The Sydney Symphony’s Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles has created a program of inspiring, uplifting music for the spirit, with works by Wagner, Tavener and Mendelssohn.
Deeply connected to ancient traditions, John Tavener dedicated his life to expressing beauty and truth through music. In The Protecting Veil he created an exquisite universe, awe-inspiring and intensely beautiful.
English cellist Matthew Barley is the ideal soloist for this deeply touching meditation for cello and orchestra, his recent recording of it praised as a 'performance of great tenderness and eloquence' by BBC Music Magazine.
Wagner's 'Good Friday Spell' from Parsifal is the ideal way into this program. A bright and ecstatic celebration of life and the world, the triumphant sound of the brass is enchanting and delightful. After the contemplation of Tavener, Mendelssohn's triumphant Fifth Symphony is the perfect way to send you back out into the world.
Run time
This performance will run for approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes, including interval.
Concert Hall
One of the world’s most sought after venues, the Concert Hall is a performance space like no other. With its cathedral like ambience and unrivalled majesty, standing on this very special stage will see you deliver a performance to remember.
In July 2022, the Opera House completed extensive upgrades to the Concert Hall. The multi-million-dollar project delivered extensive improvements to the venue, including: better acoustics for artists and audiences, enhanced access for people with mobility needs, new state-of-the-art theatre machinery and staging systems, and a more flexible and safer working environment for staff behind-the-scenes.
Our foyers will be open 90 minutes pre-show for Concert Hall and Joan Sutherland Theatre performances, and two hours pre-show for Western Foyer venue performances. Refreshments will be available for purchase from our theatre bars. Please remember to maintain physical distancing whilst consuming drinks in our foyers.
All Sydney Opera House foyers are pram accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators). Pram parking will be available outside the theatres in the Western Foyer consistent with COVID-safe rules.