Since 1929, Sidney Myer Free Concerts have been a Melbourne tradition, with the MSO presenting at the Music Bowl from 1959 onwards. In 2026, the orchestra returns for the first time in 13 years with four concerts including its 120th-anniversary celebration, pairing Beethoven’s Fifth with Holly Harrison’s Hellbent and the world premiere of Fanfare by Cybec Young Composer in Residence Andrew Aronowicz; a collaboration with Warrnambool-based Find Your Voice Collective; a performance by the Australian Youth Orchestra under Christian Reif; and 50 Years of ABC Classic, featuring music by Elena Kats-Chernin, Ella Macens, Peter Sculthorpe and Nigel Westlake, among others.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

The MSO is pleased to present an evening with the Australian Youth Orchestra as part of our Sidney Myer Free Concert Series. Led by GRAMMY-Award winning conductor Christian Reif, the talented young musicians of the AYO blend the fantasy of late Romanticism with the restless and expansive soundscapes of digital gaming worlds.