A composer who Australian Stage has dubbed “the most interesting voice in Australian composition for many years”, Harry Sdraulig has risen to prominence through a string of collaborations with renowned artists and organisations. He’s composed for The Australian Chamber Orchestra, Musica Viva, the Australia Ensemble, as well as the Sydney, Melbourne, Queensland, Tasmanian, and Canberra Symphony Orchestras, and has also been commissioned by cellist Yo-Yo Ma.

Harry shares some great insights and perspectives on the life a composer, and he introduces some of the compositions which have featured at key points of his career.

Harry Sdraulig's new work, Triptych, is performed by the Omega Ensemble as part of their Concertante tour, 1-5 October in Sydney, Melbourne and Newcastle.

“The complete package!” is how Tim Draxl has been described for his performance as Joe Gillis in Andrew Lloyd-Webber’s musical Sunset Boulevard, currently playing at the Sydney Opera House. That part is just the latest in a long line of Tim’s roles in his 20-plus year career which has garnered him nominations for AACTAs, Logies, and a Helpmann Award. On stage he has appeared in musicals such as Jagged Little Pill, Into the Woods and Catch Me If You Can. He is a familiar face on TV, most particularly for his long running role in A Place to Call Home, and more recently the ABC series about the Australian response to the AIDS crisis, In Our Blood. His films include Swimming Upstream and Blacklight among many others. He’s also no stranger to cabaret, and has released four albums.

Tim takes us through his career from budding cabaret performer, through his time in Hollywood and to his most recent roles. He candidly shares the story of coming out publicly, his embrace of which has led him to be a part of several ground-breaking productions and being an inspiration for many LGTBQIA+ Australians, young and old.

Tim Draxl plays Joe Gillis in Sunset Boulevard in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of the Sydney Opera House until 1 November.

The Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, undoubtedly ranks as one of the world’s best-known choral groups. Founded in the 15th Century, the choir’s main function is to sing in the daily services in King’s College Chapel, but it has long since spread its wings far broader than that, generating worldwide fame through a wealth of recordings and an extensive international tour schedule.

Daniel Hyde has been Musical Director since 2019. His distinguished career as an organist and choral conductor includes roles at Jesus College, Cambridge, at Magdalen College, Oxford, and most recently at Saint Thomas Church in New York. Daniel talks about the long history and significance of the choir, and how he came to be inspired by this timeless musical tradition.

The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, tours Australia thanks to Musica Viva, from 21 July to 5 August.

For Eric Whitacre, everything seems possible. The music of this Grammy-award winning composer and conductor has been performed in all corners of the world. He has united 100,000 singers in more than 145 countries for his ground breaking Virtual Choirs, his debut album as a conductor, Light and Gold, went straight to the top of the charts, and he’s even collaborated with NASA – his composition Deep Field having been inspired by the Hubble Telescope, leading him to work on a film seen at arts and science festivals across the globe.

In this conversation, Eric talks about The Sacred Veil, which he is coming to Australia to conduct with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs at the Sydney Opera House. We also hear insights about his composing and his unorthodox entry into the classical genre, the Virtual Choirs projects, his public speaking, plus he eloquently introduces a diverse selection of pieces which have inspired him over the years.

Photo: Marc Royce

A violinist who has performed on every continent, Adelaide-born Daniel Dodds is the Artistic Director of Festival Strings Lucerne. He’ll be back in Australia  to appear as Concertmaster of the Australian World Orchestra under the baton of Zubin Mehta, for performances in Melbourne and Sydney. It is said he elicits “joie de vivre” from fellow musicians and audiences alike, which is apparent in the positivity he expresses about his playing and the repertoire he’s chosen to share with us in this conversation, which includes several private recordings of his past performances.

An actor whose career on the stage, film and television is approaching half a century and still going strong, Simon Burke burst onto the scene in the highly acclaimed Devil’s Playground at the age of 13. He won the AFI Award for Best Actor for that performance – still to this day the youngest person to receive that honour. His career since has included appearances on television which are embedded in the Australian psyche – from The Sullivans through to Rake and everything in between, including the remarkable Brides of Christ, and of course Play School. He has a long list of stage credits here and overseas, in both straight and musical theatre – as Marius in the original Australian run of Les Misérables, Phantom of the Opera on the West End, and other musical theatre mainstays such as The Sound of Music and A Little Night Music. He’s currently in what could be regarded as the hottest show in town, appearing as Harold Zidler in Moulin Rouge! The Musical, playing now at the Capitol Theatre.

