2026 Season Opening Gala
Schedule
Sat, 07 Mar, 2026 at 09:30 am
UTC+11:00Location
Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall, St Kilda Road level, Southbank, VIC, Australia, Victoria 3006 | Melbourne, VI
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About this performanceWhat’s the greatest opening theme of all time? If your answer is Star Wars, you’ve chosen well – this is the fanfare that will launch Season 2026. Begin your year with the MSO as you listen to memorable music from John Williams. It kicks off with crashing cymbals before sending you on a journey to a galaxy far, far away...
Our gala continues with Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F. You’re back down on Earth, but you’ve landed in the Jazz Age. Concertgoers who attended the New York City premiere of this work in 1925 would’ve gone home to read the hottest new novel on the shelves, The Great Gatsby. In this performance, you’ll hear French pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet conjure the glitz and glamour of this time in history. You may already be familiar with the expertise of the soloist; he’s recorded soundtracks for movies including Pride and Prejudice and The French Dispatch.
MSO Chief Conductor Jaime Martín leads this concert to its climax with Rachmaninov’s lively Symphonic Dances, also composed in the United States during the early 20th Century. Enter your year of live music with these monumental contributions to popular culture.
Featuring
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
Jaime Martín conductor
Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano
Program
John Williams Star Wars: Suite for Orchestra
Gershwin Piano Concerto in F
Rachmaninov Symphonic Dances
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Where is it happening?
Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall, St Kilda Road level, Southbank, VIC, Australia, Victoria 3006, Ngv International, 130-200 St Kilda Rd, Southbank VIC 3006, Australia, MelbourneEvent Location & Nearby Stays:
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