West Australian Symphony Orchestra’s (WASO) 2022 season sees international guests return to the stage.
World-class talent will be placed alongside home-grown sensations, all performing well-known classical works, world premieres and engagements with artists honoured from 2020-2021 cancellations.
Starting off the celebrations in January is ‘Casino Royale In Concert’, a Perth premiere as Daniel Craig goes on his first outing as James Bond. The film will play while WASO performs the score in full. Continuing WASO At The Movies is ‘Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince In Concert’ in August.
Iconic musical giant John Williams celebrates his 90th birthday, and WASO will join the party with a ‘90th Birthday Bonanza’ featuring selections from the composer’s repertoire including ‘Indiana Jones’, ‘Jurassic Park’, ‘Superman’, ‘Star Wars’ and more.
Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser Asher Fisch will conduct the likes of Britten’s ‘War Requiem’, Stravinsky’s ‘The Rite Of Spring’, Mahler’s ‘Third Symphony’ and Tchaikovsky’s ’Symphony No.6 Pathetique’.
International conductors Vasily Petrenko, Pietari Inkinen and Fabien Gabel will make appearances throughout the year. Jessica Cottis will conduct Dvorak’s ‘New World Symphony’, and Vivaldi’s ‘Four Seasons’ and Saint-Saens’ ‘Organ Symphony’ make appearances.
‘Last Night Of The Proms’ returns, as does WASO’s Easter performance tradition. In September, WASO musicians will join forces with St George’s Cathedral Consort in a collaboration with Co3 Contemporary Dance.
Some of the world premiere commissions in 2022 include Elliot Gyger’s ‘Concerto For Orchestra’, Nigel Westlake’s ‘Trumpet Concerto’ and a new vocal work from Elena Kats-Chernin for Sara Macliver and Fiona Campbell.
Drapht - Image © Alex Montanari
The 2022 Composer In Residence is Olivia Davies, who is commencing a three-year residency. She’ll compose works for the orchestra, arrange music for special concert events and collaborate on new projects.
WASO will present ‘Become Ocean’ as part of Perth Festival in March. Meanwhile, the orchestra’s Community Engagement & Education programmes continue with ‘Crescendo’ and ‘Composition Project’, among other artist development and community programmes across the state.
Originally postponed and unable to be delivered in 2021, ‘Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace’ by leading composer Deborah Cheetham will now be presented in September. It shines a spotlight on an important part of Australia’s shared history.
WASO will travel to Geraldton and Kalgoorlie with a touring party of more than 70 people to deliver a full symphony orchestra experience to the regions. It’s the second of a three-year touring commitment.
Then, the orchestra will team up with the ARIA Award-winning Drapht for ‘Drapht And WASO: How The West Was Won’.
Subscription tickets for WASO’s 2022 season are on sale now. Single tickets go on sale 13 October.
WASO’s 2021 season kicks off with ‘Casino Royale In Concert’.
