In a first for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Chief Conductor David Robertson picked up his fender Stratocaster last night and joined 12 of his musicians in a 20-minute version of Terry Riley’s minimalist classic In C.

The event, co-presented by Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Vanguard program and Carriageworks Friends, saw a packed house enjoy a range of accessible contemporary music from Adès to Cage.

Robertson, who has been learning guitar only relatively recently, was rumoured to be playing horn (his music college instrument of study) but surprised everyone with his brave musical choice.

As it was, it was the first time their Chief Conductor had played any instrument with musicians from the SSO in a public performance. “In C is a piece where everybody is making the interlocking parts fit in a very free pattern,” Robertson said. “At first I was very nervous but then the way the musicians were playing was so enjoyable that I relaxed in to it and that was really fun.”

The SSO’s Vanguard is a networking collective for Gen X & Y professionals who want to be part of Sydney’s artistic community and help create a vibrant future for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. It’s the first time that one...