Thrilling orchestral concerts, intimate chamber ensemble experiences and the best of Australian classical and art music.

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Kingsland Youth in Concert

2025 Community

Sunday 15 JUN at 3:30PM

Acton ACT 2601 RED SHED

2023 Meetthe Brass Albert Hall cr Martin Ollman dsc 0337

Matinee

Explore the Orchestra: Meet the Strings

2025 Community

Friday 18 JUL at 9:00, 11:00AM

Braddon AINSLIE ARTS CENTRE

Art of the Score: The Music of John Williams

2025 Special Event

Thursday 24 JUL at 7:00PM

Friday 25 JUL at 7:00PM

Canberra LLEWELLYN HALL, ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Matinee

Rediscovering the Guitar

2025 Community

Tuesday 19 AUG at 2:00PM

Ainslie AINSLIE FOOTBALL & SOCIAL CLUB

Matinee

Legends

2025 Chamber Classics

Sunday 31 AUG at 2:00PM

Yarralumla ALBERT HALL

Mozart's Requiem

2025 Llewellyn Series

Wednesday 24 SEP at 7:30PM

Thursday 25 SEP at 7:30PM

Canberra LLEWELLYN HALL, ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Matinee

Rhythm and rites

2025 Chamber Classics

Sunday 26 OCT at 2:00PM

Yarralumla ALBERT HALL

Matinee

Rediscovering the Trumpet

2025 Community

Tuesday 28 OCT at 2:00PM

Ainslie AINSLIE FOOTBALL & SOCIAL CLUB

Cottis conducts the planets

2025 Llewellyn Series

Wednesday 05 NOV at 7:30PM

Thursday 06 NOV at 7:30PM

Canberra LLEWELLYN HALL, ANU SCHOOL OF MUSIC

Other worlds

2025 Australian Series

Thursday 13 NOV at 6:30PM

Canberra NATIONAL MUSEUM OF AUSTRALIA (GANDEL ATRIUM)

Music expresses that which cannot be said and on which it is impossible to be silent.

Victor Hugo

Explore program notes, artist profiles and other orchestra happenings.

Explore News

DC6004 16620 Sally Walker foto Keith Saunders

Canberra Symphony Orchestra to record groundbreaking Australian flute concertos album

We’re thrilled to announce that our Artist in Focus for the 2025 season, internationally renowned flautist Dr Sally Walker, has secured significant artsACT funding to produce a world-first recording of Australian flute concertos performed by an Australian flautist.

Jessica Cottis on Beethoven 9

Read Jessica’s insights into Beethoven’s most popular and inspired work.

CANBERRA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA RECEIVES CRITICAL FUNDING BOOST FROM THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

A $4.1 million funding injection for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) over four years, announced today by the Federal Government, will help secure the future of one of Australia’s oldest orchestras.

ELLA MACENS | A LOVE WORTH FIGHTING FOR (2020)

This deeply personal work was born out of the processing of a significant long-term relationship coming to an end.

JAMES HENRY | HEART LIKE SNOW

This piece originated as a song I wrote as a singer/songwriter (I reluctantly became a singer/songwriter because it was easier to have access to my voice and a guitar than it was a string quartet to perform my music). The lyrics were terrible, and the song never saw the light of day.

PEGGY POLIAS | LACUNA

Lacuna is a setting of Sappho’s ‘Fragment 96’ translated into English by the composer. The title refers to the condition of the surviving text, on a papyrus in pieces, with many missing segments and much blurring of the text. The Papyrus Berol. 9722 also includes several other poetic fragments by Sappho and a digital copy can be inspected online.

MICHAEL BAKRNČEV | THE STORM GLASS (2024)

I am thrilled to present The Storm Glass, a new composition that draws inspiration from the evocative poetry of Lisa Gorton. This work, commissioned by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra for soprano, oboe, string quartet and piano, delves into the captivating world of Gorton’s poetry, particularly her collection Hotel Hyperion.

APPLY TO AUDITION FOR THE CSO CHORUS

CSO’S ‘GORGEOUS’ CELEBRATION OF SPRING

LET THE CSO TAKE YOU FOR A WALK IN THE FOREST

LOUISA TREWARTHA: WEAVE MAGIC SECRETS

ROCK LEGENDS TO JAM WITH THE CSO AT SYMPHONY IN THE PARK 2024

HOODOO GURUS AND CSO WILL COLLABORATE AT SYMPHONY IN THE PARK

HOODOO GURUS AND CANBERRA SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA TEAM UP FOR SYMPHONY IN THE PARK

Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s highly anticipated 2025 season marks the orchestra's 75th anniversary next year. The season theme, Stories, explores the narrative power of music across multiple cultures and eras. The milestone program features seven world premieres, major works by Beethoven, Mozart, Tchaikovsky and Holst and compositions honouring traditional language and stories from First Nations artists including Nardi Simpson and Christopher Sainsbury. A blockbuster special event, Art of the Score: The Music of John Williams, will feature themes from Star Wars, Harry Potter, Jurassic Park and more. 

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Your CSO: Memorised

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2023 04 26 Electric Blue 2 Credit Thomas Lucraft

Creating meaningful music for our community

We believe music is for everyone.

We reach thousands of Canberrans each year through high-calibre concert experiences, transformative community programs and our tailored youth training programs.

While the CSO receives some government support, we rely on fundraising to bring our artistic vision to life and deliver our community programs free of charge.

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