Sydney Symphony Orchestra Performs Full Operatic Work of Britten's Peter Grimes in Concert at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

For the first time in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's history, Australia's premier orchestra and Chief Conductor David Robertson will be joined by an all-star cast as it performs the full operatic work of Britten's Peter Grimes in Concert at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall (25 and 27 July), with the backing of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

One of the great operas of the 20th century, the monumental work will feature a 12-strong cast led by Australian tenor and Grammy Award nominee Stuart Skelton. Performing in the titular role to great international acclaim, Skelton is renowned as a Peter Grimes interpreter. In 2010 he received a Helpmann Award for Best Male Performer in a Lead Role for his portrayal of Peter Grimes with Opera Australia.

The celebrated opera singer is looking forward to reprising the role with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. "I'm very happy to be singing in my home town again," said Skelton.

"To be working with my dear friend David Robertson and the Sydney Symphony Orchestra makes it extra special. I've performed the role of Peter Grimes many times before. With each performance, I always try to find something new and fresh. Sometimes, it's as simple as having different colleagues on stage with you - and in this production with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as well, we have an all-star cast that I can't wait to work with!"

Internationally-acclaimed artists including Australian soprano Nicole Car, American bass-baritone Alan Held, mezzo-sopranos Deborah Humble and Elizabeth Campbell, sopranos Jacqueline Porter and Cleo Lee-McGowan, bass-baritones Christopher Richardson and Jud Arthur, baritone Michael Honeyman, and tenors Robert Macfarlane and John Longmuir, will join Skelton on the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Stage to bring the opera to life.

Britten's Peter Grimes in Concert is a psychological portrait of a tortured outsider antihero versus the cruelty of a small-town mob. Set in The Borough, a claustrophobic Suffolk fishing village, the tragic drama plays out against vivid musical seascapes, immersing audiences in the narrative through music and voice.

While the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has previously performed the Four Sea Interludes orchestral suite from Peter Grimes, audiences will have the opportunity to experience the full work in this unprecedented event in the orchestra's history. The "in concert" format will allow audiences to experience a pared back version of the opera, focusing on the cast and music as the story of Peter Grimes unfolds.