Hayden Tee is not just a triple threat, he’s more of a quadruple one – an actor, singer, make-up artist, and also now a director. He knows a thing or two about musical theatre, having played Javert in Les Misérables in multiple countries, including on the West End, Broadway and on these shores. He’s appeared in Matilda, South Pacific, My Fair Lady, and Into the Woods, to name just a few, his cabaret shows have been a hit in New York and in Australia, and he’s released three albums. Based in New York, Hayden is in Sydney to direct the musical Jekyll and Hyde, on at the Hayes Theatre from the 29th of July.

In this conversation, Hayden talks about his innovative staging of Jekyll and Hyde including his incredible cast, and takes us on his journey into singing and musical theatre with an infectious positivity and "can do" attitude.

One of Australia’s most beloved and renowned pianists, Simon Tedeschi has played with all the major Australian orchestras, and is a seasoned chamber musician and collaborator too. He’s recorded a vast swath of albums covering music from JS Bach and Domenico Scarlatti to Mark Isaacs and Mike Nock, with a decent chunk of George Gershwin too. He’s also a writer, with his first book, Fugitive, published in May, simultaneous with winning the Calibre Essay prize for his essay This Woman, My Grandmother.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Simon discusses his writing, including the award-winning essay about his late grandmother, a Holocaust survivor, and reveals what it’s like to learn more about a loved one after their death than was ever known while they were still alive. Also, he compares his writing with his music, and how his early experiences as a proclaimed child prodigy began to shape his psyche and his career.

Simon is one of the 2MBS Fine Music Sydney artistic patrons, and is a long-time friend of the station.

One of the world’s leading young harpsichordists, Justin Taylor has released numerous award-winning solo recordings, and is one of the founders of the internationally renowned period ensemble, Le Consort. The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra’s artistic director Paul Dyer calls him "a true master of the harpsichord". He comes to the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra stage to be part of a rare performance of JS Bach’s Concerto for Four Harpsichords.

Justin speaks about the intricacies and subtleties of playing the harpsichord and other period keyboards. He elaborates on how the sound production of original keyboard instruments of different eras informs the performance of the music, giving us a greater understanding of what the composer intended.

Justin Taylor performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra in Sydney and Melbourne from 5-14 July.

A much-loved cellist who Australia has adopted from his native Finland, Timo-Veikko Valve (known as Tipi) came to this country to become principal cellist of the Australian Chamber Orchestra 16 years ago, a position he has held ever since. He spreads his wings far beyond the ACO, making frequent guest appearances with chamber groups across the country, and of course has played across Europe, North America and Asia. He'll be featured as a soloist in the upcoming ACO tour titled simple “Bach”, and has been very busy in the recording studio too.

In this conversation, Tipi shares his thoughts on some of his favourite works, including sharing some unreleased recordings. He also talks about the complex task of making recordings of his music and the joys of the Finnish sauna experience!

A soprano and actress who has established an international career spanning opera, theatre, concert and film, Anna O’Byrne has performed with the likes of Anthony Warlow and Emma Thompson, sung for Charles and Camilla, and appeared in everything from West Side Story to Barnum, and Guys and Dolls to A Little Night Music. But her most well known role on these shores was as Eliza Doolittle in the 60th Anniversary production of My Fair Lady, at the Sydney Opera House, for which she won the Helpmann Award for Best Female Actor in a Musical. Anna appears at the Playhouse of the Sydney Opera House in her own one-woman show, Becoming Eliza, from 9-12 June.

In this conversation, Anna shares stories of working with and learning from her childhood idol Julie Andrews, her remarkable start in The Phantom of the Opera, only a few weeks after finished her degree, plus being part of the recreation of the role of Christine Daaé for Love Never Dies when it got its second start in Melbourne.

An internationally acclaimed playwright, screenwriter, director, novelist and actor, not to mention cultural icon and activist, Leah Purcell stands at the forefront of the Indigenous cultural renaissance and protest movement. A proud Goa-Gungarri-Wakka Wakka Murri woman, she is well known to audiences in Australia and around the world for her many roles, including in Wentworth, Redfern Now, Jindabyne and Lantana. In this conversation, Leah takes a deep dive with Simon Moore into her new film, The Drover’s Wife the Legend of Molly Johnson, which is in cinemas from 5 May.

