Photo by Anne Mie Dreves
Composer Bryce Dessner will make his Australian orchestral debut this September, joining the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for a series of performances across Sydney and Melbourne.
Best known as a founding member and principal songwriter of The National, Dessner has also built a career in contemporary classical music, earning Grammy Awards and collaborating with artists including Taylor Swift, Bon Iver and Paul Simon.
His first appearances with the Sydney Symphony form part of the orchestra’s 2026 season, with concerts scheduled at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall, City Recital Hall and Melbourne Recital Centre.
The opening program, “Trembling Earth,” will be presented Sept. 19-20 at the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall under conductor Umberto Clerici. The performances mark the Australian premiere of the program, written for cellist Anastasia Kobekina. Co-commissioned by the Sydney Symphony, it explores the dynamic between soloist and orchestra through musical elements inspired by the natural world.
Dessner will also perform electric guitar in “St. Carolyn by the Sea,” which blends post-rock textures with orchestral writing. The program is rounded out by György Ligeti’s “Concert Românesc” and Antonín Dvořák’s “Symphony No. 8.”
A second program later in the month shifts focus to exclusively Dessner’s own compositions. “Bryce Dessner & the Sydney Symphony” will take place Sept. 24 at City Recital Hall before traveling to Melbourne Recital Centre on Sept. 25.
The set includes “Aheym,” “Lachrimae” and “Impermanence,” the latter written in response to the Australian bushfires. Commissioned in 2021 by the Australian String Quartet and Sydney Dance Company for a production by Rafael Bonachela, “Impermanence” later won best classical record at the Libera Awards.
The performances conclude with “Garcia Counterpoint,” inspired by Jerry Garcia and built around layered electric guitar and pre-recorded soundscapes.
Tickets are on sale now.
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