One Season, Many Stories brings symphonic masterworks, bold collaborations and community connection across Victoria.
Orchestra Victoria has just announced its 2026 season, titled One Season, Many Stories.
The program celebrates music’s power to connect and transform through a mix of symphonic masterworks, collaborations and community experiences. At its core sits the Southbank Series at Hanson Dyer Hall, while the popular Meet @ the Market concerts return to North Melbourne alongside a fresh era of regional touring and special partnerships with leading artists across music, theatre and contemporary culture.
CEO Jacinta Ewers says the season reflects Orchestra Victoria’s commitment to creativity, connection and storytelling through music. Whether your passion is ballet, opera, a Friday night concert or the magic of video game music, there’s something for everyone this year.
Orchestra Victoria 2026 Season
The Southbank Series
- Celestial Threads – 11 April, 7.30pm, Hanson Dyer Hall. Alice Farnham conducts Imogen Holst’s Suite for Strings, John Psathas’ Djinn: Marimba Concerto featuring Orchestra Victoria’s Section Principal Percussionist Mathew Levy, and Gustav Holst’s The Planets in George Morton’s chamber-orchestra arrangement
- In Full Flight – 5 September, 7.30pm, Hanson Dyer Hall. Umberto Clerici leads Stravinsky’s Dances Concertantes, Paul Stanhope’s Apollo, Beethoven’s First Symphony and Nielsen’s Flute Concerto with Orchestra Victoria’s Section Principal Flute Lisa-Maree Amos
- Worlds Within – 5 December, 7.30pm, Hanson Dyer Hall. Eivind Aadland conducts Strauss’s Metamorphosen for 23 solo strings, Missy Mazzoli’s These Worlds in Us and Mendelssohn’s Scottish Symphony
Meet @ the Market
- Session 1: 10 April – Alice Farnham with Mathew Levy
- Session 2: 4 September – Umberto Clerici with Lisa-Maree Amos
- Session 3: 4 December – Eivind Aadland
Regional Touring
- Celestial Threads – 17 April, 7.30pm, Lighthouse Theatre, Warrnambool
Special Collaborations
- Across Silence – 8 August. The Newmarket Collective and poet Walter Kadiki unite in a fusion of music and signed poetry composed by Andrea Keller
- Caroline O’Connor: Music & Memories – 20 July, 11am, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
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Artistic Advisor Jessica Gethin says Season 2026 is about who Orchestra Victoria are as artists, collaborators and a community. Each program offers something daring, unique and unforgettable.
The Southbank Series traces powerful musical journeys across three concerts. Celestial Threads explores legacy and imagination through the music of the Holst family and John Psathas. In Full Flight brings together voices across centuries in works by Stravinsky, Nielsen, Stanhope and Beethoven. Worlds Within closes the series with reflection and renewal, placing Orchestra Victoria’s renowned string section at the heart of the performance.
The night before each Southbank concert, Orchestra Victoria transforms North Melbourne’s Meat Market into a lively hub where music, conversation and community come together. These one-hour deep dives are hosted by ABC Classic’s Stéphanie Kabanyana Kanyandekwe and offer audiences a relaxed and intimate way to explore the season’s programs. You can enjoy a drink, hear curated excerpts from the Southbank Series and meet the musicians who bring each work to life.
Orchestra Victoria continues its tradition of regional touring with Celestial Threads heading to Warrnambool’s Lighthouse Theatre in April. Led by Alice Farnham, the program invites audiences on a journey through legacy, imagination and discovery. Alongside the main concert, Orchestra Victoria will deliver Musical Storytime sessions introducing children to the magic of live music, and Orchestra Victoria Connect performances in aged-care communities.
The special collaborations bring together artists from across music, theatre and spoken word. Across Silence unites The Newmarket Collective and poet Walter Kadiki in a moving fusion composed by Melbourne’s own Andrea Keller. Meanwhile, Orchestra Victoria partners with one of Australia’s most beloved stage and screen stars Caroline O’Connor for a sparkling Morning Melodies program of music and stories from her extraordinary career.
Tickets and subscription packages for Season 2026 are available from 6 November.
For more information, head here.