Leah talks fondly about her mother reading the original Henry Lawson short story to her as a child, and she gives incredible insights into her inspiration and the creation of the film, which she developed from her own play and novel. She often talks emotionally and with great candour about her own experiences and those of her family, which informed the expansion of the story from the original.

A musical theatre actor responsible for some of the most notable performances on our stages, Anthony Warlow began his career with the Australian Opera in 1980. He has since become a household name thanks to his work in The Phantom of the Opera, The Secret Garden, Annie, My Fair Lady, Jeckyll & Hyde to name only a few, while also performing with Opera Australia for The Magic Flute, Die Fledermaus, The Pirates of Penzance, and more. He’s performed on Broadway and the West End, and has several albums to his name.

In this extended version of the broadcast edition, Anthony displays his deep understanding of how to create a successful performance, time and again. We hear stories about his journey to the stage, and about some of the roles that have made him one of Australia's popular and successful musical theatre performers.

Anthony Warlow plays Billy Flynn, the lawyer who lets you get away with murder, in Chicago, on now at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre.

A celebrated actor and director, John Bell has been a driving force in the shape and direction of Australian Theatre for more than half a century. A former Associate Artist with the Royal Shakespeare Company in the UK, he’s performed all of Shakespeare’s seminal roles, often several times over. He’s also formed two theatre companies, one of which still bears his name.

In this conversation, John Bell shares with Simon Moore some of the highlights of his long and distinguished career, the evolution of Australian theatre and the ever-changing craft of acting, plus provides an insight into what drew him as a teenager to William Shakespeare and why his works are so important to modern audiences.

Photo: Pierre Toussaint

An exciting and dynamic young conductor, Leonard Weiss has made a name for himself with the Canberra Sinfonia, and the Sydney, Queensland and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, to name just a few. He’s the inaugural winner of the Conductor NSW Orchestral Early Career Fellowship with the Sydney Youth Orchestras in conjunction with Create NSW, and was recognised as the “rising star of 2020” by John Hopkins University during his time there.

Leonard is incredibly articulate and entertaining, talking about his artistic development with good humour, including his time with one of his mentors, Marin Alsop, when he was the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Peabody Fellow.

French-German cellist Nicolas Altstaedt is one of the most sought after and versatile musicians today, performing repertoire spanning early music to the contemporary, as a soloist, conductor and artistic director. He’s performed with the Philharmonia Orchestra, the Montreal Symphony Orchestra, and the London Philharmonic, to name only a few. His conducting has taken him to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and the Budapest Festival Orchestra and more. As a chamber musician he’s collaborated with Joshua Bell, Janine Jansen and Pekka Kuusisto, amongst many other, and has recorded 15 albums.

In this conversation Nicolas enthusiastically talks about his craft and shares music from his contemporaries who inspire him most. He articulately describes the variations between the different ensembles with which he has collaborated. His energy and insights shine a fresh light into the works he performs.

Nicolas Altstaedt is in Australia to guest direct the Australian Chamber Orchestra until 30 June.

Jeanell Carrigan is an Associate Professor in the Collaborative Piano Unit at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has performed throughout Australia and Europe as a soloist, chamber musician and collaborative duo partner. Her area of research is Australian solo piano repertoire and more recently in the piano music composed by early 20th Century Australian women composers. She’s released 32 albums of solo Australian piano and chamber works and has written several books.

In this conversation, Jeanell speaks with Simon Moore in depth about her most recent project – the recording and publication of the first four piano trios written in Australia, by Australian composers, entitled Music for The Salon Trio.

He is a man who has entertained Australia for over 30 years. He’s danced on film in Strictly Ballroom, stepped into stilettos for the Rocky Horror Picture Show, donned top hat and whip for a tightrope-walking PT Barnum, and everything in between – including West Side Story, Singing in the Rain, The Pirates Penzance, Cabaret, and Anything Goes. But perhaps his most well-known performance has been to bring entertainer Peter Allen back to life in the original Australian production of The Boy from Oz.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Todd speaks with Simon Moore about these varied roles, plus his start in show business, being a judge on Dancing with the Stars, as well as some of the parts he’s enjoyed a bit less than others.

It’s difficult to find a more well-rounded musician than violinst Henning Kraggerud. The Norwegian virtuoso has had a career that covers everything – a soloist, composer, arranger, improviser, plus he’s the Artistic Director of the Arctic Philharmonic Chamber Orchestra.

