Ben Folds to Perform With Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Jan 29-30, 2027
Principal Guest Conductor Benjamin Northey joins the singer-songwriter at Arts Centre Melbourne's Hamer Hall.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) will reunite with American singer-songwriter, composer and pianist Ben Folds for two performances as part of a national orchestral tour.
Folds will reimagine his songbook with the MSO and Principal Guest Conductor Benjamin Northey, performing with the Orchestra for the first time in six years, at Hamer Hall on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2027.
The concerts build on the MSO's extensive history with Folds, where the orchestra and the Emmy nominated artist have collaborated several times over the last two decades.
Folds is looking forward to returning to Australia and performing with the country's leading symphony orchestras, including the MSO, as part of a national tour which will also see him perform with the Canberra, Sydney, Adelaide and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras.
'Sharing the stage with an orchestra as my band is an honour I don't take lightly. I consider them among the finest musicians in the world and together we offer audiences a musical experience like no other', Folds said.
'As a student of the orchestra, I sincerely believe they are a shining example of what we can accomplish in society when we all work in concert and harmony for a greater good.'
Ben Folds Australian Orchestra 2027 Tour Dates
Canberra Symphony Orchestra | 22 and 23 January | Llewellyn Hall
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra | 29 and 30 January | Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Sydney Symphony Orchestra | 2 and 3 February | Hordern Pavilion
Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra | 6 February | Wrest Point
Adelaide Symphony Orchestra | 18 and 19 February | Her Majesty's Theatre
Biography
Ben Folds is an Emmy-nominated singer-songwriter who has created an enormous body of genre-bending music that includes pop albums with Ben Folds Five, multiple solo albums, a holiday album, and numerous collaborative records.
He currently tours as a pop artist, while also performing with some of the world's greatest symphony orchestras.
A New York Times Best Selling author, Ben also creates new music for film, tv and theatre, including original songs for an ongoing series of animated Peanuts specials on Apple TV.
In 2022, he launched a music education charitable initiative in his native state of North Carolina which provides funds and keyboards to existing nonprofits that offer free or affordable piano lessons to school-age children from economically disadvantaged households. For the past 15 years he has also been an outspoken advocate for arts funding, music education and music therapy in the US as a member of Americans For The Arts and the Arts Action Fund.
Event Details
Dates: Friday 29 & Saturday 30 January, 7.30pm
Venue: Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
Tickets: On sale 10am Friday 28 August
Visit: mso.com.au
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
Photo Credit: Shervin Lainez
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