That’s the magic of seeing the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra live. It’s music with presence – made right there, in front of you, by more than 70 musicians. It fills the room. It makes you feel things you didn’t know you needed to feel. Symphony Series 6: Shadows, playing Friday 12 and Saturday 13 September, is one of those concerts that gently pulls you in and holds your attention.
It starts with the music of Australian compose Peggy Glanville-Hicks – serene, luminous pieces for oboe and harp that feel like they belong to a different world. Not flashy or loud, but quietly hypnotic. Like watching moonlight on water. Then comes Britten’s Violin Concerto, with soloist Clara-Jumi Kang. This piece is elegant, emotional, and full of contrast.
There are moments of raw intensity, and others so delicate they feel like breath. After interval, the full force of the orchestra comes alive in Shostakovich’s Tenth Symphony. This is music written in the shadow of political fear and personal defiance, but you don’t need to know the history to feel its power. It’s full of drive, tension, release, and moments that are surprisingly tender.
With Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth at the helm, it’s a chance to hear the orchestra at full strength: rich, bold, and utterly alive.
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Series 6 – Shadows is at Adelaide Town Hall on
Friday 12 & Saturday 13 September. Book now at aso.com.au
