2023 is a very special year for Sydney Philharmonia Choirs. We’re back in residence at the Sydney Opera House and celebrating their 50th anniversary, we’re collaborating with our friends at SYO on a project that’s as
daring as it is ambitious, and we have a rich banquet of music to sing for you. We also commemorate the significant milestone of our Music Director, Brett Weymark OAM, reaching 20 years of artistic leadership with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.
Join us as we share the VOICE, JOY and ENERGY of 2023.
We’re raising the roof and bringing down the temple with Handel’s mighty oratorio about the Bible’s original muscle man. An opera in all but name, Samson is musical storytelling at its dramatic best, with rousing choruses, exquisite arias and a brilliant finale, “Let the bright Seraphim”. Symphony Chorus, some of our favourite soloists and a massive orchestra (by baroque standards) will combine to bring the theatre into the concert hall.
Saturday 8 April | 1pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Take a musical journey back to the era when Broadway’s theatres exploded with the all-time favourite musicals that shaped our times such as Guys & Dolls, Gypsy, My Fair Lady, and more – inside and outside the House.
Saturday 6 May, 7pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
And broadcast to the Forecourt
Verdi’s Requiem might be funeral music – a mass for the dead – but its emotional impact, and the sheer drama of the music, is equal to a night at the opera. So if you love his operas (Rigoletto, La Traviata, Aida…) join us to experience the theatrical genius of his Requiem with our Festival Chorus, stars of the Australian opera stage and the Sydney Philharmonia Orchestra in full force.
Saturday 20 May | 2pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
In 2023 ChorusOz is gathering to perform Mahler 8 as a genuine “symphony of a thousand”, with eight phenomenal soloists and an orchestra of more than a hundred conducted by Brett Weymark at the Sydney Opera House. Mahler’s biggest symphony is universal in scope, a celebration of the Creative Spirit and the redemptive power of love, and whether you’re in the audience or part of the thousand-voice choir on stage, it promises an unforgettable and life-changing experience.
Sunday 11 June | 5pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana is the blockbuster of the choral world, the kind of music that will keep you on the edge of your seat with its rousing choruses and wicked humour. Elena Kats-Chernin’s Human Waves offers something completely new from one of Australia’s most popular composers, inspired by the rich tapestry of our migrant history. And Yuwaalaraay man James Henry paints a fond portrait of the ibis in Murrgumurrgu.
Saturday 9 September | 2pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
This concert promises a cathartic experience, tapping into music’s power to communicate heartfelt emotion, from the fervent expression of joy to intense sorrow. James MacMillan’s Stabat Mater offers a fiercely impassioned evocation of Mary’s grief at the foot of the cross. And music by Arvo Pärt and two Australians reflects the inspirational vision of religious faith. The virtuoso voices of our Chamber Singers shine in this intimate but powerful program of music inspired by faith and human experience.
Saturday 14 October | 4.30pm
St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney
David Lang’s Pulitzer prize-winning oratorio The Little Match Girl Passion views Hans Christian Andersen’s dark tale through the lens of Bach’s St Matthew Passion. Find the passion in this timeless narrative of suffering and hope, elevated to a higher plane with breathtaking music that resonates with emotional power. Elizabeth Scott conducts VOX in the fabulous acoustics of Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music.
Saturday 14 October | 7:30pm
Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music
“Shout for joy, rise up and praise these days!” JS Bach’s Christmas Oratorio began life as six cantatas for church services over the Leipzig Christmas season but it’s so much more. This is easily one of the most inspired musical enactments of the Nativity, and for 2023 Brett Weymark has chosen the first three parts, from the exultant opening to the tender scenes in the stable and the festive arrival of the shepherds.
Saturday 16 December | 2pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Carols at the House is back with actor John Bell and popular soprano Julie Lea Goodwin. The splendid sounds of Rutter’s Gloria set the tone for a festive program of Christmas favourites and unexpected delights, with plenty of audience participation. Elizabeth Scott conducts our 600-strong Christmas Choir and a full symphony orchestra for the most uplifting concert you’ll hear all season.
Friday 15 December | 8pm
Saturday 16 December | 8pm
Sunday 17 December | 2pm
Sydney Opera House Concert Hall