2017 was a huge year for Perth Symphony Orchestra, and we’re set for an even busier 2018!

Our community initiatives took off in 2017, from visits to the remote community of Burringurrah, to pop ups in Kwinana, to Perth Symphony strings and percussion accompanying a lunchtime yoga class on St. George’s Terrace, we engaged in a diverse range of community activities across Western Australia. We visited a number of schools to educate children about classical music, and Perth Symphony string quartet toured the Gascoyne Region as part of the Gascoyne in May coordinated circuit of festivals, journeying over 2700km across the most sparsely populated region in the state to bring music to Western Australians from all backgrounds.

Perth Chamber Orchestra continued to push boundaries with a series of unique concerts, beginning with An Irish Night: Strings, Stout and Storytelling which celebrated traditional Irish music and culture, Baroque by Candlelight which brought to life the amazing music of the baroque era in both Armadale and Perth City, Steampunk Mozart which saw orchestra members dressed in steampunk attire, performing the music of Mozart in the industrial setting of Midland Railway Workshop, and Serenades in the City, in which PCO collaborated with ballet dancers from WAAPA and local painter Ben Brennan to present a beautiful brunch concert at Government House Ballroom.

Perth Symphony pushed forward with our goal to bring orchestral music to all, with free concerts Romance Under The Stars at Sorrento Quay, Music @ Murdoch at Murdoch University, Romance on the Green in Rockingham and Music Under The Stars at ECU Joondalup, and two unique and daring Perth Symphony ticketed concerts: Faith & Freedom: The Music of George Michael in which we performed the music of the late, great George Michael alongside performance partner WAAPA Gospel Choir at The Astor Theatre, and Unplugged: Nirvana Reimagined, in which we recreated Nirvana’s 1993 live recording of their MTV Unplugged in New York album at His Majesty’s Theatre.

Perth Symphony was also engaged to perform by a number of touring and Perth local events, including Zep Boys ‘Hammer of the Gods’ performing the music of Led Zeppelin, Elvis Presley The Wonder of You, Art of Symphony with Kate Ceberano, Scotland the Brave, Path of Hope, the 2017 Altitude Ball, The Legend of Zelda: Symphony of the Goddesses, Red Earth Arts Festival, the 2017 Innovation Awards, and the 2017 Pinnacle Awards.

If any readers are keen for their company to host a CALM concert (Come And Listen to Music – mindfulness session with live orchestra), engage musicians for a function, sponsor a concert or orchestra, or get music into their world, please get in touch.

And that’s a wrap – Happy New Year! Here’s a small taste of what we’ll be up to in 2018.