur Ólafsson, Alban Gerhardt, Ying Fang, Nobuyuki Tsujii and Ingrid Fliter. Spanish pianist Javier Perianes returns to continue our rediscovery of Beethoven’s piano concertos.

As the year unfolds, you will be able to share in the vision of esteemed conducting colleagues, including Sir Donald Runnicles, Dalia Stasevska, Osmo Vänskä, Vasily Petrenko, Sir Andrew Davis and Eduardo Strausser.

And I am thrilled to continue our multi-year Ring Cycle in concert with Wagner’s Die Walküre, bringing a truly world-class cast of Australian and international singers to Sydney – including Anja Kampe, Michaela Schuster and our very own Stuart Skelton – for this once in a generation event. It is a season full of unforgettable moments that simply must be experienced live. I hope you will join us.

Simone Young AM

Chief Conductor