Across three star-filled summer nights in February, 2025, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will continues its tradition – now 60 years – of performing free, outdoor concerts at Sidney Myer Music Bowl.
The performances will showcase the virtuosic talents of some of the finest contemporary and classical composers.
It opens with Cybec Assistant Conductor Leonard Weiss leading the MSO for ‘Journeys And Adventures’. It’s a musical odyssey exploring crowd favourites like John Williams’ music from cinematic blockbusters ‘Star Wars’ and ‘E.T’, Tchaikovsky’s balletic suite from ‘Swan Lake’, Edvard Grieg’s masterpiece ‘Peer Gynt’, and the galloping rhythms of Rossini’s ‘William Tell Overture’.
Up next is ‘Jaime conducts at The Bowl: Dvořák, Gershwin and Ravel’, a blissful evening of fabulous music in the great outdoors, and a not-to-be-missed opportunity to see MSO Chief Conductor Jaime Martin.
“It is an absolute thrill to make my debut in this iconic concert series at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. These free concerts are an extraordinary gift to Melburnians and visitors to this wonderful city,” Jaime Martín says. “They are a celebration of music, community, and Melbourne’s vibrant summer spirit. Sharing the joy of live orchestral music with such a diverse audience, under the stars in this beloved venue, is truly special.”
Dvořák's Third Symphony will rise like a gentle breeze through the summer evening and paint a vivid, musical landscape with lush, orchestral colours. Then, Gershwin’s ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ emerges, and finally Ravel’s mesmerising ‘Boléro’ will draw audiences in with its hypnotic melody.
‘Symphonic Showcase’ features two masterpieces of 20th-century orchestral music, and two receiving their world premiere. Rising piano star Reuben Tsang will open the concert with Rachmaninov's Second Piano Concerto, and Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra follows with a brilliant exploration of orchestral colour and complexity.
Plus, there’ll be two premiere works from Cybec Young Composer in Residence Klearhos Murphy and the MSO’s inaugural Cybec First Nations Composer in Residence, James Henry.
All three free concerts will also be broadcast live on MSO’s YouTube, and ABC Classic.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra 2025 Free Concerts
5 February – Journeys And Adventures15 February – Jaime conducts at The Bowl
22 February – Symphonic Showcase
