The Australian World Orchestra returns to Hamer Hall as Alexander Briger unites Australia’s finest musicians, showcasing fire, feeling and the full brilliance of an orchestra performing at its peak.

In 2026 the AWO brings two towering 20th-century masterpieces to life, alongside the world premiere of Songs for a Stranger a song cycle commission by Jonathan Mills. 

Stravinsky’s Petrushka bursts with colour and vitality, a kaleidoscopic score brimming with wit, wonder and heart. The puppet Petrushka springs to life in a whirlwind of rhythm and emotion, his tragic humanity glowing through Stravinsky’s dazzling orchestration. 

Mills’s Songs for a Stranger is a new orchestral song cycle created around the celebrated opera Eucalyptus, based on the novel by Murray Bail. Fusing modern textures with emotional immediacy, Mills creates soundscapes that surprise and move in equal measure, featuring Australian tenor Michael Petruccelli. 

Then, brace yourself for Shostakovich’s Symphony No. 10 a symphony of defiance and redemption. Written in the shadow of Stalin’s regime, it surges from haunting introspection to explosive triumph, its final movement blazing with unstoppable energy. 

From Mills’ evocative lyricism to Stravinsky’s mischievous sparkle, to Shostakovich’s raw power, this concert promises a night of brilliance, beauty and breathtaking orchestral storytelling, a true celebration worthy of the AWO’s 15th Anniversary Season.