Emma Donovan x MSO: Take Me To The River lands at Hamer Hall this July for NAIDOC Week.
Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in association with Arts Centre Melbourne presents Emma Donovan: Take Me To The River as its 2026 NAIDOC Week celebration — a powerful concert of soul, story and cultural connection led by one of the country’s most distinctive voices.
Take Me To The River is a deeply personal journey through the heart of soul, gospel and rhythm and blues. Donovan reimagines timeless songs made famous by legends including Sam Cooke, Al Green, Aretha Franklin, Etta James and Bill Withers, weaving them together with her own original music and lived experience to create something at once reverent and boldly contemporary.
Emma Donovan x MSO: Take Me To The River
- Friday 10 July, 7.30pm
- Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
- Tickets on sale Thursday 12 February, here
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A proud Gumbaynggirr and Noongar woman, Donovan began performing at just seven years old with her family band, The Donovans. She later co-founded the acclaimed Indigenous trio Stiff Gins, recorded multiple albums with soul collective The Putbacks, and has forged a celebrated solo career that bridges soul, blues and storytelling with unmistakable presence.
Performing Take Me To The River with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra marks something special for Donovan. These songs have shaped her, and bringing them together with the power and depth of a full orchestra gives them new meaning. It’s about honouring where the music comes from, sharing her story, and creating something that feels both intimate and expansive.
Working with Alex Turley on these brand new arrangements has been a gift for Emma Donovan. He’s really listened to the heart of these songs and created something fresh that still honours where they come from. Bringing Take Me To The River to Melbourne with these new arrangements feels incredibly special; like telling the story again, but in a new voice.
Conducted by Aaron Wyatt, this special NAIDOC Week performance continues the MSO’s ongoing commitment to celebrating First Nations voices and cultural leadership. In recent years, the Orchestra’s annual First Nations celebrations have featured artists including Electric Fields, Archie Roach with One Song: The Music of Archie Roach, Dan Sultan, and in 2025, Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO.
Take Me To The River is a night of music, meaning and heart, where every song carries a story, and every story finds its voice. Don’t just follow Emma Donovan to the river…dive in.
For more information, head here.
