The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has today announced the six categories for its upcoming People’s Choice Concert in November. Voting is now open, with music lovers able to choose from a selection of composers and music handpicked by Chief Conductor Simone Young.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Chief Conductor Simone Young. Photo © Sandra Steh

Talking to Limelight about the selections she’s made, Young is keen to emphasise the celebratory nature of the concerts.

“We’ve come out of two years of concert drought, and we wanted to thank our audiences for being loyal. Everyone in the orchestra and the organisation is aware of the number of people who come up to us and say, ‘I wish you’d do this’ and ‘I wish you’d play that.’ And so, this is a chance for us to tap into that vein of what audiences want to hear from us.”

This unique project essentially hands over the responsibility for curating the concert program to the audience, with Young as musical guide and mentor. It’s an experiment she first attempted in Germany with great results.

“When I did it in Hamburg, it was hugely successful. People were very engaged with...