Adelaide Symphony Orchestra Unveils 2027 Season

Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) has unveiled its 2027 Season, featuring a bold program bringing together the great symphonic repertoire, International Artists, world premieres, as well as film and gaming inspired performances.

Major events include a Beethoven symphony cycle, Ben Folds with the ASO, a musical celebration of Vienna, film concerts featuring Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back, How To Train Your Dragon 2, The Music of The Lord of the Rings, and a gaming inspired concert featuring the music of Hollow Knight.

ASO Chief Executive Colin Cornish AM said the breadth of the season reflects the orchestra's ambition to create exceptional musical experiences for all South Australians.

'Our 2027 Season strives to give every South Australian the opportunity to experience the ASO performing great music with world-class artists in Adelaide. From Beethoven to Ben Folds and performances across South Australia, the ASO's impact continues to grow,' he said.

ASO Chief Conductor Mark Wigglesworth said that the human experience of live music is central to Season 2027.

'It is only in the act of hearing music that music becomes alive. Just like love, or hate, or fear, music is the result of the feelings people have when engaged by it. You are as much part of the music as the notes themselves. It is the listeners that make music human,' he said.

The orchestra's flagship Symphony Series will expand in 2027, showcasing International Artists, world and Australian premieres, and new commissions across nine programs at Adelaide Town Hall.

Soloists include Pavel Kolesnikov, Lawrence Power, Anthony Marwood, Alexander Gavrylyuk, Morgan Pearse and Beatrice Colombis, alongside ASO musicians taking centre stage as soloists. Conductors include Ludovic Morlot, Anna Sulkowska-Migoń, Andrew Manze and Katharina Wincor, alongside Mark Wigglesworth.

Audiences will be among the first in the world to experience new works and commissions from Australian composers including Paul Dean, Jack Symonds, Belinda Gehlert and Elena Kats-Chernin, alongside the Australian premiere of Anna Clyne's Viola Concerto, performed by Lawrence Power.

In an Australian Premiere, the ASO will reimagine Elgar's Enigma Variations in a special narrated performance by actor Walter van Dyk, created and led by Mark Wigglesworth.

One of the defining events of the season will be a Beethoven symphony cycle, honouring the composer's legacy 200 years after his death. Conducted by Mark Wigglesworth, the cycle will unite audiences and highlight the significance of community and musical connection.

'More than any other composer, Beethoven reminds us of what it means to be human. The music expresses empathy and compassion, heroism and hedonistic joy, triumph and adversity, and, above all, the need for us to reach out to one another and celebrate a sense of community that allows us to be more than the sum of our parts', Mark Wigglesworth said.

The ASO's impact extends beyond the Adelaide CBD, with regional concerts scheduled for 2027 in Whyalla, Port Pirie, Gawler and Noarlunga. Mark Wigglesworth will also present the World Premiere of his own orchestration of Shostakovich's Symphony No.15 at Mount Barker's UKARIA Cultural Centre.

Season 2027 features a major line-up of events for South Australian audiences. From Ben Folds and the ASO in February to A Night in Vienna in May, Mark Wigglesworth and the orchestra will bring Vienna's great orchestral celebration to Adelaide. ASO Concertmaster Kate Suthers will also lead a reimagining of Vivaldi's The Four Seasons in the majestic setting of St Peter's Cathedral.

The season also presents some of cinema and gaming's most iconic music in Adelaide, with the orchestra performing the scores to How To Train your Dragon 2 and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back live to screen at Adelaide Entertainment Centre. The music of The Lord of the Rings will be celebrated with a concert presented with the return of The Art of the Score podcast. For gaming fans, the ASO will perform the music of Adelaide based composer Christopher Larkin from the locally made video game, Hollow Knight.

Following sold-out family concerts in 2026, the ASO continues to offer dynamic experiences for children, families and young people. The season features family and relaxed performances, Move to the Music, The Young Person's Guide to the Orchestra by Benjamin Britten with acclaimed comedian Sammy J, Circus of Instruments at DreamBig, school excursions, library performances, Big Rehearsals and Compose with ASO.

The season presents the orchestra in a range of different settings, with the return of the ASO's Sanctuary Series, exploring the connection between music and wellbeing through relaxed performances. The orchestra's Cathedral and Matinee Series will continue to connect with audiences in some of South Australia's most iconic venues.

'The 2027 Season is about creating opportunities for everyone to experience the ASO. Whether that's through film, gaming or family concerts, immersing yourself in Beethoven or hearing something for the very first time, the season has something for every audience member that is unique to South Australia', said ASO Concertmaster Kate Suthers.