WASO is pulling out Mahler (again!) this time with Principal Conductor Paul Daniel (Fri 24 & Sat 25th Aug)  conducting Mahler Symphony No 5 plus a nice little feature of  WASO’s concertmaster Guilio Plotino and principal viola Giovanni Pasini in Mozart’s Sinfonia Concertante for violin, viola and orchestra. The following weekend (Fri 31st and Sat 1st Sept) guest conductor Robert Spano takes on an exotic Arabian Nights themed program with Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade and Saint Saens’ Piano Concerto no 5 with Steven Hough as soloist. For something completely different vocal ensemble Rajaton will feature with WASO in an ABBA tribute on Friday 7th and Saturday 8th.

Voyces promise more vocal bliss on Sunday 25th with an all-Australian program celebrating our cultural and natural landscape. On Wednesday 29 Aug WAAPA launch their Percussion Purity Festival with an opening concert which will include George Crumb’s Music for a Summer Evening (Makrokosmos III), Berio’s Linea and others.

And audiences continue to pack out St Georges’ Cathedral, this time on Thursday Aug 30th to hear international concert organist Dr John Scott (New York) performing the annual Francis Burt Memorial organ recital.

Decibel ensemble are keeping busy this year with another gig this time paying tribute to Australian new music legend Jon Rose with a program called Music on a String.
The two highlights for me though are the WA season  of Deborah Cheetham’s Pecan Summer – Australia’s first indigenous opera, opening September 6th. Also Margaret Blades (WASO associate concert master) will lead Swan Virtuosi in their second gig. Watch this space for more info on this dream ensemble which also includes Sally Boud and Louise McKay.