An older man with white hair, wearing glasses and a black suit, stands conducting with a baton in his right hand.

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth Symphony Donald Runnicles & Leonidas Kavakos

  • Classical Music
  • Sydney Symphony Orchestra
  • Concert Hall
  • Run time: 120 minutes, 1 interval Subject to change
  • Seating map

Principal Guest Conductor Sir Donald Runnicles seizes on the emotional charge in this music to connect two powerful soundscapes

From lyrical intimacy to blazing transformation, the emotional sweep of this program is undeniable.

Shostakovich’s First Violin Concerto opens in eerie stillness, tension brewing beneath the surface. When the third movement arrives, it strikes with pathos and raw emotion. First in the trombones, then tenderly in the woodwinds, weaving a path for the violin’s entrance, growing through variations of unfiltered, searching intensity.  

American Record Guide describes Leonidas Kavakos as a ‘violinist of formidable technique’, bringing both precision and power to this extraordinary music. He navigates the concerto’s extremes with a restless passion, as though the instrument is speaking directly from his soul.   

Tchaikovsky’s Fifth envelopes you in a new world. Beginning with an introspective clarinet line and aching strings, the symphony builds through a series of luminous melodies and dramatic turns. The horn solo in the second movement is warm and noble, and the third brings a graceful contrast with a lilting waltz. But it’s the finale where the true magic happens as the tragic theme from the beginning returns, this time transformed from defeat into triumph. 

Presented by Sydney Symphony Orchestra

Event details

Program

SHOSTAKOVICH Violin Concerto No.1 
TCHAIKOVSKY Symphony No.5 

Artists

Donald Runnicles Conductor 
Leonidas Kavakos Violin 

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Attending this event

Plan your visit

Address

Sydney Opera House
Bennelong Point
Sydney NSW 2000
Australia

Getting to the venue

The Opera House is a 7-10 minute walk from Circular Quay, and is easily accessible by car, train, ferry, lightrail, bus, bike and on foot.

Location and access

Concert Hall

The Concert Hall is located beneath the largest of Sydney Opera House’s roof sails, filling the upper levels of the west side of the building. Best accessed through the covered concourse. 

All Sydney Opera House foyers are accessible, with lifts to the main and western foyers. The public lift to all foyers is accessible from the corridor near the escalators on the Lower Concourse and also in the Western Foyer via the corridor on the Ground Level (at the top of the escalators).

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