The energy at the City Recital Hall, on a crisp winter’s morning was palpable. Decked out in their finest tiaras and sparkles aplenty, the youthful crowd was brimming with excitement for the world premiere of Mimi’s Symphony, a new orchestral story created for Australian children and families.

Justine Clarke.

When one thinks of orchestral stories for children, most people recall having heard Sergei Prokofiev’s fairy tale for children Peter and the Wolf at some point in primary school and can remember being fascinated by the composition, which was written to introduce children to the different instruments of the orchestra.

Cleverly written by Justine Clark and composer George Ellis, who conducted an 18-piece orchestra in upbeat fashion, Mimi’s Symphony also took the audience on a captivating journey where they got to meet each section of the orchestra, as the various instruments portrayed Mimi and her friends. Perhaps most importantly in an Australian context, Mimi’s Symphony is a local suburban story and much like the ABC’s Bluey which has captured an entire generation of children and their parents, this new orchestral work will likely do the same. During the 30-minute piece the audience gets to...