WASO announces 2022 season

The season opens in January with the Perth premiere of Casino Royale in Concert. James Bond’s first outing as 007 plays on the giant screen at Riverside Theatre, while the orchestra performs the score in full. WASO at the Movies continues in August with Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince™ in Concert.

The orchestra celebrates musical giant John Williams’ 90th Birthday Bonanza in February, featuring a selection of soundtracks from the composer’s blockbuster movies including Indiana Jones, Jurassic Park, Superman, Star Wars and more.

Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser Asher Fisch conducts some of his favourite works with masterpieces including Britten’s War Requiem, Stravinsky’s The Rite of Spring, Mahler’s Third Symphony and Tchaikovsky’s Pathétique, with the MACA Classics Series opener seeing the maestro perform as both conductor and soloist in Mozart’s Piano Concerto No. 24.

International conductors are set to make a return to the WASO stage, with Vasily Petrenko, Pietari Inkinen and Fabien Gabel joining the orchestra across the year. Jessica Cottis conducts Dvořák’s New World, whilst Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and Saint-Saëns’ blazing Organ Symphony in Organ Grandeur make appearances as classical audience favourites.

Last Night of the Proms returns with its annual cavalcade of classical hits, including beloved sing-a-longs Jerusalem and Rule, Brittania. WASO’s Easter performance tradition also returns, this year with George Frideric Handel’s ever-popular oratorio, Messiah. In September the musicians of WASO join forces with St George’s Cathedral Consort in a unique collaboration with Co3 Contemporary Dance, performing Douglas Wright’s GLORIA.

Seven WASO musicians step into the spotlight as soloists in 2022. Andrew Nicholson, Brent Grapes, Laurence Jackson, Liz Chee, Jane Kircher-Lindner, Semra Lee-Smith and Eve Silver join international soloists Baibe Skride, Stefanie Irányi, Behzod Abduraimov, Daniel Müller-Schott and Paavali Jumppanen in a season bursting with talent.

World-premiere WASO commissions in 2022 include award-winning composer Elliot Gyger’s Concerto for Orchestra, Nigel Westlake’s Trumpet Concerto and a new vocal work from Elena Kats-Chernin for Sara Macliver and Fiona Campbell.

West Australian composer Olivia Davies, whose work debuted on the WASO mainstage in 2021, joins the orchestra as Composer in Residence in 2022, commencing a three-year residency. WASO presents side-by-side collaboration with Western Australian Youth Orchestra Become Ocean in March as part of Perth Festival, which will feature a world premiere from Olivia Davies.

WASO’s Education Artist in Residence, Paul Rissmann, returns for another year to present a magical story from Angela McAllister, with interaction and imagination that brings illustrations to life in Leon and the Place Between. Much-loved WA conductor Jessica Gethin presents WASO’s Fairytale Ball as part of AWESOME Festival in October, making for two enchanting family concerts.

WASO’s award-winning Community Engagement & Education programs continue in 2022 with Crescendo and Composition Project, amongst other artist development and community programs across the state.

WASO then team up with multi ARIA-award winning MC, Drapht, in November to present Drapht and WASO: How The West Was Won. Musical arrangements performed in this world premiere season are composed by WASO’s own Principal Trombone Joshua Davis, as the Orchestra and Drapht come together to celebrate the hip-hop artist’s new works and greatest hits from his 20 year career.

From the centre of Perth to the furthest corners of the State, every year since 1928, WASO set hearts racing with extraordinary music and exhilarating performances for all West Australians to share.

Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts.

WASO’s 2021-23 touring program is supported by the Government of Western Australia through Playing WA; an initiative of the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries’ Regional Arts and Cultural Investment Program.

WASO and WAYO Side-By-Side partnership is supported by Woodside.

WASO 2022 Subscription Tickets

Season packages on sale now.

For bookings phone WASO on 9326 0000 or book here.

WASO 2022 Single Tickets

Tickets on sale from 9am, Wednesday 13 October 2021

For bookings phone WASO on 9326 0000 or book here.