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It’s been a while since we brought Mahler’s magnificent Fourth Symphony to life. CSO musicians explain why they’re so excited to perform this beguiling work as a highlight of this year’s Llewellyn Series.

The connections between instrument, musician and maker are profound. We spoke to CSO Concertmaster Kirsten Williams and Canberra luthier Hugh Withycombe about their relationship with the instruments that bring some of the world’s most famous symphonies to life.

“The most ambitious, most difficult, most expensive symphony written to date.” - Jessica Cottis

Equally at home on the operatic stage and concert platform, Jacqueline appears regularly with Australia’s major symphony orchestras, choral societies and chamber ensembles, and has worked with celebrated conductors Sir Neville Marriner, Vladimir Ashkenazy and Sir Andrew Davis. Watch her perform at CSO's Messiah on 21 and 22 June.

Mezzo Soprano Hannah Fraser, known for her ‘great style and conviction’, has become a well-known name on stages across Australia, performing regularly with reputable ensembles and musicians both as a soloist and a consort member.

Tenor, Composer and Stage Director Robert Macfarlane enjoys a busy, multi-faceted career in works from the late renaissance to the present day. He studied at the Elder Conservatorium, The HMT-Leipzig "Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdy" and was a Young Artist of the National Opera of Lyon. He was also a protegee of the late, great German tenor Peter Schreier

Christopher Hillier’s most recent appearances for Opera Australia (OA) have included Zurga in a new production of The Pearl Fishers, Belcore in L’elisir d’amore and The Count in their national tour of The Marriage of Figaro. In concert, he sang The Celebrant (Bernstein’s Mass) at the Sydney Opera House and undertook a tour to China as Papageno (The Magic Flute).

A Sacred Oratorio by G.F. Handel

When English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams used George Meredith’s poem ‘The Lark Ascending’ as inspiration for a new violin piece in 1914, he doubtless had no idea he was about to pen one of the most beloved and popular works of all time.

The sense of a wonder-filled journey in Toward Takayna is palpable from the opening bars, in which the gently chugging strings form the backdrop for evocations of birdsong by the woodwinds. When the guitars emerge from the orchestral undergrowth, as if singing back to the figures that have just been ‘sung” to them, their phrases are embedded on a cushion of shimmering sound, in which the harp, celeste, and multiply divided strings feature most prominently.

Sibelius, like Brahms, came relatively late to writing symphonies, producing his First at the age of 33 and premiering it in 1899. Like Brahms, though, Sibelius had accrued considerable experience in writing for orchestra. The 1890s saw the composition of works like Kullervo, En saga, movements which later became the Karelia suite and the original version of the Lemminkäinen Suite, which depicts heroic tales from the Finnish mythological cycle, the Kalevala.

Guitarists Slava and Leonard Grigoryan are counted amongst the finest musicians of their generation.

Nigel Westlake is one of Australia’s most treasured composers, whose career spans almost five decades.

A $4.1 million funding injection for the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) over four years.

Ella Macens is one of Australia’s most celebrated young composers. Her contemporary classical works are grounded in a deeply evocative and sensitive musical aesthetic, with a musical language inspired by her love of popular and classical music styles, as well as her immersion in instrumental folk music and Baltic choral music.

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

James Henry is a sought-after composer and sound designer known for his unique fusion of traditional Aboriginal and contemporary musical genres.

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.

Soprano Amy Moore moved to Australia from the UK in 2015 following a successful career encompassing a wide repertoire, with a particular affinity for both early and contemporary music.

Dr Peggy Polias (she/her) is a composer, music engraver, arts administrator and casual academic residing and working on Darug and Eora lands in Sydney. She graduated with a Doctor of Musical Arts in Composition at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, The University of Sydney in 2022.

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.

Composer Michael Bakrnčev is a multi-award winning young professional in Australia.

I am thrilled to present The Storm Glass, a new composition that draws inspiration from the evocative poetry of Lisa Gorton.

In 1877, Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg wrote his only completed string quartet in a tiny, isolated ‘composer’s hut’ in the Hardanger district of western Norway, after escaping the stress of teaching and conducting in Oslo.

Dubbed the ‘father of the string quartet’, Joseph Haydn wrote 68 quartets across six decades. One of the most important composers of the Classical period – alongside Mozart, who dedicated a set of six quartets to his ‘dearest friend’ Haydn in 1785 – Haydn set the standard for countless composers who followed. It’s a testament to his legacy that Haydn is also referred to as the ‘father of the symphony’.

Dr Mathew Trinca AM FAHA has joined the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Board of Directors following his successful decade-long tenure as head of the National Museum of Australia.

Richard Strauss’ orchestral tone poem Till Eulenspiegels lustige Streiche (Till Eulenspiegel’s merry pranks) tells the story of crafty German folk hero and trickster Till Eulenspiegel, represented by a quirky ascending horn line introduced at the beginning of the piece.

Beethoven’s first benefit concert in Vienna might be best known now as the premiere of his First Symphony, but in his own day it was another premiere on the program that captured the heart of the music-loving public: his Septet in E-flat major for clarinet, horn, bassoon, violin, viola, cello and double bass, published in 1802 as his Opus 20.

