The Sydney Symphony Orchestra gathers at the Sydney Opera House tomorrow to pay tribute to Richard Gill in a concert that will be streamed around Australia and the world and broadcast on ABC Classic FM, Richard Gill: Celebration of a Life.

“With a career spanning decades, Richard’s achievements and talents were innumerable, ranging from conductor, musician, mentor and most notably, a fierce champion for the role that music plays in the education and development of young people,” the SSO’s CEO Emma Dunch tells Limelight. “He was Artistic Director of the Sydney Symphony Education Program for nearly two decades, and in that time, he worked with us to develop many new and innovative programs to foster and expand music education. Most notably, Richard established the Sydney Symphony Sinfonia, a training orchestra that provided young musicians with a bridge between education and professional practice, and developed our Discovery series of concert programs that provided musical knowledge in interesting and accessible ways for an adult audience. During his tenure, Richard worked with us to commission and premiere over 50 new works by Australian composers.”

Richard Gill. Photo © Brendan Read

Gill, of...