There’s a palpable excitement in the rehearsal room as the musicians of Australian World Orchestra come to the end of a soft, sustained chord, and the first tea break of the day is imminent. Legendary conductor Zubin Mehta drops his baton to indicate the end of rehearsal, and a chorus of foot stamps and knee slaps erupts from the players; most likely in anticipation of coffee, but also of a reunion they’ve been looking forward to for far too long.

AWO

Maestro Zubin Mehta and the Australian World Orchestra rehearsing at Iwaki Hall, Melbourne, 2022. Photo © Heidi Victoria

After a couple of seasons somewhat curtailed by COVID, the Australian World Orchestra (AWO) is rehearsing in Melbourne, fresh from wowing international audiences at the Edinburgh Festival and BBC Proms – and the players couldn’t be more pleased to get the band back together.

“It was very cool”, says Andrew Bain, playing Principal Horn with the orchestra this week, off the back of their UK tour. “Playing with a group of Australian musicians at BBC Proms was really really special. It was just an amazing experience to be in Royal Albert Hall,...