From grand symphonies to the magic of film scores, Broadway showstoppers and breathtaking new works, the ASO’s 90th season promises more than 100 performances across South Australia. It’s a program that looks back with pride and forward with excitement.
At the helm is Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth, now in his second year with the ASO. For Wigglesworth, music’s timelessness sits at the heart of the 2026 season. “Music is a force for good,” he says. “a force that is infinitely more powerful when experienced live. The 2026 season embraces this power and connection on every level.”
The orchestra’s flagship Symphony Series returns to Adelaide Town Hall with eight world-class concerts, each one promising that unmistakable ASO energy that fills the room and lifts the soul.
The season opens with Jupiter, featuring pianist Konstantin Shamray performing Rachmaninov’s ever-popular Piano Concerto No. 2. Other standouts include ASO Principal Clarinettist Dean Newcomb premiering a new work by Joe Chindamo, and a world premiere from Australian composer Holly Harrison featuring virtuoso classical accordionist James Crabb.
And for lovers of the dramatic, Wigglesworth will lead the ASO in an exclusive orchestra-only performance of Wagner’s The Ring, a nod to the ASO’s pioneering role in bringing this epic work to Australia.
The orchestra will also continue its sell-out composer immersion series, turning the spotlight on Jean Sibelius. Wigglesworth says this series is “an unmissable opportunity to appreciate more deeply one of the greatest composers of the twentieth century.”
But it’s not all about the classics. The ASO’s 2026 season also celebrates the new and the now, with Waltjapiti Tjungu – Together, One Family, a collaboration with the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music and Soundstream New Music, featuring three powerful new works that explore culture, voice and innovation.
For film fans, the big screen meets the orchestra once again as the ASO wraps up its eight-year journey with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows – Part 2 in Concert, and brings fire-breathing adventure to life with How to Train Your Dragon in Concert, both at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre.
If show tunes are more your style, An Evening on Broadway promises pure musical escapism, starring Josh Piterman and Amy Manford performing favourites from Les Misérables, The Phantom of the Opera, West Side Story and more. And for something completely different, The Music of Joe Hisaishi will immerse audiences in the delicate, dreamlike world of the Studio Ghibli composer for the very first time in Adelaide.
Through it all, one thing remains constant: the magic of hearing it live. As ASO Concertmaster Kate Suthers puts it, “Nothing compares to a live concert and experiencing 80 musicians playing together. If you haven’t heard the ASO live there’s never been a better time to do it!”
Ninety years on, the ASO’s sound continues to evolve, rooted in tradition, yet alive with the spirit of a city that loves its music. Whether you’ve followed them for decades or are hearing them for the first time, this is the year to be part of the celebration.
Packages for Season 2026 are now on sale, with single tickets available now.
Explore the full program: aso.com.au