The discussion, from when he was visiting Australia in 2017 to guest direct the Australian Chamber Orchestra, provides some fascinating insights  into his multi-faceted approach to music-making in his composing, arranging and improvising.

If you’ve ever had the chance to see Finnish violinist Pekka Kuusisto perform live, you’ll know he is quite the entertainer. It’s been said that he strips every piece, however familiar it is, back to first principles, and we get to hear it as if for the first time.

At the time of this conversation in 2016, he had just been appointed artistic director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s emerging artists ensemble – ACO Collective – a position he held until 2019. 

A  great friend of Australia and of the ACO, Pekka is always an absolute joy to talk to. In this program, he gets out his violin in the studio to  underscore some of his points, and we even get a live performance of a Finnish folk tune.

(Originally aired in June 2021)

Shane Placentino has made the move from ballet dancer, to choreographer, and now opera director. He began his career with the Australian Ballet in 1991, dancing the entire classical and contemporary repertoire. He went on to be with the Sydney Dance Company from 2002, but more recently he’s hung up his dance shoes and moved into direction with Opera Australia - currently being the Revival Director for Aida, which opened at the Sydney Opera House on 22 June, and is due to return again after the current lockdown.

Neal Peres Da Costa is Australia’s authority in historically informed performance on the keyboard. Whether it’s the harpsichord, fortepiano or  organ, Neal has performed with all of this country’s leading ensembles, including the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, the Australian Haydn  Ensemble, the Australian Romantic and Classical Orchestra, and several of the top orchestras in this area internationally, most notably the  Academy of Ancient Music and the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. This month, he’ll be performing with Bach Akadamie Australia for JS  Bach’s Obligato Sonatas.

Neal talks us through the art and the science that is “historically informed performance”, how he came to be a passionate advocate for it, and the  various historic keyboards he’s collected over the years.

A  global artist who has enjoyed chart-topping success, international tours, and celebrated collaborations, violinist Vov Dylan enjoys taking audiences to a place where the classical meets the contemporary, coalescing with world music and jazz.  

He’s premiered works by some of this country’s finest composers, including Elena Kats-Chernin, Margaret Brandman and Ann Carr-Boyd. He has two new albums coming soon – Elevation, featuring the works of those composers as well as Stuart Greenaum, Ross Edwards and others, plus La Vida Apasionada, an album of works by Margaret Brandman.

Vov talks about his life as a working musician – from serenading in biker bars through to introducing international audiences to Australian works, plus how a couple of bottles of Bollinger may well have been the deciding factor for a career in music!

It’s 35 years since The Phantom of the Opera opened on London’s West End, making it one of the most successful musicals of all time. It was still  playing there until COVID hit early last year, where Australian Josh Piterman was performing in the title role.

Josh Piterman will be donning that famous mask once again in September, this time at the Joan Sutherland Theatre at the Sydney Opera House. Kicking off his career in The Ten Tenors, he’s appeared in musicals as diverse as West Side Story, Hairspray and Beautiful: The Carol King Musical, as well as having an Aria and iTunes number 1 album.

(Originally aired in April 2021)

Van-Anh Nguyen is a passionate and versatile pianist, producer, composer – and fashionista! She’s performed around the world and released 8 albums, topped the classical iTunes chart in both the US and Australia, and spends most of her time between her home town of Sydney and her adopted second home of Los Angeles. Van-Anh chatted to Simon ahead of her Australia-wide tour.

Derek Parker has been a presenter at Fine Music Sydney for over 15 years, but his career in radio is far longer than that. He’s been a figure in broadcasting on radio and television for a staggering 70 years, but as if that’s not enough he’s also written over 50 books - covering topics as diverse as the golden years of radio and erotic fiction. But sadly for us here at Fine Music Sydney, he and his wife Julia have decided to return to their native Britain. He will much missed, both on air and off.

UPDATE: This end of this episode has been updated following Derek's passing in January 2025.

A singer songwriter who has proven herself as one of this country’s most hard-working, versatile, and prolific artists, Katie Noonan flourishes in every genre. She performs and composes across classical, jazz and rock music. She’s recorded a massive 28 albums, with a 29th on the way, garnering 28 ARIA nominations which have include five wins. Having already been part of her indie rock band George,  producing highly successful albums including Polyserena which went triple platinum, she went on to found her jazz trio Elixir. In 2021, she founded the Australian Vocal Ensemble (AVÉ), a vocal quartet with a special focus on new Australian compositions.

Katie discusses the full breadth of her remarkable musical journey, and the other artists who have inspired her along the way.

