Metropolis: Composing Australia

Co-curated by Liza Lim, 2025 Composer in Residence, and MSO Principal Conductor Benjamin Northey, Metropolis showcases Australian composers who make music that embraces city rhythms, mythic poetry, and a sense of awe for the natural world.

You will hear two ancient instruments – didgeridoo and guzheng – come into new alignments with the colours and energies of the orchestra.

Kicking off with the first concert, Metropolis: Composing Australia One, featuring works from Holly Harrison, Ella Macen and Fiona Hill. The concert will also showcase Mindy Meng Wang, one of the world’s finest players of the Chinese zither (Guzheng), performing the world premiere of an MSO Commission, Concerto for Guzheng and Orchestra, by composer, Jessica Wells.

The second concert, Metropolis: Composing Australia Two, features works from Peggy Polias and Liza Lim, with a yidaki (didgeridoo) performance from William Barton, melding the propulsive energies of Barton's yidaki with an orchestra in full flight.