Since its impressive 2019 international tour with pianist Jan Lisiecki and conductor Krzysztof Urbański, the Australian Youth Orchestra has gone from strength to strength.

Now, with Grieg specialist Eivind Aadland as coach, it has developed into one of this country’s finest exponents of the Romantic tradition, lending itself perfectly to the programmatic nature of Nigel Westlake’s music.

Lior, Nigel Westlake and Dr Lou Bennett with the Australian Youth Orchestra. Photo © Claudio Raschella

How then would this week’s premiere of his orchestral arrangement of Ngapa William Cooper compare with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s recent performance of its companion piece, Compassion?

The answer? Remarkably well. In fact, conducted by Westlake himself, it is hard to imagine a better reading of his music by any other orchestra.

When Ngapa William Cooper had its world premiere at the Adelaide Festival in March this year, it was described by this writer as a momentous occasion – the unveiling of a work of both outstanding musical quality and extraordinary cultural significance.

Written by Westlake, singer-songwriter Lior and Yorta Yorta Dja Dja Wurrung singer, composer and language activist Dr Lou Bennett, with additional creative lyric content by Sarah Gory,...