Five concert series at five venues for WA Symphony Orchestra in 2025 as Perth Concert Hall goes dark

WA Symphony Orchestra’s breakout from Perth Concert Hall in 2025 features high-fives all around, with five distinct concert series at five venues across Perth. University of WA’s Winthrop Hall shapes as the main stage during multi-year renovations at PCH, hosting 10 programs in the MACA Symphonic Series, starting with Beethoven’s Symphony No.5 under principal conductor Asher Fisch in March. Winthrop also hosts three Classical Special Events, closing the year with all five Beethoven piano concertos featuring Fisch and soloist Lukas Vondracek in November. “Winthrop Hall is very beautiful,” Fisch said. “The raked orchestra set up [seated in tiers] is reminiscent of the great European venues like the Musikverein in Vienna. “I love when orchestras are sitting raked so people in the back see the people in the front. To me that’s key to ensemble playing.” The Classical Special Events open with a concert setting of Johann Strauss II’s opera favourite Die Fledermaus, with Fisch and all-Australian soloists Paul O’Neill, Rachelle Durkin, Chelsea Burns, Andrew Goodwin, Samuel Dundas, Stuart Laing, Warwick Fyfe and Ruth Burke. Narration is by Michael Loney and English dialogue by Andrew Foote. There is also an Easter recital of sacred music under Dr Joseph Nolan with St George’s Cathedral Consort, the WASO Chorus, soprano Mia Robinson and recorded narration by Mel Gibson. Closure of Perth Concert Hall presents challenges for audience and orchestra, with reduced seating capacity at Winthrop, but WASO proved agile during COVID shutdowns and brings that experience to bear in tailored programs across the metropolitan area. Matinee Series concerts continue to shadow the main stage, moving to the Heath Ledger Theatre at 10.30am and 1.30pm on Thursdays, once a month from April to June, and again in August, September and November. A Baroque Series at His Majesty’s Theatre will feature Shaun Lee-Chen leading and directing two programs: Baroque Brilliance, with soprano Sara Macliver, in May; and Bach to Bach, with WASO associate principal oboist Liz Chee, in October. A Chamber Series at Government House Ballroom will showcase WASO musicians in smaller ensembles across May, August and September, with Australian compositions by Elena Kats-Chernin and Aaron Wyatt complementing works by Sibelius, Mustonen, Schubert, Brahms, Schoenberg, Mayer and the ubiquitous Beethoven. Underground at the State Theatre, WASO will focus on new music. Dutch conductor Otto Tausk and Sara Macliver headline Danceworks in June, with music by Torke, Andriessen, Padding and Martland. In November, Sam Weller conducts Australian music with world premieres from WASO composer-in-residence Olivia Davies and Melody Eotvos, complementing works by Perth composer Lachlan Skipworth, Jordan Moore, Stephen de Filippo and Kate Moore. Special Events continue at the Perth Convention and Exhibition Centre in March with Jurassic Park in Concert, pairing a live orchestral score with the blockbuster movie, and The Music of John Williams in June, both under the baton of Nicholas Buc. WASO associate conductor Jen Winley directs Classic Adventures: Witches and Wizards, with movie favourites plus The Sorcerer’s Apprentice and Stravinsky’s Firebird, at Heath Ledger Theatre in October; and WA Chorus director Hugh Lydon leads a program of sacred choral works at St Mary’s Cathedral in November. Much will depend on the willingness of WASO’s core subscription audience to embrace the main stage at Winthrop Hall, with a lot on offer. Beethoven Symphony No.5 in March is paired with Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a theme of Paganini (pianist Alexander Gavrylyuk), and the world premiere of Camera Obscura by WA composer James Ledger. In April, Australian Chamber Orchestra principal violinist Satu Vanska will play and direct Mozart’s Violin Concerto No.3 and Symphony No.21, with works by Olivia Davies, Lili Boulanger and Luigi Boccherini. Queensland’s Umberto Clerici returns in May as guest conductor and also soloist for Saint-Saens’ Cello Concerto No.1, Berlioz’ Roman Carnival overture, and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.1 “Winter Daydreams”. Otto Tausk premieres Australian Andrew Schultz’ Symphony No.4 in June, followed by Debussy’s Nocturnes, and Poulenc’s Gloria with soprano Rachelle Durkin and the WASO Chorus. London Philharmonic Orchestra principal conductor Edward Gardner and soprano Samantha Clarke feature Britten’s Illuminations in July, bracketed by Schubert’s “Unfinished” Symphony No.8 and Brahms’ Symphony No.1. Fisch returns in August with soloist Simone Lamsma for Bruch’s evergreen Violin Concerto No.1, plus Richard Strauss’s Macbeth tone poem and Schumann’s Symphony No.4. Fisch then rounds out the month with Sara Macliver, Andrew Goodwin, the WASO Chorus and Aquinas College Schola Cantorum in a maritime-themed program of Wagner’s Flying Dutchman Overture, an Indian Ocean-inspired world premiere of Mahasagar by Australian Paul Stanhope, Ravel’s Une barque sur l’ocean, and Debussy’s La Mer. Royal Philharmonic Orchestra music director Vasily Petrenko, a popular guest conductor since 2022, brings Walton’s Spitfire Prelude and Fugue, Mozart’s Clarinet Concerto (with WASO associate principal clarinettist Som Howie), and Vaughan Williams’ Symphony No.5 in September. Fisch is back in October with Kodaly’s The Peacock, Bartok’s Viola Concerto (featuring WASO principal violist Daniel Schmitt), and Dvorak’s earworm Symphony No.9 “From the New World”. Fisch also rounds out the season in November with cellist Li-Wei Qin in Tchaikovsky’s Variations on a Rococco Theme, bracketed by Mozart’s Symphony No.29 and a double helping of Wagner from Parsifal and the Meistersinger suite, before a segue to the Beethoven piano concertos. WASO’s educational, community support and regional programs will be announced next year. WASO 2025 subscription season packages on sale from November 28, single tickets on sale from January 15 at waso.com.au.