BSO good to go for 2026 season opener

TICKETS remain available for the Bendigo Symphony Orchestra’s opening to its 2026 season on Sunday 22 February, FANFARE.

The acclaimed orchestra’s first concert of four to take place this year, the afternoon spectacular will open with the highly anticipated premiere of the piece composed by Adelaide horn player Emma Gregan.

Commissioned to mark its next artistic chapter, the work for brass and percussion is said to capture the BSO’s energy and forward momentum.

It will open every concert in 2026 as an interim emblem for the ensemble and its audience.

In case you’re wondering what a fanfare actually is, as BSO president Nigel McGuckian explained, it’s “a piece that announces or launches something”.

“If the king arrived, you’d play a fanfare,” he said.

“It’s a particular style of composition where it’s announcing something, it goes for about three minutes and it’s basically horns, trumpets, trombones and tuba.

“Most people would know what it is, they just don’t know what it’s called.”

The program also features one of the 19th century’s great showpieces, Schumann’s Konzertstück for Four Horns and Orchestra, performed by visiting soloists from across Australia – Andrew Young, Emma Gregan, Benjamin Messenger and Elena Katahanas.

The 90-minute concert concludes with Aaron Copland’s Symphony No. 3, written at the close of World War Two.

This year’s season opener will be particularly poignant for its dedication to recently passed Cathy Moore, the orchestra’s French horn section leader for many decades.

“She was a wonderful classical music teacher, player, and contributed enormously voluntarily to the orchestra,” Mr McGuckian said.

“She conducted the orchestra, she provided leadership and guidance to horn players throughout the region for the last 40 years, which was fantastic.”

FANFARE, conducted by Luke Severn, takes place on Sunday 22 February at Ulumbarra Theatre.

Visit Gotix for tickets.