Elgar’s Enigma Variations

25 & 26 October 2024

In the Concert Hall

Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Classical Music

What is the enigma in Elgar’s Enigma Variations? Many have speculated over the past 125 years, but the power and allure of this piece is no mystery.

Expressive brilliance

The rich orchestration, the expressive range, those stirring, swelling chords in the Nimrod movement raise every goosebump. There are few moments like it.

Rachmaninov's Third Piano Concerto fuses the best elements of his music, from lyrical melodies to ferocious and powerful passages that radiate brilliant musical colour. Superstar Japanese pianist Nobuyuki Tsujii performs Rachmaninov's most famous concerto with supreme virtuosity, revealing a beautiful and wistful world.

Please note, these performances were originally advertised as being conducted by Sir Andrew Davis, who sadly passed away in April 2024. Sydney Symphony Orchestra are grateful to Canadian conductor Nicolas Ellis, who will lead these performances in his Sydney Symphony debut.

In celebration and memory of Sir Andrew Davis, Haydn’s Symphony No.104 will now be replaced by a tribute to Sir Andrew, with his own arrangement of JS Bach’s Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor. 

Presented by Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Programme

JS BACH arr. Sir Andrew Davis Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor
RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No.3 
ELGAR Enigma Variations

Artist information

Nicolas Ellis conductor
Nobuyuki Tsujii piano 

Plan your visit

You may also like

Simone Young conducts Siegfried

13 & 16 Nov 2025

Wagner’s Ring Cycle is one of the great achievements in Western art. At its beating heart – packed with passion, violence, rage, betrayal and tragedy – sits the sprawling legend of Siegfried. Starring a world-class cast of singers, including internationally acclaimed Simon O’Neill in the title role, this third instalment in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Ring Cycle in concert is a once-in a-generation event.

  • Classical Music
  • Sydney Symphony Orchestra
graphic showing a firey circle with a sharp dagger pointing towards a stone superimposed over gloomy clouds

The Tallis Scholars

12 Oct 2025

Award-winning British vocal ensemble, The Tallis Scholars return to the Sydney Opera House for the first time in over two decades with an unmissable program inspired by the timeless beauty of Gregorian chant. The Tallis Scholars are renowned for their stunning cappella performances and exquisite recordings of sacred vocal music. The choir first sang at the Sydney Opera House in 1985, 40 years ago, and has returned five times since.

  • Classical Music

Celebrating the Australian Chamber Orchestra

21 Nov 2025

On the 21 November 1975, a group of pioneering musicians walked out onto the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall stage and the Australian Chamber Orchestra was born. Founded by the legendary Australian cellist John Painter, these musicians were driven by a shared mission to take control of their musical destinies: to become the country’s first truly national orchestra with an uncompromising commitment to elite performance, to represent Australia on the world stage, and provide opportunities to the country’s brightest young string players.                                             

  • Classical Music
  • Australian Chamber Orchestra

Checking availability