A three-part concert series celebrating the cultural significance of the Austrian capital, Vienna – a city associated with many great composers through the centuries, including Haydn, Mozart and Beethoven – and a deep dive into the four symphonies of Johannes Brahms are among the highlights of Adelaide Symphony Orchestra’s (ASO) recently launched 2025 season.
The works of female composers, including contemporary Australians Liza Lim, Olivia Davies and Elena Kats-Chernin, as well as the late Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho, also receive their due in the season, in the two-part concert series Light-Song, curated by the Brisbane-born and Berlin-based composer Cathy Milliken and presented in partnership with the 2025 Adelaide Festival.
Both Light-Song concerts include Australian premieres, with the second concert in the series, on Saturday 15 March, featuring the world premieres of Ngaanyatjarra and Pitjantjatjara (Western Desert) composer Vonda Last’s Awakening and Kats-Chernin’s Fast Blue Village.
The 2025 season is the inaugural year for the ASO’s new Chief Conductor, Mark Wigglesworth, who is a strong believer in the transformative power of music.
“Music releases us to connect with very deep emotions within ourselves, and shows us how connected these emotions are with other people’s. Music brings us together in an unshakeable way, generating extraordinary empathy towards each other,” Wigglesworth said.
Recognised internationally for his masterly interpretations of music in both the opera house and the concert hall, Wigglesworth became Chief Conductor of the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra in September 2024, in addition to joining the ASO as Chief Conductor from January 2025 for a three-year term, initially.
In 2025, Wigglesworth will conduct the three-part concert series Brahms: The Symphonies at Adelaide Town Hall in May among a number of other appearances.
“I have many, many favourite composers, but if I was only allowed one, it would be Brahms! His music is dramatic and poetic, thoughtful and beautiful – it’s the complete musical experience. The chance to hear all four symphonies together is as special as it is rare,” Wigglesworth explained.
Notably, the fourth concert in the Brahms series, featuring the composer’s Symphony No 4 (which premiered in Germany in October 1885) also features the Australian Premiere of British pianist Sir Stephen Hough’s piano concerto, The World of Yesterday, an ASO co-commission.
Read: ArtsHub’s 2025 season guide to the performing arts
ASO CEO Colin Cornish said Wigglesworth’s leadership in 2025 would also be evident through the programming of the new special events, Mozart’s Requiem at St Peter’s Cathedral in September and Born in Vienna at Elder Hall in November.
“Born in Vienna is sure to be a captivating weekend of music celebrating Vienna as the birthplace of orchestral music as we know it,” Cornish said.
“Another highlight conducted by Mark promises to be an unforgettable performance of Mozart’s Requiem at St Peter’s Cathedral, where the sounds of the Orchestra and voices will be amplified by the cathedral’s breathtaking acoustics.”
The ASO’s 2025 season also features the flagship Symphony Series at Adelaide Town Hall, where the likes of Javier Perianes, Benjamin Grosvenor, Pavel Kolesnikov and Stefan Cassomenos will join Sir Stephen Hough to perform all five Beethoven Piano Concertos, and continues the Orchestra’s tradition of providing an entry point for audiences less familiar with classical music through live performances of the scores of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 1 in Concert in June, and a 40th anniversary screening of Robert Zemeckis’ popular science fiction comedy, Back to the Future, in November.
“ASO enjoys the pride of its community and in 2025 we continue to create opportunities for all South Australians to experience their orchestra in many different venues and through a range of musical styles,” said CEO Colin Cornish.
“Our 2025 season is filled with opportunities to bring families and friends together, whether seasoned or first-time audience members of the orchestra.”
Single tickets for the ASO’s 2025 season go on sale on 12 November; season tickets are available now.