All voice parts are needed for the upcoming Special Event: Messiah on 21 / 22 June, conducted by Brett Weymark OAM, and Llewellyn Two: Beethoven 9 on 7 / 8 August, conducted by Jessica Cottis. Applications close 10am Monday, 26 February. Please note, participation in the CSO Chorus is voluntary.

Reviewer Sarah Byrne writes: '“Living Green”, a celebration of spring and all things vernal, was a gorgeous and fitting climax to the Canberra Symphony Orchestra’s 2023 season at Llewellyn Hall under the expert and dynamic baton of conductor Jessica Cottis.'

Australian soprano Eleanor Lyons is known for her versatility, deep musicality and fresh interpretations. An international success, Eleanor has garnered global attention for her beautiful voice and virtuosic performances, from opera and orchestral concerts to chamber music and solo recitals.

Australian composer Louisa Trewartha leads a diverse musical career as a composer, trumpet player and educator.

Discover Australian composer Louisa Trewartha's new CSO commission for brass trio, Weave Magic Secrets, which will be premiered at our final mainstage concert for 2023, Living Green.

Concert-goers can immerse themselves in the sounds of nature at the final Llewellyn Hall concert of the year from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra [this] Wednesday and Thursday.

Composer and trumpeter Louisa Trewartha talks about her new CSO world premiere, which reflects upon the 'haunting beauty' of Sibelius.

Why wouldn’t classical music be Dave Faulkner’s scene? Teaming up with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will be a dream come true for The Hoodoo Gurus’ frontman and songwriter when the iconic Australian band performs their hits at Symphony in the Park next year as part of the Enlighten Festival.

Why wouldn’t classical music be Dave Faulkner’s scene? Teaming up with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will be a dream come true for The Hoodoo Gurus’ frontman and songwriter when the iconic Australian band performs their hits at Symphony in the Park next year as part of the Enlighten Festival.

Why wouldn’t classical music be Dave Faulkner’s scene? Teaming up with the Canberra Symphony Orchestra will be a dream come true for The Hoodoo Gurus’ frontman and songwriter when the iconic Australian band performs their hits at Symphony in the Park next year as part of the Enlighten Festival.

Collaborating with a symphony orchestra has been a lifelong dream for Dave Faulkner, lead singer of the Hoodoo Gurus, one of Australia’s best-loved rock bands. Next year, that dream will come true, when the band joins the Canberra Symphony Orchestra for Symphony in the Park in March.

A string quartet drawn from the Canberra Symphony Orchestra performed a rendition of the Hoodoo Guru's My Girl at the Canberra Museum and Gallery on Thursday, to mark the announcement of the concert.

Thanks to CSO's partners, donors, subscribers and long-time supporters, and our board, musicians and staff, last Friday's annual Fundraising Gala was a great success!

In this Trio we hear the ‘Classical’ Beethoven, the young composer beginning to forge a unique voice but still indebted to his predecessors, Mozart and Haydn. The Trio earned the nickname ‘Gassenhauer’ for its finale, a theme and variations on a melody, ‘Pria ch’io l’impegno’ (before I go to work), from an opera by Joseph Weigl. The term gassenhauer refers to a melody so popular and catchy that it’s sung or whistled in the alleys – the gassen – of Vienna.

The music of his Trois pièces brèves began life as incidental music for a French adaptation of Irish playwright George Farquhar’s The Beaux’s Stratagem – a comedy about two young men hoping to stave off ruin by seducing wealthy heiresses.

The piano roils underneath a fanfare from the winds in the dramatic opening to French composer Louise Farrenc’s Sextet for piano and winds in C minor, Op. 40. It’s an incredibly virtuosic piano part, but that’s perhaps not surprising given Farrenc herself was such an accomplished pianist.

The girls are [in the] Kingsland Strings, a new program started in July this year by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) for enthusiastic string players aged 8 to 12, and brought on by demand as more parents and teachers realise the benefits.

Canberra’s youngest string players are set to wow audiences when they share their musical prowess at the Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO) Fundraising Gala on Friday 3 November.

Discover Yuwaalaraay storyteller Nardi Simpson's new CSO commission supported by Clive & Lynlea Rodger, Winangaylaylaya, which concludes the CSO's final 2023 Australian Series concert, Play of Light.

Nardi Simpson is a Yuwaalaraay storyteller from New South Wales’ (NSW) northwest freshwater plains. Her new CSO commission, Winangaylaylaya, concludes the CSO's final 2023 Australian Series concert, Play of Light.

A nocturne is generally a tranquil, lyrical piece of music. In Mozart’s time the Italian title ‘Notturno’ – referring to the night – indicated a piece of music performed late in the evening, but during the Romantic period the French ‘Nocturne’ became associated with music inspired by, or suggestive of, the night itself.

A leading composer of her generation – and hailing from Canberra – Sally Greenaway’s music delights audiences and musicians alike through its expression of our most intimate to grandiose experiences of our world, often with a strong focus on nature and our humanity.

