It was a gratifying experience to hear the Western Sydney Philharmonic (West Phil) present its first concert, performing an ambitious program conducted by Artistic Director Kristian Winther, who co-founded the orchestra in February 2022 with his friend and fellow violinist Maximilian Holzner.

Kristian Winther & Max Holzner, Artistic Director and Chair of the Western Sydney Philharmonic. Image supplied.

The 69 musicians led by Beatrice Colombis, were joined by Anna Da Silva Chen for the Violin Concerto No 1 in A Minor, Op. 77 by Shostakovich and soprano Chloe Lankshear for Mahler’s Symphony N. 4 in G Major. The concert was the culmination of a week’s intensive masterclasses at a music camp for the students under the mentorship of a faculty of professional musicians fulfilling Winther’s aim of “bring(ing) students and top professional musicians and performers together, to learn from each other and to create thrilling, dynamic and memorable performances right in the heart of the local community”.  Thirty of the students attend high school, while the others are up to 25 years old. Playing with the young musicians are the familiar faces of experienced professionals who taught them over...