WASO Returns to Winthrop Hall

Nestled within the stunning grounds of The University of Western Australia (UWA), Winthrop Hall’s majestic architecture is the perfect backdrop for WASO’s new MACA Symphonic Series. While the series may be new, this is not the first time that the venue has hosted the powerful sounds of the State Orchestra.

The Capitol Theatre played an important part in WASO’s history as a regular venue for the Orchestra from 1953 until 1966, after which it was demolished and replaced by an office building. Left with no permanent performance space, WASO concerts were shifted to Winthrop Hall in 1967 and remained there until the Perth Concert Hall was opened in 1973. But the Orchestra’s history with the venue dates back even further, to the 1930s.

In 1938, Hungarian-born maestro Georg Szell conducted WASO in two concerts at Winthrop Hall. The program included works by Mozart and Rimsky-Korsakov, as well as Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony, which will open our 2025 season in March.

WASO’s 1946 concerts at Winthrop Hall, under the baton of composer-conductor Eugene Goosens, received a great reception from audiences but were perhaps more memorable for what occurred off-stage. The soloist for the concerts was violinist Szymon Goldberg, who had been interned during a tour of the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) and lost everything except his precious violin, which he had managed to hide. At the end of his first rehearsal with the Orchestra, Goldberg’s violin became cracked, devastating the artist. Luckily Ken Jones, a talented violin repairer, was playing in the Orchestra at the time and saved the day by restoring Goldberg’s instrument!

WASO musicians found themselves back in Winthrop Hall for several engagements throughout the 1950s, including a choral concert with a specially formed choir of 200 voices (1954), the Festival of Perth (1957), Haydn’s The Seasons (1957) and Handel’s Messiah (1957).

The 1960s was a decade of celebratory concerts, including the christening of Winthrop Hall’s newly installed organ, and the official farewell concert for John Farnsworth Hall after ten years as the Orchestra’s resident conductor.

In conjunction with UWA, WASO returned to Winthrop Hall in 1984 for a presentation of twentieth-century music, including works by Webern and Lutoslawski.

Now, over 40 years later, WASO’s relationship with UWA – our Tertiary Education Partner – is still strong. Students from the UWA Conservatorium of Music have had the opportunity to learn from their State Orchestra, playing side-by-side with WASO musicians in concerts such as Stravinsky’s Petrushka, WASO’s ATAR Unlocked, and Romeo & Juliet with Paul Rissmann.

We’re thrilled to be back in this storied Perth venue in 2025 to present unforgettable evenings of musical brilliance. Explore our full range of Winthrop Hall concerts, including our MACA Symphonic Series and Winthrop Hall special events, here.