As pandemic restrictions ease across Australia, composer Sally Greenaway reflects upon her work, The Sky is Also Yours, a mirror on our experiences of lockdown.

Alexander Borodin had an extraordinary life. Illegitimate son of a Russian prince, he was well educated, spoke several languages, became a highly regarded professor of chemistry, joined the ‘Mighty Handful’ group of composers, and remained a happily married man until he dropped dead of heart failure at a fancy dress ball.

Alexander Briger is one of Australia’s pre-eminent conductors and was awarded the Order of Australia (AO) for ‘services to music as a leading conductor’. He is considered a specialist in the works of Janáček, Mozart, Brahms and Beethoven.

One of Australia’s leading violinists, Kirsten Williams has performed widely as a soloist, recitalist and chamber musician, in concert and on ABC radio.

Annie Hui-Hsin Hsieh is a Taiwanese-Australian composer currently based in the United States. Her compositional interest focuses on immersive physical experiences that articulate sonic expressions in terms of choreography and musical-social interactivity.

Icy Disintegration was written in 2009, a few years after the breakage of iceberg B15-A – once the world's largest free-floating object. This work is conceived as a ‘musical reporting’ which details the process that led to the berg’s sudden split in 2005.

Martin wrote this concerto for the musicians of the Bern Musikgesellschaft and while the orchestra commissioned the work, it was Martin who chose the instrumentation, giving solo lines to the flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet and trombone – as well as timpani and percussion.

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky was a young composer with something to prove when he wrote his first symphony, which he gave the evocative title ‘Winter Dreams’, and it would set him on the path to becoming the most famous Russian composer in the world.

Erich Korngold was in his early teens when his father published his pantomime ballet Der Schneemann (The Snowman) and it was discovered by Baroness von Bienerth, the wife of the Prime Minister, who had it performed at a reception in Vienna in 1910 in a version for piano four hands with violin.

Named as Classical Music’s ‘Face to Watch’ for The Times (UK) in 2019, the award-winning conductor Jessica Cottis is in high demand worldwide, with highlights of recent seasons including concerts with the London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Danish Radio Symphony, Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, English Chamber Orchestra, Singapore Symphony, National Arts Centre Orchestra Ottawa, and Sydney Symphony, as well as at the prestigious BBC Proms and Prague Spring Festival, and recording for Decca Classics.

The drama takes centre stage in J. S. Bach’s powerful and richly layered St John Passion, composed for Good Friday in 1724.

Close to Air for brass sextet is described as an immersive sound experience that explores a rich sonic landscape.

In July 2023, the Canberra Symphony Orchestra launches Music to Your Ears, as part of the ACT’s inaugural Uncharted Territory festival. Nicknamed the ‘Big Ear Project’, this interactive experience explores the science of hearing from a classical music perspective.

Andrew Goodwin has appeared with opera companies and orchestras in Europe, Asia and Australia. Appearances include the Bolshoi Opera; Gran Theatre Liceu Barcelona; Teatro Real Madrid; La Scala Milan; Opera Australia; Pinchgut Opera; Sydney Chamber Opera; St. Petersburg Philharmonic; Auckland Philharmonia; the New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras; Moscow and Melbourne Chamber Orchestras; Sydney Philharmonia Choirs; and in recital with pianist Daniel de Borah at Wigmore Hall, the Oxford Lieder, Port Fairy and Canberra International Music Festivals.

Chloe is an upcoming soprano in Australia, and has featured as a soloist with some of Australia's finest organisations including South Australia State Opera, Pinchgut Opera and the Australian Chamber Orchestra.

Tobias Cole is an award-winning singer, actor, producer, choral conductor and the Artistic Director of Handel in the Theatre, Canberra.

As well as the Canberra Symphony, John has performed with leading Australian and international ensembles, including Pinchgut Opera, the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, Australian Bach Akademie, Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra, the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Academia Montis Regalis. John recently launched Early Music ensemble Apeiron Baroque with his wife, Marie Searles. Outside of music, John is an avid gamer, amateur horticulturalist, comic book enthusiast and self-identified tech-nerd.

Aaron Wyatt has been a participant in the Ngarra-Burria First Peoples Composers program, writing for Ensemble Offspring. He has also written a number of electro-acoustic works, using a mix of traditional and animated graphic notation, for Decibel, GreyWing Ensemble and Ensemble Dutala.

William Barton is Australia's leading didgeridoo player, as well as a composer, instrumentalist, and vocalist.

Tor Frømyhr is a Senior Lecturer in Performance (violin/viola) and for several years was Head of Strings at the ANU School of Music.

Doreen Cumming started violin studies at the Canberra School of Music at six years of age, with renowned Julliard Graduate Vincent Edwards.

Patrick Suthers is the Principal Cellist of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra.

Kirsten Williams studied violin with Alice Waten at the Sydney Conservatorium and Igor Ozim at the Bern Konservatorium. She has been a member of the Opera House Orchestra at Covent Garden and the Academy of St Martin in the Fields; Associate Leader of the Australian Chamber Orchestra; and Associate Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony.