Mimi’s Symphony with Justine Clarke
Term 1
Primary School: Early Stage 1 – 2, Years K – 3
Learning areas: English, Creative Arts, Music
Join Australia’s much-loved actress and singer, Justine Clarke, conductor George Ellis, and an 18-piece orchestra in a magical children’s concert where a little magpie’s journey from her nest leads to a captivating musical adventure.
| Term | Date | Time |
| Term 1 | Wednesday 9 April 2025 | 10.30am, 12pm |
| Term 1 | Thursday 10 April 2025 | 10.30am, 12pm |
| Term 1 | Friday 11 April 2025 | 10.30am, 12pm |
| Ticket | Price |
|---|---|
| Standard | $25 |
One complimentary teacher per class. Ratio required for supervision is one teacher per 15 students.
The only authorised ticket agency for this event is the Sydney Opera House. For more information about authorised agencies, see the frequently asked questions below.
Arts Assist: The Arts Assist ticket and travel subsidy program provides the full cost of the Creative Learning performance ticket and $5 per student toward travel costs. Find out more about Arts Assist.
We cater to students of all needs and will make every effort to accommodate any special requirements or access adjustments your students may have. All of our venues are wheelchair accessible with dedicated wheelchair positions and companion seats. Please let us know on the booking form how we can assist in making your excursion as enjoyable as possible and we will be in touch. Alternatively, you may call Creative Learning on +61 2 9250 7770 (Monday to Friday, 9am-5pm AEST) or email creativelearning@sydneyoperahouse.com.
Find out more about accessibility at Sydney Opera House.
This performance will be held in the Studio.
Run time: The duration of this event is 55 minutes which includes a 40 minute performance and a 15 minute question and answer session with the artists on stage. Event duration is a guide only and may be subject to change.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Download our Child Safety Policy (PDF).
Justine Clarke, Writer and PerformerSharing the power and the magic of a live orchestra with a young audience is a real thrill for me.
Useful information:
An orchestral story for Australian children
Step into the enchanting world of Mimi’s Symphony, a heartwarming orchestral tale designed especially for Australian school children.
Follow Mimi, a little magpie who, after being blown from her nest, finds herself on the edge of a suburban oval. All she remembers is the echo of something grand and beautiful.
Join writer and narrator Justine Clarke alongside composer and conductor George Ellis as they lead you through Mimi’s delightful adventure. She’ll encounter different animal families, learn how to survive in the suburbs and ultimately bring everyone in the park together.
Through this engaging and lively story, students will meet the sections of the orchestra (brass, string, woodwind and percussion) as they come together in a joyous symphony and sing-along with Justine!
Sydney Opera House presents
Gallery
Photo credit: Katelyn-Jane Dunn
Gallery
About the artists
Justine Clarke
Justine Clarke is one of Australia's most accomplished and admired performers: a best-selling children's singer; acclaimed film, television and stage actress with credits that include Play School, Julia, Tangle, RFDS, The Time Of Our Lives, Mad Max Beyond: Thunderdome, Look Both Ways and Hedda Gabler.
Justine's live shows include sing-a-long favourites from her three ARIA nominated albums, I Like to Sing, Songs to Make You Smile and Pyjama Jam. She has also won the ARIA award for Best Children’s Album for A Little Day Out with Justine Clarke and is the creator and producer of The Justine Clarke Show.
Justine loves to create stories for kids and her picture books include the Gobbledygook series, A Banana is a Banana and Here Comes a Merry Christmas.
George Ellis
George Ellis is an Australian conductor, composer and orchestrator. He works across a variety of styles including symphonic music, choral, opera, musical theatre, jazz and pop, and has presented concerts conducting in Paris, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, New York, Boston Philadelphia, Washington DC, Los Angeles, Athens, Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta and Hong Kong and performed in every capital city in Australia.
Classically trained at the doctoral level in Australia and the USA, and experienced in performing pop/rock music, George Ellis has made a career of combining symphony orchestras with popular artists. These include Lou Reed, The Church, Megan Washington, Josh Pyke, Sneaky Sound System, Art vs Science, Human Nature, Augie March, GangGajang, Guy Sebastian, Paulini, David Campbell, John Williamson, Marcia Hines, Alex Lloyd, Deborah Conway, Clare Bowditch, John Paul Young, Jimmy Little, Troy Casser-Daley, Doug Parkinson, Grace Knight, Jade MacRae, Jeff Duff, Felicity Urqhuart, Don Spencer, Kate Ceberano, Kate Miller-Heidke, Fanny Lumsden and Amber Lawrence.
He has also musically directed the Babies Proms orchestral concerts at the Sydney Opera House for ten years.
Plan your visit
Venue information
Please ensure that your group arrives at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance start time. Latecomers may only be admitted to a performance during a suitable break, and in some cases, may be excluded. Please call the Creative Learning team on 02 9250 7770 to notify us if you are running late.
Your safety and security is paramount to us during your visit to the Opera House. Therefore, all items larger than the dimensions of a standard A4 piece of paper must be checked in to the cloakroom. As they have limited space, we ask that teachers and students do not bring large bags/backpacks to the performance. Some bag trolleys may be available for your school in the Western Foyers. Please ensure that any prohibited items are left at home (e.g. scissors).
Students are encouraged to bring their own lunch and snacks, however you’ll find food and drinks outlets on the lower level of the concourse.
Please note food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but only bottled water in the venues.
We recommend that students take their meal breaks on the Monumental Steps/Forecourt or in the Botanic Gardens immediately adjacent the SOH precinct. In inclement weather, there is ample room to take breaks underneath the Monumental Steps. In situations of particularly poor weather, breaks can be had in the Western Foyer. We ask that you please limit this to an as needed basis to avoid foyer congestion for other members of the General Public. There are several food and beverage options on site, as well as food and beverage options close by in Circular Quay.
Getting here
We are a 15-minute walk from Circular Quay, the closest station for public transport via train, bus and ferry. To view timetable information and ensure your public transport needs can be met, please check the Transport NSW website.
Buses and coaches can’t park onsite at Sydney Opera House. Large buses must disembark passengers on Macquarie Street in the allocated drop off zone. Please contact City of Sydney to confirm bus and coach set down areas. We recommend allowing an additional 10 minutes for walking from Macquarie Street.
Frequently asked questions
Please ensure that your group arrives at the venue 30 minutes prior to the performance start time.
If you are late, we will seat you as soon as possible, but please be aware that some events have lock out periods where late comers cannot be admitted until a suitable break in the performance. Occasionally this is not until the interval, and in some instances late comers won’t be admitted at all.
Yes, use this information to prepare a risk assessment and risk management plan. Teachers undertaking a risk assessment and risk management plan should be aware that Sydney Opera House cannot complete the risk assessment for them.
Food and drink are permitted inside the foyers, but not in the venues.
Please contact our Creative Learning Ticketing Specialists on 02 9250 7770 as soon as possible to advise if your group can no longer attend.
The Opera House is committed to the safety and wellbeing of children that visit or engage with us. Read our Child Safety Policy.
The Opera House has also developed a Child-friendly Code of Conduct to engage with our youngest visitors.
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