Why our biggest orchestra is headed out of the city and into the suburbs

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will head out of the city in 2026 to perform in locations around Melbourne and Victoria. There will be a world premiere at Broadmeadows Town Hall, regular outings in Frankston, and performances slated for Ringwood, Castlemaine, Sale and Cowes.

It’s all part of a strategy to reach a broader audience, according to MSO chief executive and director of programming Richard Wigley. As part of that aim, the orchestra will not increase its ticket prices for the year ahead, which Wigley says is possible thanks to philanthropic support.

The former head of the BBC Philharmonic and the Ulster Orchestras, Wigley represents a new guard at the MSO, having taking the reins from Sophie Galaise, who left in the wake of the MSO’s controversial decision to drop pianist Jayson Gillham from its line-up for dedicating a piece of music to the journalists slain in Gaza. Gillham is suing the MSO for wrongful dismissal and the case is scheduled for the Federal Court in December.

The MSO’s plan to increase its accessibility extends into its programming choices for the coming year, which feature new commissions alongside contemporary works and evergreen favourites.

The In Your Neighbourhood program continues, which this year included a concert on the Mornington Peninsula, as well as Jams for Juniors (learning sessions for toddlers), school holiday music activities, workshops and specialist music training for young students, and performances in aged care facilities. Details will be announced next year.

There are plenty of big names and big concerts on the schedule for the next 12 months – along with some surprises.

In his fifth year as chief conductor for the MSO, Jaime Martín will – temporarily – put down his baton and return to his flautist roots, playing the instrument as part of MSO programming in Australia for the first time. “I hope I don’t regret it,” Martín joked at the media program launch.

The 2026 season will include Welsh bass-baritone Sir Bryn Terfel, as well as a series of performances conducted by Scottish composer Sir James MacMillan. In May, Melbourne-born soprano Danielle de Niese will make her way through selections from classic musicals by Gershwin, Porter and Bernstein.

Alongside shows centred on Strauss, Dvořák and Mahler, a Brahms festival will comprise six concerts of the German composer’s works performed across two weeks in November.

Outside of the classics, films with live scoring continue to feature prominently. The 1991 version of Beauty and the Beast, Jurassic Park, Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets and Home Alone are on the schedule. The coming year will feature 29 new commissions, including 26 world premieres – notably four new works by First Nations artists, including James Henry, and two world premieres by Melbourne composer and MSO composer-in-residence Joe Chindamo.

Wigley praised Martín and the programming team, who he said “have truly found that magical symphonic ‘sweet spot’, creating a program that balances artistic depth with wide appeal”.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s 2026 program is out now.

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