Sydney’s finest classical musicians come together with life-affirming music to address the issue of suicide.

In the Sydney Town Hall tomorrow, World Suicide Prevention Day, the city’s finest classical musicians are coming together for a unique concert, Orchestra for Life. The evening has been organised by Roger Benedict, the Sydney Symphony’s Principal Viola and the Concert’s conductor, to raise much-needed funds for suicide education and awareness.

Three years ago, Benedict was confronted with the horror of the effects of suicide when his godson, Alex, took his own life, aged just 24. As he watched Alex’s family and friends deal with the aftermath of the tragedy, he was shocked to discover that suicide is an issue that is alarmingly prevalent within our society.

The statistic that appalled him the most was that suicide is the largest cause of death in people aged between 15 and 45, double the number from car accidents. And, in Australia alone, it accounts for seven deaths a day, with reports that for every successful attempt there are around 30 unsuccessful ones.

Concerned that relatively little was being done to address the issue; he decided to create Orchestra for Life. “Suicide affects so many peoples’ lives but all too...