Sydney Philharmonia Choirs Announces 2018 Season

Sydney Philharmonia Choirs has this morning announced its 2018 Season comprising seven stunning productions, from the cornerstones of classical music to the best of Australian and international contemporary, and a centenary production of Bernstein's Broadway hit, Candide.

At the heart of the program are three of the great 18th Century choral masterworks, which showcase the drive and ambition behind Australia's leading choral performance company - JS Bach's Mass in B Minor, Joseph Haydn's visionary masterpiece The Creation, and the first of Handel's great oratorios, Saul. These tour-de-force presentations conducted by Sydney Philharmonia Choirs' Music Director, Brett Weymark, bring the company's exemplary choristers together with leading Australian soloists and instrumentalists on Sydney's premier concert stages.

However, for Weymark the highlight of the coming year's program is the company's production of Candide, presented in collaboration with the acclaimed Pacific Opera and Sydney Youth Orchestra, in celebration of the centenary of one of the 20th Century's most acclaimed and influential composers, Leonard Bernstein. Directed by Australian theatre powerhouse Mitchell Butel, with a stellar cast including Alexander Lewis in the title role, Bernstein's Candide takes audiences on a wickedly tuneful romp through Voltaire's classic, from its rollicking overture, through affectionate parodies of opera, Gilbert and Sullivan, tango and Broadway glitz.

Away from the city's main stages, Sydney Philharmonia is renowned for its more intimate acapella productions, presented in some of the city and western Sydney's most exquisite churches.

Such will be setting for British composer Joby Talbot's acclaimed contemporary masterpiece, Path of Miracles, presented for the first time in Sydney in 2018. Drawing on the words of English poet Robert Dickinson, the composition follows the great pilgrim trail of Camino de Santiago, taking audiences on an acapella journey to the edge of the known world.

Sydney Philharmonia's young adult choir, VOX, renowned for their stunning acapella performances, will present one major production, reflecting their focus on modern music and a preference for short compositions that go together to form a whole program, over the longer form classics. Voyage of Voices is a collaboration with Estonia's acclaimed E Stuudio Youth Choir, whose dynamic brand of contemporary acapella has already seen them perform at Carnegie Hall.

It's a Sydney Philharmonia Choirs tradition to end the year with a Christmas extravaganza, and 2018 is no exception with Carols at the House. Join us for this uniquely elegant festive season celebration with special guests including acclaimed Australian opera star Teddy Tahu Rhodes.

Tickets for all performances go on sale Thursday November 30, at https://purchase.sydneyphilharmonia.com.au/. Book now to enjoy the very best of choral music, performed by Australia's largest, finest and most longstanding choral performing arts company, now in its 98th year!