Katie Noonan and the Australian Vocal Ensemble join the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for their annual Chorus Oz concert on Sunday 9 June in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. She and fellow AVÉ member, Andrew O’Connor, have composed An Instrument of Peace, a new work which will be performed at this concert alongside Karl Jenkins’s The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace.

(Originally aired in March 2021)

Paul Stanhope is an Australian composer whose compositions have been heard all around the world. The winner of 4 APRA Australian Music Centre awards in instrumental, orchestral, choral and vocal categories, his 2014 work "Jandamarra: Sing for the Country" has been recognised as a milestone in Australian composition. 

Paul joined Simon Moore ahead of the premiere of his new masterwork, his Requiem, at the City Recital Hall. 

(Originally aired in August 2019)

Mike Nock is an internationally acclaimed jazz pianist, composer, and music educator.  After spending some 25 years in the USA, he returned to Australia in the  1980s and has made an enormous contribution to the Australian music scene ever since. 

In July 2018 he was struck by a car and spent many weeks in hospital before returning to performing.  Mike joined Christopher Waterhouse to discuss his background in music, his international jazz  career, and the role that music played in his recovery.

A conductor who has established an outstanding reputation for a charismatic stage presence and powerful interpretations of an extensive repertoire, Dr Nicholas Milton has conducted orchestras across Europe and Australia. He has over 60 albums to his name as both a conductor and as a violinist, and has been nominated for a Grammy.

As chief conductor of the Göttinger Symphony Orchestra, he spends much of the year in Germany, but he still calls Australia home. And one home that is particularly dear to his heart is his role as chief conductor of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra.

Nicholas shares some musical highlights that we have in store for the rest of the year with the Willoughby Symphony, and takes us on a journey through his impressive career, from his time as a young successful violinist to becoming a sought after conductor.

A French-Australian flautist who is very much the household name, Jane Rutter has been a shining light of our classical music scene for well over 30 years. She’s shared billings with world renowned stars such as Lucciano Pavarotti and Michael Crawford, and performed with the full gamut of our own artists in Australia, from Tina Arena to the Australian Chamber Orchestra. She performs regularly in Paris and around the world, and more locally there are her famous Live at Lunch concerts at The Concourse in Chatswood. She’s recorded an uncountable number of albums for which she’s received four ARIA nominations. Limelight magazine called her “a leading female influence in the world of classical music." Jane shares some great stories of her journey and the people who helped shape her as a musician. She discusses some of the trailblazing she has done through her career, both willingly and inadvertently, and being at the forefront of how classical repertoire is presented in the modern era.

A much loved baritone from New Zealand, Teddy Tahu Rhodes has captured the hearts of audiences here in Australia and in many parts of the world. An ARIA, Helpmann, and Limelight award-winner, he has given renowned performances in classics such as Don Giovanni and Carmen, and premiere performances in new works including The End of the Affair and Dead Man Walking. He’s performed for Opera Australia, the Metropolitan Opera, the Welsh National Opera and the Bavarian State Opera to name just a few, and regularly sings in concert. Limelight magazine said of his voice “there is a velvet richness, a great resonance, and a touching sense of fragility."

Teddy takes us through his evolution as a singer, from boy soprano to opera star, and getting through his uncertainty and unwillingness in grasping his first big break.

Teddy Tahu Rhodes performs Mendelssohn's Elijah with the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs under the artistic direction of Brett Weymark at the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House on 18 May. He then performs in La Rondine for the Victorian Opera from 8-10 August, and then returns to the role of Scarpia for performances of Tosca with the Wellington Opera, from the 11-15 September.

In Conversation is on location this week at Melbourne's Hamer Hall to speak with an artist who truly deserves the title of Broadway Royalty. Audra McDonald has won six Tony awards – more performance wins than any other actor, and the only person to win for leading and featured roles in both straight theatre and musicals. Her wins include turns in Carousel, Ragtime, A Raisin in the Sun, and perhaps most notably, Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar and Grill. She’s featured in many well-loved television shows, such as The Good Fight, and The Gilded Age, as well as feature films including the live action version of Beauty and the Beast.

As a classical soprano, she's performed with the Houston Grand Opera and the Los Angeles Opera, has sung with many symphony orchestras including the Berlin and New York Philharmonics, and she’s won two Grammy awards.

In this conversation, Audra takes us through her career from her childhood roles at a dinner theatre in Fresno, California, through her time at Juilliard to her subsequent success and how that's shaped her career choices and advocacy for civil rights.

