The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is a

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

n orchestra based in

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

, established in 1936. The orchestra's primary performance venue is the

Adelaide Town Hall Adelaide Town Hall is a landmark building on King William Street in Adelaide, South Australia, Australia. The City of Adelaide Town Hall complex includes the Town Hall and the office building at 25 Pirie Street. Description and history Adelaid ...

, but the ASO also performs in other venues. It provides the orchestral support for all productions of the State Opera of South Australia and all Adelaide performances of the

Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur an ...

. It also features regularly at the

Adelaide Festival The Adelaide Festival of Arts, also known as the Adelaide Festival, an arts festival, takes place in the South Australian capital of Adelaide in March each year. Started in 1960, it is a major celebration of the arts and a significant cultural ...

, and has performed at the

Adelaide Cabaret Festival The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is an annual arts festival featuring cabaret held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It has been held in June each year since 2001, with the exception of 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia ...

WOMAdelaide WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of music, arts and dance in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is an event that presents a diverse selection of music from artists around th ...

and several other festivals in Adelaide.

History

In 1936 the South Australian Orchestra was supplanted by the 50-member Adelaide Symphony Orchestra led by William Cade, and sponsored by the

Australian Broadcasting Commission The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia’s principal public service broadcaster. It is funded primarily by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board of directors. The ABC is a ...

(later the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC). The orchestra reformed in 1949 as the 55-member South Australian Symphony Orchestra, with Henry Krips as its resident conductor. The orchestra reverted to its original title, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in late 1975. The ASO's highlights have included its 1998 performances of

Richard Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's ''

Ring Cycle (''The Ring of the Nibelung''), WWV 86, is a cycle of four German-language epic music dramas composed by Richard Wagner. The works are based loosely on characters from Germanic heroic legend, namely Norse legendary sagas and the . The compos ...

'', the first Australian production since 1913 (although it was widely and erroneously claimed to be the first ever in Australia). The orchestra participated in the first fully Australian production of '' The Ring'' in 2004. In 2007, the orchestra partnered with

Hilltop Hoods Hilltop Hoods are an Australian hip hop group that formed in 1994 in Blackwood, Adelaide, South Australia. They are regarded as pioneers of the " larrikin-like" style of Australian hip hop. The group was founded by Suffa (Matthew David Lambert) ...

to prepare a re-orchestrated release of their album ''The Hard Road'', titled '' The Hard Road: Restrung''. In 2009 Premier and Arts Minister

Mike Rann Michael David Rann (born 5 January 1953) is an Australian former politician who was the 44th premier of South Australia from 2002 to 2011. He was later Australian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom from 2013 to 2014, and List of Australi ...

proposed and provided government funding to the ASO to commission a major orchestral work about

climate change Present-day climate change includes both global warming—the ongoing increase in Global surface temperature, global average temperature—and its wider effects on Earth's climate system. Climate variability and change, Climate change in ...

. The ASO's world premiere of Gerard Brophy's ''The Blue Thread'', inspired by the River Murray, was performed at the Concert for the Earth at the

on 27 November 2010. The Rann government proposed and arranged funding for two further ASO commissions, the first an orchestral tribute to the cricketer Sir Donald Bradman, and the second commemorating the centenary of the

ANZAC The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...

landings at Gallipoli. The world premiere of ''Our Don'' by Natalie Williams was performed by the ASO in August 2014. The world premiere of an ANZAC Requiem by composer Iain Grandage and librettist

Kate Mulvany Kate Maree Mulvany (born 1977) is an Australian actress, playwright and screenwriter. She works in theatre, television and film, with roles in ''Hunters'' (2020–2023), ''The Great Gatsby'' (2013), '' Griff the Invisible'' (2010) and '' The F ...

was performed on 22 April 2015. In 2015 the Hilltop Hoods collaborated for a second time with the 32-piece Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and the 20-piece Adelaide Chamber Singers Choir for their next re-orchestrated album titled ''

Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung ''Drinking from the Sun, Walking Under Stars Restrung'' is a 2016 remix album from Australian Australian hip hop, hip hop group, Hilltop Hoods that follows their 2014 release ''Walking Under Stars'' and their 2012 release ''Drinking from the Sun' ...

''. In 2016, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra formed its first artistic leadership team, comprising principal conductor, Nicholas Carter, its new artist-in-association, violinist

Pinchas Zukerman Pinchas Zukerman (; born 16 July 1948) is an Israeli-American violinist, violist and conductor. Life and career Zukerman was born in Tel Aviv, to Jewish parents and Holocaust survivors Yehuda and Miriam Lieberman Zukerman. He began his musica ...

, and principal guest conductor and artistic advisor Sir Jeffrey Tate. Carter was the youngest principal conductor in the orchestra's history, and the first Australian conductor to be appointed to a principal conductor position with a major Australian orchestra in almost 30 years. Carter completed his term as principal conductor in 2019. In 2017, the orchestra was central in the

's staging of

Barrie Kosky Barrie Kosky (born 18 February 1967) is an Australian theatre and opera director. Based at the Komische Oper Berlin, he has worked internationally. Biography Kosky was born in Melbourne, the grandson of Jewish emigrants from Europe. He attended ...

