Willoughby Symphony Orchestra invites you to put down your phone and enter the world of Mahler

For nearly six decades the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra (WSO) has been supporting the careers of local musicians and composers, making it one of Australia’s oldest orchestras.

This weekend the WSO performs Gustav Mahler’s First Symphony. The experience encompasses the entire spectrum of emotion, Chief Conductor Dr Nicholas Milton promises.

Don’t know Mahler from a bar of soap? Don’t worry. Milton, a conductor of renown, tells the Lorikeet: “People are often scared about classical music because they think, ‘How will I know when to clap, or what to wear? Will I be relaxed, or will it be challenging?’”

His advice? There’s no one “correct” way to enjoy music. Step in with an open mind and open ears and treat the two hours as an opportunity to experience this great human tradition.

History

Willoughby Symphony Orchestra was established in 1966. Milton joined in the late 1980s, first as a player and guest conductor, then taking over as its Chief Conductor in 2001. 

As Chief Conductor of two other orchestras (in Göttingen, Germany and Klagenfurt, Austria), Milton is a man who keeps busy bringing composers throughout history to life for modern audiences across the world. 

But he started out on the North Shore, attending school in Lane Cove and Chatswood before being accepted into the Conservatorium High School along with many others in the WSO. 

“The WSO is like a family,” Milton said. “There are very deep connections between us. Some are professional musicians, but we also have doctors, bakers, anesthetists … but the musicians all have the same vision”.

New generations, new entertainment

When it comes to holding the interest of audiences who have become used to short videos and the Spotify algorithm, Milton said that while “attention spans are different these days”, it was “very important to retain this great tradition and this culture”.

The Orchestra plays in Chatswood Concourse’s Concert Hall, which Milton said has among the best acoustics in Sydney. 

Nature and the cosmos

The Mahler section of the program will be preceded by the cellist Julian Smiles’ performance of Pēteris Vask’s Cello Concerto No.2, Presence, which is inspired by the idea of the soul ascending into the cosmos.

“Vasks and Mahler are both sort of spiritual in their own way,” Milton said. “Mahler was mad about nature; you can hear birdcalls throughout the symphony. Within his particular vocabulary, Vasks is also spiritual music and really takes people into a zone. Mahler does the same thing.”

Milton said there was a “whole world full of emotion” in the nine symphonies Mahler wrote throughout his life. 

“He wrote [his First Symphony] as a young man, when he’s still finding his way and exploring what he wanted to be as a composer. It encompasses the entire spectrum of emotion, from the most delicate orchestrations with just a few instruments to a massive orchestra.”

Tickets are $83 for adults and $18 for children.

Image supplied by WSO