Audra McDonald performs in the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House on Saturday May 11, QPAC in Brisbane on May 15, and Hamer Hall in Melbourne on May 17, having already presented concerts in Perth and Adelaide at the time this program was published.

Australia’s very own “genius of jazz”, James Morrison has entertained audiences here and overseas for over 40 years.  He’s played with many jazz legends, including Dizzy Gillespie, Dave Brubeck, Quincy Jones, Ray Charles and Don Burrows, to name just a few. He frequents the world’s greatest jazz clubs in New York, Paris and London, has performed for US Presidents and British Monarchs, and has received countless awards and nominations.

James takes us through his somewhat unorthodox entrée into music, the inspiration from playing with so many jazz legends as a younger musician and his passion for helping emerging artists now. We also hear about his love of being behind the wheel of everything from coaches to aircraft.

James Morrison performs with Romanian jazz sensation Marian Petrescu at venues around Australia during September, including at the City Recital Hall on Monday 16 September thanks to Live at Yours.

One of this country’s pre-eminent directors, Neil Armfield has a list of credits which is vast, spanning original works and revived classics, directing shows across the world, including on the West End and on Broadway. He’s also of course no stranger to opera, having directed several productions for Opera Australia, as well as for some of the world’s other great opera houses including Covent Garden and the English National Opera. A founder and former artistic director of Belvoir Street, he has been a key figure in the shape of Australian theatre for nearly five decades. 

His current project is directing a revival of Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman, a production which ran in Melbourne last year when Limelight magazine called it “outstanding" and The Guardian said Tony award winner “Anthony LaPaglia leads an electric, devastating tragedy”. 

Neil speaks about why this piece of mid-20th Century American theatre is so iconic and relevant in today's world. We hear about his life in the theatre, which began with directing his school play in his final year of high school, to working with some of the greats in both Australia and internationally in the subsequent decades.

Death of a Salesman plays at Sydney's Theatre Royal from 17 May.

Watershed, which Neil directed as part of the Adelaide Festival in 2022, will be presented by Opera Australia in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of the Sydney Opera House from 14-16 June.

Hamlet, which Neil directed for Glyndebourne in 2017 and has since been performed by many opera houses around the world including The Met in New York, will be presented by Opera Australia in the Joan Sutherland Theatre of the Sydney Opera House from 20 July - 5 August.

A distinguished conductor with a large repertoire of recordings, Osmo Vänskä has been chief conductor of orchestras in many parts of the world, including the Lahti Symphony Orchestra in his native Finland, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, and the Minnesota Orchestra. His repertoire may be vast, but it’s the music of his native Finland, and in particular the music of Sibelius, for which the New York Times noted that Osmo is “one of the most important contemporary interpreters”.

Osmo discusses the music of Sibelius and its importance to Finland, as well as sharing inspirational stories from his life as a conductor.

Osmo Vänskä conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for selections of Sibelius’s original and profound music 24-27 April, and conducts the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra for Sibelius and Beethoven on 3-4 May.

Mandela Mathia is actor who has had an extraordinary journey from his origins in war-torn South Sudan, leading him to the stage of the Belvoir Street Theatre. It’s that remarkable story of joy and loss, perseverance and hope, that is now the subject of his one man show, Lose to Win, which plays at the Belvoir Theatre from 25 April to 19 May.

Mandela takes us through his life of uncertainty, loss, famine and war, to settling in Australia as a refugee and his vocation as an actor that helps share that story more broadly.

A flautist who has been described by one critic as “playing her way into the hearts of music lovers”, Bridget Bolliger has performed regularly in Australia, Switzerland and Brazil. In Europe, she’s played with several orchestras including as principal flute of the St Gallen Symphony Orchestra as well as with the Zurich Opera Orchestra, the Basel Symphony Orchestra and the Zürich Chamber Orchestra. In Brazil, she was principal flute of the Sinfonica de Sao Paulo, and in her country of birth she’s played with the Sydney, Melbourne and Queensland Symphony Orchestras amongst many others. She’s well and truly settled back in Australia, and in 2008 founded the Sydney Chamber Music Festival.

Last year she released her latest album, Pearls, a collaboration with her brother Philip.

Bridget takes us on a journey through her remarkable life and career, through the many challenges, inspirations and lighter moments she has experienced, and thoughtfully introduces some of the music that has carrier her along the way.

