In Conversation

Christopher Lawrence has spent his life sharing his love of music with Australian audiences, as a broadcaster, recording producer, writer and, more recently, leader of musical tours. His journ ey began rather improbably in the ABC mailroom, before washing records in the network's vast library became an extraordinary musical education. In this conversation, Christopher reflects on the twists an...

South Korean violinist Bomsori Kim has quickly earned an enviable reputation on the international concert stage, performing with leading orchestras around the world and at some of the most prestigious international festivals. Making her Australian debut with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, Bomsori reflects on her long-standing affection for the work, her first enco...

Dutch cellist Pieter Wispelwey has spent more than four decades building a career defined by curiosity, individuality and a refusal to regard any interpretation as finished. Equally at home on modern and period instruments, he has repeatedly returned to the great works of the cello repertoire, recording Bach’s Cello Suites three times and Benjamin Britten’s suites four times. In this conversation,...

Pekka Kuusisto has never been especially interested in staying neatly within musical boundaries. The Finnish violinist, conductor and composer returns to Australia to guest direct the Australian Chamber Orchestra ’s Legends and Luminaries program, bringing with him the curiosity, spontaneity and collaborative spirit that have become hallmarks of his work. He reflects on the ACO’s influence on his...

Simon Phillips has spent more than four decades at the heart of Australian theatre, directing everything from Shakespeare and contemporary drama to blockbuster musicals and opera. In Sydney directing the Australian premiere of Steven Moffat’s  The Unfriend  for Sydney Theatre Company, Simon reflects on the precision required to make comedy work and how the audience’s laughter becomes another membe...

Bass-baritone Andrew O’Connor has built a remarkably varied career spanning opera, chamber music, choral repertoire and contemporary Australian work. In this conversation, Andrew discusses  Transformations , his new album with Van Diemen’s Band , which journeys through early German Baroque music while pairing works by composers including Schütz and Buxtehude with newly commissioned responses from...

Stephen Layton has spent his life exploring what happens when people come together to make music. In Sydney to conduct the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sydney Philharmonia Choirs in Mozart’s  Requiem  and other works, he reflects on the balance between instinct and preparation, having examined the famous piece note by note in preparing his own performing edition. The conversation traces Stephen’s...

Percussionist Claire Edwardes has spent her career expanding the possibilities of her instrument and championing the music of our time. In this conversation, Claire reflects on her unlikely path from piano to percussion, the technical and physical demands of instruments such as marimba and vibraphone, and the sense of freedom she discovered in playing music without centuries of performance traditi...

Olivier Award-winning British actor Nathaniel Parker has built a distinguished career across theatre, film and television, from the Royal Shakespeare Company and  The Merchant of Venice  opposite Dustin Hoffman to  Wolf Hall  and the long-running BBC series  The Inspector Lynley Mysteries . In this conversation, Nathaniel reflects on the experiences that have shaped him as an actor, the lessons he...

Few people have had a greater influence on modern theatre than Sir Howard Panter. As co-founder of Trafalgar Entertainment , he oversees a global network of theatres and productions, including Sydney's Theatre Royal , while producing acclaimed shows such as   Fiddler on the Roof ,  Jersey Boys ,  The Lehman Trilogy  and many more. In this conversation, Sir Howard reflects on why timeless works...

Conductor Alexander Briger has built an extraordinary international career, working with orchestras and opera companies across Europe and Australia, while also creating one of this country’s most ambitious musical projects: the Australian World Orchestra . As the AWO celebrates 15 years, Alexander reflects on how an idea originally intended as a one-off became an ongoing orchestra bringing togethe...

Swedish trumpeter Håkan Hardenberger has spent more than four decades redefining what is possible on his instrument, inspiring composers to create a remarkable new body of repertoire along the way. In Sydney to conduct and perform with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra , Håkan discusses HK Gruber’s  Aerial  Trumpet Concerto, one of many works written especially for him, and the extraordinary technique...

Norwegian trumpeter  Arve Henriksen  has forged one of the most distinctive voices in contemporary music, blurring the boundaries between jazz, folk, ambient soundscapes and improvisation. Joining the Australian Chamber Orchestra for its  From Winter's Stillness  tour, Arve discusses the inspirations behind this unique collaboration, his long-standing musical partnership with Trio Mediæval, an...

