Having just reviewed my way through the classical music program at this year’s Sydney Festival you might think I’d be all festival-ed out, but to be honest, the heady maelstrom of one can just as easily whet your appetite for the next. And let’s face it, it’s summer in Australia so what better reason to get out of the Limelight office. I’m aware that comparisons are odious but the first thing you notice when you step off the plane in WA is that it’s hotter here – well over 30 degrees to be precise. The second thing you learn about Perth’s offering, once you start to read the publicity blurb, is that the city may be smaller but the Festival is in fact bigger and longer. With a substantial program of film added on, Perth Festival counts as Australia’s largest arts event. The night before I travelled I spoke to Michael Barenboim, violinist and son of Daniel, who is coming out to play Mozart concertos with the Academy of St Martin-in-the-Fields on February 21 and 23. He too was also looking forward to Perth. “It’s my first time in Australia”, he told me, “but I can only stay for a…

Otello on an aircraft carrier sails on a sea of orchestral pleasures if short of a proper captain at the helm.

Expect toy train tracks, the Aboriginal Tent Embassy and an inflatable Stonehenge. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Jonathan Holloway's eclectic mix should have something for everyone plus a few fascinating surprises.

Less is more on Mozart’s path to enlightenment. Continue reading Get unlimited digital access from $4 per month Subscribe Already a subscriber? Log in

Savage and unremittently dark, Richard Strauss’ Elektra is a gritty psychological thriller, a tale of revenge, torment, matricide and – yes – love.

My personal selection of the hottest tickets for opera-lovers around Australia.