Saturday 26 September & 27 September 2026 at Strathfield Town Hall

Check out a preview of the ending! To see the rest of the Sibelius Violin Concerto by our marvelous soloist Connie Liu, you will need to buy tickets.

Every year, Sada gets to choose a big symphony. This year it is Shostakovich 5! Introduced by Bernstein’s Candide Overture, followed by Sibelius Violin Concerto, this is one not to miss.

Program Highlights:

• Bernstein – Overture to Candide: glittering, high-energy curtain-raiser for his comic operetta. Combining his trademark bravura jazz rhythms with classical flair, it whirls through several memorable melodies from the show, delivering a breathless, theatrical dash of witty optimism and chaos.
• Sibelius – Violin Concerto: unique for its symphonic scope and deep Nordic melancholy. The solo violin spins a haunting, virtuosic melody against the orchestra, notably featuring a massive cadenza within the dramatic first movement. Its finale is often called a “polonaise for polar bears.”
• Shostakvich – Symphony No.5: famously subtitled “A Soviet artist’s practical creative reply to just criticism.” Written during Stalin’s purges, its tragic first movement and profound Largo give way to a finale of highly ambiguous triumph, expressing both public conformity and private despair.

Program:

Bernstein – Overture to Candide
Sibelius – Violin Concerto
Shostakvich – Symphony No.5