WA Symphony Orchestra boosts 2026 launch with extra night for Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto at Winthrop Hall

WA Symphony Orchestra fans have again endorsed the move to Winthrop Hall during Concert Hall renovations, with ticket sales for the 2026 opening program prompting management to book an extra night on March 5. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, featuring soloist Sergej Krylov and conductor Lawrence Renes, will launch the season on March 5, 6 and 7, with the headline work bracketed by Mozart’s The Magic Flute overture and Prokofiev’s Romeo and Juliet (highlights). WASO’s director of programming and engagement Evan Kennea welcomed the boom in ticket sales, which repeats the success of last season’s opening with Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. “We’re delighted to announce a third performance of Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto, a program that has already generated incredible enthusiasm from music lovers across Perth,” Kennea said. “Adding this extra performance gives even more people the chance to experience a truly memorable evening of brilliant music led by Lawrence Renes and featuring the remarkable international violinist Sergej Krylov. “We’re thrilled to extend the season and welcome an even bigger audience to Winthrop Hall.” Winthrop’s 900-seat capacity lags behind Perth Concert Hall’s 1500, but a third date enables WASO to accommodate a similar overall audience, and helps sustain its subscriber base towards a return to the Concert Hall in 2028, the orchestra’s centenary. This month, WASO will present two programs for Perth Festival, and also launches the Underground Series at the State Theatre Centre. On February 12, associate concertmaster Riley Skevington directs the orchestra in Echoes Through Time, at St Mary’s Cathedral, with music ranging from Henry Purcell’s The Fairy Queen to Melody Etvos’s Meraki. On February 17-21, Mark Coughlan conducts WASO in Philip Glass’s The Trial, with libretto by Christopher Hampton based on Franz Kafka’s novel of the same name, in an outdoor spectacular at Forrest Chase directed by Melissa Cantwell and starring Jarred Wall. To wrap up the month, on February 27 and 28 Benjamin Northey conducts WASO and mezzo-soprano Jessica Aszodi in Mayhem and Rapture at Studio Underground, featuring Holly Harrison’s And Whether Pigs Have Wings, John Adams’ Chamber Symphony, and Osvaldo Golijov’s Ayre. More information at www.waso.com.au.