The Australian World Orchestra (AWO) is a symphony orchestra based in

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...

History

The Australian World Orchestra was established in 2011 by Australian conductor Alexander Briger and his sister, film maker Gabrielle Thompson. The inaugural patron of the orchestra was Sir

Charles Mackerras Sir Alan Charles MacLaurin Mackerras (; (17 November 1925 – 14 July 2010) was an American-born Australian conductor. He was an authority on the operas of Janáček and Mozart, and the comic operas of Gilbert and Sullivan. He was long associ ...

, Briger and Thompson's uncle. The first concert in 2011, which was conducted by Briger, performed sold out in concerts in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

and

Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...

. The AWO also sold out in 2013 and 2015. Maestro

Zubin Mehta Zubin Mehta (born 29 April 1936) is an Indian conductor of Western classical music. He is music director emeritus of the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra (IPO) and conductor :wikt:emeritus, emeritus of the Los Angeles Philharmonic. Mehta's father ...

conducted the orchestra in 2013, and returned to conduct again in 2015 when the AWO performed in three cities in

India India, officially the Republic of India, is a country in South Asia. It is the List of countries and dependencies by area, seventh-largest country by area; the List of countries by population (United Nations), most populous country since ...

, with soprano Greta Bradman as guest soloist. Mehta is to return in 2022 to conduct the AWO in a performance of Strauss' works in Sydney and Melbourne. In 2015 the AWO brought Sir

Simon Rattle Sir Simon Denis Rattle (born 19 January 1955) is a British conductor with German citizenship. He rose to international prominence during the 1980s and 1990s, while music director of the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (1980–1998). Rat ...

to Australia to conduct the orchestra in concerts in Sydney and Melbourne with special guest mezzo-soprano Magdalena Kožená. Rattle has described the AWO as an "international treasure". In 2016 Briger premiered the AWO's 5th anniversary commission by Australian composer

Elena Kats-Chernin Elena Davidovna Kats-Chernin (born 4 November 1957) is an Uzbek-born Australian composer and pianist, best known for her ballet ''Wild Swans''. Early life and education Elena Kats-Chernin was born in Tashkent (now the capital of independent Uz ...

''The Witching Hour'', A Concerto for Eight Double Basses at the Sydney Opera House and the

Esplanade An esplanade or promenade is a long, open, level area, usually next to a river or large body of water, where people may walk. The historical definition of ''esplanade'' was a large, open, level area outside fortress or city walls to provide cle ...

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 ...

. In 2017

Simone Young Simone Margaret Young AM (born 2 March 1961) is an Australian conductor and academic teacher. She is currently chief conductor of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. Biography and career Young was born in Sydney, of Irish ancestry on her father' ...

conducted the AWO in a side-by-side performance of

Messiaen Olivier Eugène Prosper Charles Messiaen (, ; ; 10 December 1908 – 27 April 1992) was a French composer, organist, and ornithology, ornithologist. One of the major composers of the 20th-century classical music, 20th century, he was also an ou ...

's ''

Turangalîla-Symphonie The ''Turangalîla-Symphonie'' is the only symphony by Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992). It was written for an orchestra of large forces from 1946 to 1948 on a commission by Serge Koussevitzky for the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Along with the ...

'' with the

Australian National Academy of Music The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) is a classical music performance training facility situated in Melbourne. History ANAM was established in 1994, as part of prime minister Paul Keating's "Creative Nation" initiative. On 23 Octo ...

(ANAM) at Arts Centre Melbourne and the AWO Chamber 8 completed their first Australian tour performing at

Queensland Performing Arts Centre The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it includes the Lyric Thea ...

(QPAC), City Recital Hall Sydney, Melbourne Recital Centre and, Perth Concert Hall. In 2018

Riccardo Muti Riccardo Muti (; born 28 July 1941) is an Italian conductor. He is current music director of the Orchestra Giovanile Luigi Cherubini. Muti has previously held posts at the Maggio Musicale in Florence, the Philharmonia Orchestra in London, the ...

conducted the AWO for performances at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue Performing arts center, performing arts centre in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive b ...

and

Arts Centre Melbourne Arts Centre Melbourne, originally known as the Victorian Arts Centre and briefly called the Arts Centre, is a performing arts centre consisting of a complex of theatres and concert halls in the Melbourne Arts Precinct, located in the central M ...

