The violinist will be honoured as Concertmaster Emeritus by the orchestra he has led for 23 years.

Violinist Dene Olding has decided to step down as Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony after leading the orchestra for 23 years. The SSO has announced that it will honour his significant contribution by naming Olding Concertmaster Emeritus following his final concerts with them in October.

“Of course it’s with mixed feelings that I’ve made this decision,” said Olding, who will turn 60 later this year. “Orchestral playing has been a hugely rewarding part of my life and the SSO has occupied a central position in that. I’m really proud of what the orchestra has achieved during my tenure, its current reputation as an orchestra of world-standing, and I will really miss working with my esteemed colleagues and friends. Sydney is most fortunate to have an orchestra of this calibre resident here. In fact, it is a necessity for the city as I feel that any major metropolis without a fine orchestra is artistically dead.”

Olding, who will take his final bow with the orchestra following the climax of Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Beethoven cycle on October 29 at the Sydney Opera House, said that he...