One of Australia's most notable and well-loved composers, Elena Kats-Chernin has written for ensembles large and small – from operas and piano concertos to the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics in 2000. Her work is a mainstay of performers at home and internationally, and the number of recordings of her works are countless. Not resting on her laurels, she’s created a new arrangement of her Ornamental Air for Basset Clarinet, which is to be performed by David Rowden and the Omega Ensemble as part of their upcoming tour Re: Classica. She is also an artistic patron of 2MBS Fine Music Sydney.

In her always engaging and infectiously positive manner, Elena takes us on a deep dive into her background and how she brings her compositions to life.

Her Clarinet Concerto Ornamental Air (new version) will be performed by David Rowden and the Omega Ensemble in Sydney, Melbourne, Newcastle and Penrith between the 12th and 20th of April.

A singer with a distinguished career which spans four continents, Helpmann-nominated Simon Lobelson has established himself as a one of the most versatile baritones of his generation. He's performed over 90 operatic roles spanning the baroque to the contemporary, with companies including the Royal Opera House Covent Garden, the English National Opera, as well as our own Opera Australia and Pinchgut Opera. In concert, he’s performed with the Sydney Symphony, the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, and many ensembles overseas.

In this conversation, Simon explores his musical inspirations and shares some personal reflections on life and the evolution of his illustrious career.

Simon Lobelson performs with Music @ VJs on 7 April.

Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour returns with the smash-hit musical West Side Story. It's one of the most famous and loved pieces of musical theatre ever written, and this production promises dynamic dance numbers and stunning voices on an over-water stage, with the unique backdrop of the Sydney skyline and harbour.

Playing Riff in this production is Patrick Whitbread. He has been touring Australia and New Zealand for almost a decade, appearing in some much-loved shows, including Mary Poppins, The Book of Morman, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Matilda the Musical and Cats. In this conversation, Patrick gives a preview of the joys and challenges of this scale of musical. He shares tales of his life in musical theatre which he became involved in from a very young age.

West Side Story plays on Sydney Harbour at Mrs Macquaries Point until 21 April.

One of today’s most notable and exciting keyboard artists, Kristian Bezuidenhout is equally at home on either the fortepiano, harpsichord, or modern piano, but it's in period keyboards that he has specialised. Now based in London, he’s led many ensembles, including the English Consort, the Freiburg Baroque Orchestra, Les Art Florissant, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra to name only a few, and has recorded nearly 30 albums. He’s a great friend of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and he’s back in Australia to guest direct the orchestra.

In this conversation, Kristian takes us on a deep dive into the fortepiano and why he has become so enamoured with this era of keyboard. We hear about the subtleties required for this instrument and the variations it acquired over time.

Kristian Bezuidenhout directs the Australian Chamber Orchestra for Beethoven's Emperor around Australia until 24 March.

The imaginative and versatile Finnish virtuoso pianist Paavali Jumppanen has established himself as a dynamic musician of seemingly unlimited capability who has cut a wide swathe as an orchestral and recital soloist and artistic director of both the classic and contemporary. He’s performed in the US, Europe, Japan, China, Japan and Australia, and it is in Australia that he has made a second home, as since 2021 he has been the artistic director of the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne. 

Paavali gives us a great insight into ANAM and their philosophy and methods, and we hear about his own musical journey including recording the entirety of Beethoven's piano sonatas.

Paavali Jumpannen directs the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for Marvellous Mozart from 7-9 March at various locations. Musicians of ANAM will be performing Arnold Schönberg's Gurrelieder with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under Simone Young on 15-16 March at the Sydney Opera House.

One of the leading violinists of his generation, Renaud Capuçon is known and loved for his poise, depth of tone, and virtuosity. He has worked with luminaries including Charles Dutoit, Claudio Abbado and Daniel Barenboim, and with all the major orchestras, whether it’s the Berlin Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, the London Symphony Orchestra, and many, many more. He has recorded over 20 albums, and one reviewer labelled him “an uninhibited musician at the peak of his art”. He’s in Sydney giving the Australian premiere of the violin concerto composed for him by Camille Pépin, with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra conducted by its chief conductor Simone Young.

Renaud speaks about key moments in his career, providing insights into the life a of a top tier musician such as himself. We also hear about his role as artistic director of the Menuhin Music Academy plus the story of his remarkable instrument, played for many years by Isaac Stern.