Australian soprano Gemma Nha has taken an extraordinary path from singing Katy Perry songs on  The Voice Kids  to performing on some of the world's leading opera stages. After studying at the Sydney Conservatorium, the University of Music and Performing Arts Vienna   and The Juilliard School, and following engagements with the Lyric Opera of Chicago and Vienna's Volksoper, she returns home...

Conductor, pianist and Opera Australia Head of Music Tahu Matheson joins  In Conversation  ahead of the Sydney season of  The Drover's Wife , the acclaimed new Australian opera by George Palmer and Leah Purcell. Tahu explains why he believes the story is perfectly suited to opera, reflecting on the emotional power of the singing voice, the accessibility of Palmer's score, and his experienc...

Internationally acclaimed American violinist Benjamin Beilman joins  In Conversation  while in Sydney to perform Mendelssohn's Violin Concerto with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra . Renowned for the intensity and poetry of his playing, Ben reflects on his remarkable musical journey, from singing as a choirboy in Atlanta and beginning violin lessons through the Suzuki method, to studying at the C...

Australian soprano Emma Pearson has built an extraordinary international career, performing with leading opera companies across Europe, Australia and New Zealand. After spending nine years as a principal artist with the Hessisches Staatstheater Wiesbaden in Germany – where she was later honoured with the prestigious title of  Kammersängerin  – Emma has returned to this side of the world while cont...

Italian bass-baritone Renato Dolcini has become one of the most distinctive voices on the international Baroque scene, having performed with some of the world’s best, including William Christie, Sir John Eliot Gardiner, Giovanni Antonini and Cecilia Bartoli. In this conversation, Renato reflects on his long-standing relationship with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and Artistic Director Paul...

Internationally acclaimed violist Lawrence Power joins In Conversation while in Sydney to guest direct the Australian Chamber Orchestr a’s Isles of Light program, a musical journey through the British Isles that traces a line from Renaissance composers such as Tallis through to contemporary voices including Jonny Greenwood and Kate Bush. Lawrence reflects on the distinctive character of British mu...

Actor, director, musical director and theatre entrepreneur Andrew Bevis has enjoyed a remarkable career spanning Australia and London’s West End, performing in major productions including  Les Misérables ,  Hello, Dolly! ,  Rocky Horror  and  Jerry Springer: The Opera , while also working extensively behind the scenes as a musical director and creative collaborator. In this conversation, Andrew di...

Widely regarded as one of the world's finest horn players, Stefan Dohr has been Principal Horn of the Berlin Philharmonic since 1993. In this conversation, Stefan reflects on the remarkable journey that took him from a musical childhood in Essen – where he initially played the viola alongside his brothers – to one of the most coveted positions in the orchestral world. He shares memories of dis...

Australian violinist Madeleine Easton has built an international career as a soloist, concertmaster and director, performing with some of the world’s leading period and modern ensembles, including the English Baroque Soloists and the Orchestre Révolutionnaire et Romantique under Sir John Eliot Gardiner. In this conversation, Madeleine reflects on the extraordinary journey of founding Bach Akademie...

Highly accomplished Australian violinist Dale Barltrop has recently concluded a 10 year tenure as Concertmaster with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, having previously held that position with the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra. He’s also appeared as Concertmaster with the Australian World Orchestra, and guest directed the Australian Chamber Orchestra and Camerata. Since 2016, he’s been first violin...

Award-winning actress and director Blazey Best has spent more than three decades working across theatre, television and film. Her theatre credits include  Arcadia  and  Travesties  for the Sydney Theatre Company,  The Wild Duck  for Belvoir, and  The Glass Menagerie  for the Ensemble, winning Sydney Theatre Awards for her roles in  Ivanov ,  Medea  and  Miracle City . She’s appeared in a slew of t...

A comedian and actor who has made audiences around the world laugh for 40 years, Suzy Eddie Izzard, known professionally as Eddie Izzard , began her comedy career in famous London venues including the Comedy Store and the Ambassador Theatre, has appeared in plays on the West End and Broadway (including a Tony nomination for her performance in  A Day in the Death of Joe Egg ), and appeared in many...