's ''Saul –'' a production from

Glyndebourne Opera Glyndebourne Festival Opera is an annual opera festival held at Glyndebourne, an English country house near Lewes, in East Sussex, England. History Under the supervision of the Christie family, the festival has been held annually since 1934, e ...

in the UK, and again in 2018 for the Adelaide Festival's Glyndebourne Opera production and Australian premiere of composer Brett Dean's new opera, ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

''. These performances were received with critical acclaim and numerous

Helpmann Awards The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...

. In 2018, the artistic leadership team evolved to include the orchestra's new emerging artist-in-association, Grace Clifford; Australian composer and the orchestra's then-new composer-in-association, Cathy Milliken; and the orchestra's then-new principal guest conductor, Mark Wigglesworth. , the artistic leadership team consists of Concertmaster Kate Suthers, Emerging Composer in Association Jakub Jankowski, Conductor Laureate Nicholas Braithwaite, and chief conductor Mark Wigglesworth, and the orchestra consists of 75 musicians. In May 2024, the orchestra announced the appointment of Mark Wigglesworth as its next chief conductor, effective January 2025, with an initial term of three years.

Venues and ongoing work

The orchestra's primary performance venue is the

, but the ASO also performs in other venues such as the

Adelaide Festival Centre Adelaide Festival Centre, Australia's first capital city multi-purpose arts centre and the home of South Australia's performing arts, was built in the early 1970s and designed by Hassell (architecture firm), Hassell Architects. The Festival The ...

, Adelaide Entertainment Centre,

Elder Hall :''This is a list of residential buildings at Northwestern University; for a list of other buildings see'' List of Northwestern University buildings This list of Northwestern University residences catalogues the on-campus housing options for th ...

at the

University of Adelaide The University of Adelaide is a public university, public research university based in Adelaide, South Australia. Established in 1874, it is the third-oldest university in Australia. Its main campus in the Adelaide city centre includes many Sa ...

and its own Grainger Studio (named after composer

Percy Grainger Percy Aldridge Grainger (born George Percy Grainger; 8 July 188220 February 1961) was an Australian-born composer, arranger and pianist who moved to the United States in 1914 and became an American citizen in 1918. In the course of a long and ...

). The ASO provides the orchestral support for all productions of the State Opera of South Australia, as well as the Adelaide performances of

The Australian Ballet The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur a ...

. The orchestra is a regularly featured ensemble at the

, and also appears as part of the

, OzAsia Festival, Adelaide Guitar Festival and

WOMADelaide WOMADelaide is an annual four-day festival of music, arts and dance in Botanic Park, Adelaide, South Australia. One of many WOMAD festivals held around the world, it is an event that presents a diverse selection of music from artists around th ...

Recognition, awards and international tours

* 1996 – Tour to

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

(

Beijing Beijing, Chinese postal romanization, previously romanized as Peking, is the capital city of China. With more than 22 million residents, it is the world's List of national capitals by population, most populous national capital city as well as ...

Jinan Jinan is the capital of the province of Shandong in East China. With a population of 9.2 million, it is one of the largest cities in Shandong in terms of population. The area of present-day Jinan has played an important role in the history of ...

Qingdao Qingdao, Mandarin: , (Qingdao Mandarin: t͡ɕʰiŋ˧˩ tɒ˥) is a prefecture-level city in the eastern Shandong Province of China. Located on China's Yellow Sea coast, Qingdao was long an important fortress. In 1897, the city was ceded to G ...

and

Shanghai Shanghai, Shanghainese: , Standard Chinese pronunciation: is a direct-administered municipality and the most populous urban area in China. The city is located on the Chinese shoreline on the southern estuary of the Yangtze River, with the ...

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

(

Seoul Seoul, officially Seoul Special Metropolitan City, is the capital city, capital and largest city of South Korea. The broader Seoul Metropolitan Area, encompassing Seoul, Gyeonggi Province and Incheon, emerged as the world's List of cities b ...

Daegu Daegu (; ), formerly spelled Taegu and officially Daegu Metropolitan City (), is a city in southeastern South Korea. It is the third-largest urban agglomeration in South Korea after Seoul and Busan; the fourth-largest List of provincial-level ci ...

) and

Singapore Singapore, officially the Republic of Singapore, is an island country and city-state in Southeast Asia. The country's territory comprises one main island, 63 satellite islands and islets, and one outlying islet. It is about one degree ...

* 1998 – State Opera of South Australia's production of

Wagner Wilhelm Richard Wagner ( ; ; 22 May 181313 February 1883) was a German composer, theatre director, essayist, and conductor who is chiefly known for his operas (or, as some of his mature works were later known, "music dramas"). Unlike most o ...

