Welcome to Willoughby Symphony’s 2020 Season, Exhilarating Inspiration. We’re celebrating the tremendous contribution of Beethoven, with his 250th birthday in 2020. There will be a children’s concert in a birthday theme and the July and November concerts also feature stunning Beethoven pieces. Our conductor and artistic director Dr Nicholas Milton AM has outdone himself with this stellar season. The six concert program, plus three special concerts feature stunning soloists performing both new and well established pieces. One of those new pieces will be by composer-in-residence Alice Chance, with a specially commissioned piece. We have nine concerts plus two children’s concerts:

Children’s concert: Mini Maestros, January

Get to know the instruments  as you hear the greatest hits from The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast and Pocahontas as well as Mary Poppins, The Sound of Music and more.

Gala, February

Music by Bernstein, Gershwin, Sousa and more. Don’t wait for the fourth of July, start the year with a bang with a celebration of music from the USA.

Dreamscape, April

From the heavenly music of George Dyson’s masterful Hierusalem, to Estonian composer Arvo Pärt’s eye-wateringly beautiful setting of the Latin Te Deum text, this is music that transcends the physical world.

• George Dyson, Hierusalem
• Tommy Tycho, Violin Concerto
• Alice Chance, Holy Dreaming
• Arvo Pärt, Te Deum

Lior in Concert, May

Lior is one of Australia’s most treasured singer songwriters renowned for his beautiful voice and songs that radiate truth and sincerity. He teams up with the Willoughby Symphony under conductor Nigel Westlake.

Serendipity, May

Hear some of the best new talent Australian music has to offer as 2018 ABC Young Performer of the Year finalist, clarinettist Oliver Shermacher joins the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra and conductor Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith for a world premiere.

• Farrenc, Overture No.2, Op.24
• Debussy, Première rhapsodie for Clarinet and Orchestra
• Alice Chance, Clarinet Concerto [World Premiere]
• Brahms, Serenade No.2 in A major, Op.16

Fate, July

• Mendelssohn, Ruy Blas Overture, Op.95
• Rachmaninov, Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor, Op.18
• Beethoven, Symphony No.5 in C minor, Op.67

Children’s Concert: Beethoven’s Birthday, July

Happy Birthday to Beethoven! Chief Conductor and Artistic Director Dr Nicholas Milton AM will lead the festivities in this special one-hour concert for children, presented by renowned conductor George Ellis, who has plenty of birthday surprises in store.

Last Night of the Proms, August

Featuring Pomp and Circumstance, Jerusalem, Rule Britannia, and other beloved symphonic and choral favourites.

Five Chapters, September

• Mussorgsky, Night on Bald Mountain
• Kats-Chernin, Five Chapters [Australian Premiere]
• Tchaikovsky, Symphony No.5 in E minor, Op.64

Patriots, November

Showcasing one of Australia’s most exciting young chamber groups, the Estivo Trio

• Sibelius, Finlandia
• Beethoven, Concerto for Violin, Cello and Piano, Op.56, “Triple Concerto”
• Dvořák, Symphony No.7 in D minor, Op.70

The Magic of Christmas, December

A delightfully jubilant concert  for the whole family. Sing along to your favourite Christmas classics.

Purchase a subscription of 4-11 concerts now: Phone 8075 8188 (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday) or visit The Concourse Box Office, 409 Victoria Avenue Chatswood. Or purchase single tickets via the links above. 

To receive a hard copy program in the post, please fill in this form with your details.

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