Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has played outdoor concerts for more than 90 years – and has presented its annual free concert series at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl since 1959.
The quintessential summer tradition continues in 2024, with three magical evenings set to enchant attendees. These shows are free entry, on a first-in basis.
First up is ‘Puccini In The Park’ on 21 February. Giacomo Puccini composed some of the world’s most enduringly popular operas, including ’Tosca’, ‘La Boheme’, and ‘Madame Butterfly’. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and internationally acclaimed singers Hui He and Paul O’Neill will perform selections from these and more, conducted by Xu Zhong.
Next is ‘When We Were Young’ on 24 February. This performance celebrates young Australian talent and features two world premieres by Cybec Young Composers, and concludes with Sibelius’ majestic Fifth Symphony.
Then, it’s time to be serenaded under the stars in ‘Summer Serenade: Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Rossini’ on 28 February. There’s the music of Rossini’s Overture, to ‘L’Italiana In Algeri’, the sumptuous sounds of Tchaikovsky’s Serenade For Strings, and two Beethoven favourites: his ‘Coriolan’ Overture, and First Symphony.
Three symphonic performances performed in the great outdoors, as summer comes to a close.
The 2024 Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Sidney Myer Free Concerts are ‘Puccini In The Park’ (21 February), ‘When We Were Young’ (24 February) and ‘Summer Serenade: Beethoven, Tchaikovsky and Rossini’ (28 February).