's ''

''; repeated in 2004 with the first all-Australian production * 2004 –

Helpmann Award The Helpmann Awards are accolades for live entertainment and performing arts in Australia, presented by industry group Live Performance Australia (LPA) since 2001. The annual awards recognise achievements in the disciplines of musical theatre ...

Finalist for Best Classical Concert Presentation – Requiem & The Grainger Special 2003 * 2004 –

for Best Opera – ''Dead Man Walking'', State Opera SA 2003 * 2005 –

Winner for Best Opera – '' The Ring Cycle'', State Opera SA 2004 * 2006 – 2013

Mahler Gustav Mahler (; 7 July 1860 – 18 May 1911) was an Austro-Bohemian Romantic composer, and one of the leading conductors of his generation. As a composer he acted as a bridge between the 19th-century Austro-German tradition and the modernism ...

Symphony Cycle * 2007 – recorded '' The Hard Road Restrung'' with hip hop band the

– went gold (sold over 35,000 units); awarded 2007 ARIA Award for Best Urban Release * 2008 –

Finalist for Best Classical Concert Presentation –

Sibelius Jean Sibelius (; ; born Johan Julius Christian Sibelius; 8 December 186520 September 1957) was a Finnish composer of the late Romantic and early modern periods. He is widely regarded as his country's greatest composer, and his music is often ...

Festival * 2009 – Tour to

Carnegie Hall Carnegie Hall ( ) is a concert venue in Midtown Manhattan, New York City. It is at 881 Seventh Avenue (Manhattan), Seventh Avenue, occupying the east side of Seventh Avenue between 56th Street (Manhattan), 56th and 57th Street (Manhattan), 57t ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

as part of the G'Day USA celebrations * 2010 –

Symphony Cycle * 2012 –

Finalist for Best Symphony Concert – Master Series 3 – Fire Series * 2013 – APRA/

Australian Music Centre The Australian Music Centre (AMC), founded as Australia Music Centre in 1974 and known as Sounds Australian in the 1990s, is a national organisation promoting and supporting art music in Australia. It operates mainly as a service organisation, a ...

's Arts Award for Excellence in Music Education – Australian Emerging Composers Creative Workshop with

Tan Dun Tan Dun (, ; born 18 August 1957) is a Chinese-born American composer and conductor. A leading figure of contemporary classical music, he draws from a variety of Western and Chinese influences, a pairing which has shaped much of his life and mu ...

and six young Australian composers * 2016 – Arts South Australia Ruby Award for Sustained Contribution by an Organisation * 2017 –

for Best Opera – ''Saul'', Adelaide Festival 2016 * 2017 – The Bush Concert (ASO commissioned work) toured to

Harbin Harbin, ; zh, , s=哈尔滨, t=哈爾濱, p=Hā'ěrbīn; IPA: . is the capital of Heilongjiang, China. It is the largest city of Heilongjiang, as well as being the city with the second-largest urban area, urban population (after Shenyang, Lia ...

for the 34th

Harbin Summer Music Festival * 2019 – winner of Best Independent Classical Album in the AIR Independent Music Awards for ''Bach Concertos'', along with the Grigoryan Brothers and Benjamin Northey.

ARIA Music Awards

Principal conductors

* William Cade (resident conductor, 1939) *

Bernard Heinze Sir Bernard Thomas Heinze, AC, FRCM (1 July 189410 June 1982) was an Australian conductor, academic, and Director of the New South Wales State Conservatorium of Music. He conducted all the orchestras run by the ABC, most particularly the Melb ...

(guest conductor, 1939) * Percy Code (interim resident conductor, 1949) * Henry Krips (resident conductor, 1949–1972) * Elyakum Shapirra (chief conductor, 1975–1979) * José Serebrier (principal guest conductor, 1982–1983) * Piero Gamba (chief conductor, 1983–1985) * Albert Rosen (chief conductor, 1986) * Nicholas Braithwaite (chief conductor, 1987–1991) * David Porcelijn (chief conductor, 1993–1998) *

Arvo Volmer Arvo Volmer (born November 4, 1962, in Tallinn) is an Estonian conducting, conductor. Volmer was principal conductor of the Estonian National Symphony Orchestra from 1993 to 2001. From 2004 to 2013 he was Chief Conductor and Music Director of the ...

(chief conductor, 2004–2013) * Nicholas Carter (chief conductor, 2015–2019)''The Advertiser'
"Off The Record: Orchestra now in baton race to replace young gun"
31 March 2017. "Complicating matters in 32-year-old Carter's case is the nature of his historic appointment – the first Australian to lead a state orchestra in 30 years and one of the youngest ever. In 2015, the ASO board recognised his youthful brilliance but, in an unusual move, also appointed old hands Jeffrey Tate and Pinchas Zukerman to help." * Mark Wigglesworth (chief conductor, 2025–present)

Notes

References

{{Authority control APRA Award winners ARIA Award winners Australian orchestras Musical groups established in 1936 Musical groups from Adelaide Symphony orchestras Music in Adelaide