Following the orchestra’s triumphant 2015 season opener, Sir Simon praised AWO as one of the world’s great orchestras.

Without question, the opening night of the Australian World Orchestra’s 2015 season, under the baton of arguably the world’s most revered and accomplished conductor, Sir Simon Rattle, was the hottest ticket in the country yesterday evening. To an almost packed Sydney Opera House, the orchestra, which is made up of Australia’s finest orchestral musicians recruited from major orchestras Down Under and overseas, delivered a faultless performance of astonishing finesse and power, featuring the music of French impressionist Claude Debussy (with some Aussie orchestration courtesy of Brett Dean) and Bruckner’s gargantuan Symphony No. 8.

Sir Simon Rattle conducts the AWO (Photo: Prudence Upton)

Sir Simon took the opportunity at a function following the performance to speak about the unique phenomenon that is the Australian World Orchestra, and the position of this wonderful ensemble among the world’s most elite musical institutions.

Around the world there aren’t many great orchestras but the Australian World Orchestra is one of them without any...