Artists of the Year 2018

UPDATE: Bravo to Simone Young and Benjamin Northey, Limelight Magazine’s Australian artists of the year nominated by critical and popular vote.

We’re so excited that Simone will return to WASO in 2019 for our new Side By Side project, a collaboration with Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) in July, and Benjamin will step over to the dark side once more this September for Star Wars - The Empire Strikes Back.

A huge congratulations to all artists recognised in the awards for 2018

Click here to read the full article.

Limelight Artists of the Year 2018 

04.10.2018 CONT'D 

The critics of Australia’s ‘go to’ monthly classical music magazine and website have shortlisted 40 outstanding musicians and ensembles for the annual Limelight Artist of the Year Awards and now you can cast your vote to decide who will take it home!

We are absolutely delighted to be the only Australian orchestra recognised for this prestigious award with Asher Fisch and the two incredible leading artists who performed in our critically acclaimed production of Tristan und Isolde, Stuart Skelton and Gun-Brit Barkmin, also nominated.

Of our 90th anniversary gala, reviewer Justine Nguyen in Limelight Magazine wrote:

“What a way for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra to ring in its 90th year, and what a joyful, astonishing night at the opera…

Quite simply, this was magnificent playing of the highest order, rewarded on opening as the audience roared to their feet… WASO has never sounded better, and you’ll not encounter this stunning cast again.” (read the full review here)

Following her astonishing performance as Isolde, we immediately invited soprano Gun-Brit Barkmin back for 2019 in a gala concert of her own. This unmissable program shines a spotlight on her phenomenal talent, one of the world’s finest exponents of Strauss’s Salome. Tickets can be purchased in a 2019 subscription now, with single tickets on sale Wednesday 21 November.

Stuart Skelton’s performance as Tristan was equally lauded by the critics but it is also his latest album, Shining Knight, (available to stream now, or purchase at ABC Shop Online) that was described by Limelight as ‘a thrilling ride to international Wagnerian glory’.

WASO’s principal conductor and artistic adviser is particularly chuffed to be recognised as an honourary Australian artist. Leading our orchestra since 2014, Asher has overseen a truly inspiring improvement in the scope and quality of our artistic output with Limelight recognising this in a recent preview of our 2019 program: “Few would hesitate to point to Fisch as the driving force behind this achievement – careful programming choices have allowed the orchestra to really flex its muscles in the Romantic repertoire, developing a rich sound profile that he doesn’t hesitate to place alongside central Europe’s best bands.”  

Asher, Stuart, Gun-Brit and WASO – four selections out of forty that you can make as you cast your vote in the Limelight Artist of the Year Awards.

There are so many incredible artists we have worked with in 2018 recognised in the award nominations:

Nicholas Carter

Piers Lane

Joseph Nolan

Benjamin Northey

Carl Vine

Simone Young

Bravo to all!