, and invited the orchestra to tour his home country of Italy. Later in 2018 the AWO toured India, performing in

Chennai Chennai, also known as Madras (List of renamed places in India#Tamil Nadu, its official name until 1996), is the capital city, capital and List of cities in Tamil Nadu by population, largest city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and ...

as the opening act of the Australian Government's 6 month festival of Australian Culture "OzFest" and additional concerts in

Kochi Kochi ( , ), List of renamed Indian cities and states#Kerala, formerly known as Cochin ( ), is a major port city along the Malabar Coast of India bordering the Laccadive Sea. It is part of the Ernakulam district, district of Ernakulam in the ...

(Kerala) and

Mumbai Mumbai ( ; ), also known as Bombay ( ; its official name until 1995), is the capital city of the Indian state of Maharashtra. Mumbai is the financial capital and the most populous city proper of India with an estimated population of 12 ...

under the baton of Briger and with guest soloists French mezzo-soprano Caroline Meng and the Australian born and educated Daniel Dodds, Artistic Director of the

Lucerne Festival Strings The Lucerne Festival Strings is one of Switzerland's most frequently touring chamber orchestras, which for decades was closely associated with the Lucerne School of Music, being for many years an "ensemble in residence". History The orchestra ...

. In 2019 Alexander Briger conducted the AWO for performances at Arts Centre Melbourne and for the orchestra's first performance in

Canberra Canberra ( ; ) is the capital city of Australia. Founded following the Federation of Australia, federation of the colonies of Australia as the seat of government for the new nation, it is Australia's list of cities in Australia, largest in ...

Llewellyn Hall The ANU School of Music is a school in the Research School of Humanities and the Arts, which forms part of the College of Arts and Social Sciences of the Australian National University. It consists of four buildings, including the main School of ...

. The AWO Chamber Six performed at City Recital Hall, Sydney. The AWO commissioned Australian composer and clarinetist Paul Dean to compose his Symphony No.1 ''Black Summer'' to celebrate its 10th anniversary in 2021. Briger premiered the piece in 2021 in concerts at the Llewellyn Hall in Canberra, and City Recital Hall, Sydney. The performances garnered positive reviews, and the Australian Arts Review expressed that "Briger has created an orchestral Rolls Royce . . ." The AWO travelled to the United Kingdom (UK) in August 2022, as part of Edinburgh's 75th anniversary celebrations, and the UKAU cultural exchange, performing at the Edinburgh International Festival and the

BBC Proms The BBC Proms is an eight-week summer season of daily orchestral classical music concerts and other events held annually, predominantly in the Royal Albert Hall in central London. Robert Newman founded The Proms in 1895. Since 1927, the ...

, conducted by Zubin Mehta, accompanied by Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg. Mehta conducted the AWO in 2022 in Sydney and Melbourne in performances of Richard Strauss's tone poems (Limelight, 2022). After the conclusion of the AWO's performance at the Sydney Opera House, General

David Hurley David John Hurley (born 26 August 1953) is an Australian former senior officer in the Australian Army who served as the 27th governor-general of Australia from 2019 to 2024. He was previously the 38th governor of New South Wales from 2014 to ...

, Governor-General of Australia, awarded Mehta with an Honorary Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...

(Limelight, 2022). Alexander Briger is returning in November 2023 to conduct at Arts Centre Melbourne and the Sydney Opera House as the AWO will perform Mahler's 9th Symphony.

Discography

Albums

Awards and nominations

, - ! scope="row" , 2014 , ''Stravinsky Rite of Spring / Mahler Symphony No. 1 (with Zubin Mehta)'' , ARIA Music Awards Best Classical Album , , - ! scope="row" , 2016 , ''Australian World Orchestra (Conductor Sir Simon Rattle)'' , Helpmann Award , , - ! scope="row" , 2022 , ''Australian World Orchestra (Conductor Zubin Mehta)'' , Limelight People's Choice "Artist of the Year" Award ,

References

{{authority control Australian orchestras Performing groups established in 2011 2011 establishments in Australia