With the return of international soloists and conductors, the season places world-class talent alongside homegrown sensations, performing well-known classical works and world premieres, as well as engagements with artists honoured from cancelled concerts across 2020 and 2021.
The season opens in January with the Perth premiere of Casino Royale in Concert. James Bond’s first outing as 007 plays on the giant screen at Riverside Theatre, while the orchestra performs the score in full. WASO at the Movies continues in August with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ in Concert.
The orchestra celebrates musical giant John Williams with a 90th Birthday Bonanza in February, featuring a selection of soundtracks from the composer’s blockbuster movies including Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Superman, Star Wars and more.
Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser Asher Fisch conducts some of his favourite works with masterpieces including Britten’s War Requiem, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Mahler’s Third Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Symphony No.6 Pathétique, with the MACA Classics Series opener seeing the maestro perform as both conductor and soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24.
International conductors are set to make a return to the WASO stage, with Vasily Petrenko, Pietari Inkinen and Fabien Gabel joining the orchestra across the year. Jessica Cottis conducts Dvořák’s New World Symphony, whilst Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Saint-Saëns’ blazing Organ Symphony make appearances as classical audience favourites.
Last Night of the Proms returns with its annual cavalcade of classical hits, including beloved sing-a- longs Jerusalem and Rule, Brittania. WASO’s Easter performance tradition also returns, this year with George Frideric Handel’s ever-popular oratorio, Messiah. In September the musicians of WASO join forces with St George’s Cathedral Consort in a unique collaboration with Co3 Contemporary Dance, performing Douglas Wright’s GLORIA.
Seven WASO musicians step into the spotlight as soloists in 2022. Andrew Nicholson, Brent Grapes, Laurence Jackson, Liz Chee, Jane Kircher-Lindner, Semra Lee-Smith and Eve Silver join international soloists Baibe Skride, Stefanie Irányi, Behzod Abduraimov, Daniel Müller-Schott and Paavali Jumppanen in a season bursting with talent.
World-premiere WASO commissions in 2022 include award-winning composer Elliot Gyger’s Concerto for Orchestra, Nigel Westlake’s Trumpet Concerto and a new vocal work from Elena Kats- Chernin for Sara Macliver and Fiona Campbell.
West Australian composer Olivia Davies, whose work debuted on the WASO mainstage in 2021, joins the orchestra as Composer in Residence in 2022, commencing a three-year residency. Composing works for the orchestra, arranging music for special concert events and collaborating on new projects will all feature in Olivia’s tenure with WA’s state orchestra.
Off the back of Dreams of Place, the acclaimed side-by-side collaboration with the Western Australian Youth Orchestra, WASO presents Become Ocean in March as part of Perth Festival. Ben Northey conducts John Luther Adams’ expansive, award-winning orchestral work alongside music by Benjamin Britten and a world premiere from Olivia Davies.
WASO’s Education Artist in Residence, Paul Rissmann, returns for another year to present a magical story from Angela McAllister, with interaction and imagination that brings illustrations to life in Leon and the Place Between. Much-loved WA conductor Jessica Gethin presents WASO’s Fairytale Ball as part of AWESOME Festival in October, making for two enchanting family concerts.
WASO’s award-winning Community Engagement & Education programs continue in 2022 with Crescendo and Composition Project, amongst other artist development and community programs across the state.
After border restrictions across the country meant that Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace was unable to be delivered in 2021, WASO and Short Black Opera are set to present the postponed performance in 2022 on 30 September. Shining a spotlight on an important part of Australia’s shared history, this powerful and moving work by leading composer Deborah Cheetham combines poetry, three choirs and orchestra.
WASO travel to Geraldton and Kalgoorlie with a touring party of over 70 people, delivering a full symphony orchestra experience to the regions in 2022; the second year of a three-year touring commitment.
WASO then team up with multi ARIA-award winning MC, Drapht, in November to present Drapht and WASO: How The West Was Won. Musical arrangements performed in this world premiere season are composed by WASO’s own Principal Trombone Joshua Davis, as the Orchestra and Drapht come together to celebrate the hip-hop artist’s new works and greatest hits from his 20 year career.
From the centre of Perth to the furthest corners of the State, every year since 1928, WASO set hearts racing with extraordinary music and exhilarating performances for all West Australians to share.
Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts.
WASO’s 2021-23 touring program is supported by the Government of Western Australia through Playing WA; an initiative of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program.
WASO and WAYO Side-By-Side partnership is supported by Woodside.
Ticket Information:
WASO 2022 Subscription Tickets
Season packages on sale from 6.30pm, Thursday 9 September 2021. For bookings phone WASO on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au
WASO 2022 Single Tickets
Tickets on sale from 9am, Wednesday 13 October 2021
For bookings phone WASO on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au
Casino Royale in Concert
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ in Concert
Tickets on sale now through Ticketek. Visit waso.com.au
Eumeralla, a war requiem for peace
Drapht and WASO: How The West Was Won
Tickets on sale now.
For bookings phone WASO on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au
John Williams: 90th Birthday Bonanza
Tickets on sale from 9am, Wednesday 22 September 2021. For bookings phone WASO on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au