Renaud Capuçon performs Pépin's Violin Concerto La Sommeil a pris ton empreinte (Sleep retains your imprint) with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra under chief conductor Simone Young from 28 February to 2 March, a concert which also includes a performance of Mahler's Symphony no 5.

"Totally embraceable" and "larger than life" is how critics have described Rhonda Burchmore. An actor and singer who has entertained Australians for four decades, she has forged a career across stage and screen. Her musical theatre credits are vast, from Mame and Annie Get Your Gun to Mamma Mia and Hairspray. She’s no stranger to cabaret, has released seven albums, and has also written her autobiography.

Rhonda shares some highlights from her long career, taking us back to her earliest days when the passion for performing was clearly in her blood. She reminisces about the excitement and opportunities of live to air performances on popular TV variety shows such as The Don Lane Show and The Bert Newton Show, the trials of her stint on I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here, and we hear some of the music which has shaped her life.

Rhonda Burchmore is currently dressing up eight times a week as a nun, for the riotous feel-good musical Sister Act playing now at Sydney’s Capitol Theatre until late October before heading to Melbourne and the other major state capitals.

“The Unconventional Pop Star” and “The Angel of Australia” are two phrases that have been used to describe soprano sensation Mirusia. She was the youngest ever winner of the Dame Joan Sutherland Opera Award and has toured extensively with show-stopping violinist André Rieu. Together, they released the album Waltzing Matilda, which went platinum and to number 1 on the ARIA charts.

Mirusia releases Classique, her first purely classical album of arias, on February 23. In this program, Mirusia previews the album and shares a few tracks. She also talks about the journey to her remarkable career, plus we hear the inside story of working with André Rieu.

Kate Raison is an actor who is a familiar face for Australian theatre goers and television viewers. From a single guest role as an un-named nurse in an episodes of Sons and Daughters, she was a regular on dramas such as A Country Practice, Home and Away, and E-Street. Her theatre work has seen her perform in plays as disparate as Dark Voyager, Mary Stuart and The Torch Song Trilogy, and more recently she was fêted for her roles in Two and Killing Katie: Confessions of a Book Club. She’s currently rehearsing for The Great Divide, the latest work from living legend David Williamson for the Ensemble Theatre, which plays from 8 March to 27 April.

Kate talks about the joys of working on a new Williamson play, reminisces about those early TV roles that made her so familiar to audiences, and the joys and challenges of working in live theatre.

A violinist in great demand internationally, UK-born Andrew Haveron is currently the concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, having previously served in that role with the BBC Symphony Orchestra. As first violinist with the internationally acclaimed Brodsky Quartet he recorded more than 15 albums and collaborated with a diverse cross section of artists. Despite keeping busy with the Sydney Symphony he is still able to perform in chamber recitals, including with Katheryn Selby and the Omega Ensemble, and in February he returns to the Great Synagogue in Sydney for Vienna's Golden Age, opening a new year of concerts for Live at Yours.

Andrew talks about his school life at the Purcell School for Young Musicians in London, and his time with the Brodsky Quartet. He explains his move to the role of Concertmaster, providing an inside view of the nuances and responsibilities of one of the most important roles in a symphony orchestra.

The King's Singers represent the gold standard in a cappella singing, and have performed on the world’s stages from London to New York, and from Sydney to Singapore. They are renowned for unrivalled technique, impeccable vocal blend, as well as a healthy dose of delightful British wit. Bass singer Jonathan Howard is the ensemble's current longest serving member, now in his second decade with the group. In this conversation, Johnny takes us on a deep dive into what makes this remarkable ensemble tick and shares the joys that vocal music has brought him throughout his life.

The King's Singers are touring Australia from 18-23 March with concerts in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and Perth.

A musician who has received international recognition for his comprehensive body of work, Benjamin Skepper combines classical aesthetics with contemporary art, science, technology and the avant-garde. His art studio, Contrapuntal, creates multi-artform installations, performances and events. For this year’s Sydney Festival, he’s co-curated a festival within the festival – Temperament, which delves into the music of JS Bach from every possible angle. It features performances by a range of our top ensembles, and Benjamin himself is performing his show Praeludium y Fuga.

In this in-depth interview, Benjamin talks about his work with the Sydney Festival, the origins of his innovative multi-artform performances and compositions, plus his incredible journey through life which includes his first international performance tour at the age of 10, his human rights work in Cambodia, and his experience of the transformative power of music.

Benjamin Skepper performs Praeludium y Fuga at The Neilson on 27 and 28 January.