For the first time since 2013, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will revive its long-loved tradition of free outdoor concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, with four major events planned for 10 to 14 February 2026. The series, presented by the MSO with ABC Classic, The University of Melbourne and Arts Centre Melbourne, promises a week of symphonic music supported by Australian composers, celebrated soloists and rising talent.
The return of these free concerts marks a major cultural moment for Melbourne audiences, who have viewed the Bowl as a summer home for orchestral music since the 1920s. The 2026 program aligns with the MSO’s 120-year anniversary, creating a blend of heritage, innovation and community engagement across four themed nights that will also stream live on MSO YouTube and ABC Classic.
The opening concert on Tuesday 10 February, titled Symphonic Celebration, features conductor Leonard Weiss leading a program designed to honour the MSO’s history and future. The performance will include the world premiere of a new fanfare from Andrew Aronowicz, the MSO’s 2026 Young Composer In Residence.
Aronowicz’s involvement follows a long tradition of MSO composer development programs that have supported Australian voices since the Orchestra’s earliest years. His new work will appear alongside Holly Harrison’s Hellbent, a piece commissioned in 2021 that highlights her rhythmic and percussive writing style. Principal Trumpet Owen Morris will return as soloist for the work.
The program looks back to the Orchestra’s debut year with a performance of Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite No. 1. The MSO first presented this music in 1906, and its inclusion creates a direct link between the Orchestra’s origins and its contemporary mission. The evening closes with Beethoven’s Symphony No. 5, one of the most iconic works in the orchestral repertoire.
On Wednesday 11 February, the spotlight shifts to the Australian Youth Orchestra under the direction of GRAMMY Award winner Christian Reif. Reif, who has led major European and American ensembles, brings an expansive approach to programming that blends traditional orchestral sound with modern narrative ideas.
The AYO will perform Stravinsky’s Firebird Suite (1945), a work central to twentieth century orchestral style. The program also includes Nobuo Uematsu’s Final Fantasy IX Suite, which connects orchestral performance with the world of game composition. Additional works include Anna Clyne’s This Midnight Hour and Steampunk Blizzard by Swedish composer Daniel Nelson, which highlight the evolution of contemporary symphonic writing. For the AYO, founded in 1957, this appearance continues its mandate to prepare emerging musicians for professional careers.
On Friday 13 February, the MSO returns to the stage under Principal Guest Conductor Benjamin Northey. The program pairs the Orchestra with the Find Your Voice Collective, a Warrnambool-based accessible choir whose 150 members represent communities across Southwest Victoria. The group was founded in 2018 and promotes inclusive artistic collaboration across age, background and ability.
The concert closes a year-long creative collaboration between MSO musicians, composers and artists with lived experience of disability. It will premiere new contemporary works written by GK, Jacob Paton-Lee and Julian Paterson, with arrangements by Nat Bartsch, Georgia Scott, Kym Dillon and Stefan Cassomenos.
James Henry, the MSO’s Cybec First Nations Composer In Residence, will present a new Acknowledgment Of Country as part of the Orchestra’s ongoing AOC Project.
ABC Classic Celebrated With All-Australian Program
The final concert on Saturday 14 February celebrates 50 Years Of ABC Classic.
Benjamin Northey conducts an all-Australian program featuring works by Elena Kats-Chernin, Nigel Westlake, Ross Edwards, Peter Sculthorpe, James Henry and Ella Macens, whose new composition will receive its world premiere.
A distinguished line-up of Australian artists will join the MSO, including guitarist Slava Grigoryan, pianist Aura Go, violinist Natalie Chee, percussionist James Tawadros and oud virtuoso Joseph Tawadros. Their involvement adds depth to a concert that underscores Australia’s growing orchestral identity.
A special curtain-raiser performance of Warta-Kiki brings Mutti Mutti artist Kutcha Edwards together with the Melbourne Youth Orchestra under Brett Kelly. MYO will use the event to launch a limited edition vinyl release of Warta-Kiki, with proceeds supporting First Nations music education.
2026 Sidney Myer Free Concert Dates
Tuesday 10 February – Symphonic Celebration
Wednesday 11 February – Australian Youth Orchestra
Friday 13 February – MSO x Find Your Voice Collective | SONDER
Saturday 14 February – 50 Years Of ABC Classic
Stay updated with your free Noise11.com daily music news email alert. Subscribe to Noise11 Music News here
Be the first to see NOISE11.com’s newest interviews and special features on YouTube. See things first—Subscribe to Noise11 on YouTube
Follow Noise11.com on social media:
Bluesky
Facebook – Comment on the news of the day
