In Conversation begins a new year with a conductor whose passion for music is irrepressible. Australian born Daniel Smith is now based in Italy, and proudly bears the Italian honour of Australian Cultural Ambassador. Following his highly successful debut with The Mariinsky Orchestra, Daniel has guest conducted the Czech Philharmonic, London Philharmonic, Israel Philharmonic, Warsaw National Philharmonic, Frankfurt Radio Symphony, New Japan Philharmonic, amongst many others.

Daniel shares stories of his hard fought career milestones, from cornering maestro Gianluigi Gelmetti in a Sydney Opera House lift to beg him to take him on as a student, to his breakthrough being the only conductor to be awarded Laureate in four of the most prestigious international conducting competitions in a single year. He speaks with great passion on his plans to share culture with as broad an audience as possible.

Daniel Smith conducts The Barber of Seville for Opera Australia, which plays at the Sydney Opera House until 28 February.

Composer Ann Carr-Boyd has helped shape Australian classical composition for over 60 years. She was a trail blazer from the very beginning, being the University of Sydney’s first ever Master of Arts in music. As well as composition, she’s been involved in broadcasting, teaching, as well as lexicography, having contributed to the Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians.

We delve into Ann's long lasting and groundbreaking career, to hear the insights of this remarkable contributor to the development of the Australian compositional voice.

A conductor beloved by Australian audiences for nearly 50 years, Graham Abbott has conducted all the state symphony orchestras, most of our major opera companies, and many of our choirs. He’s also a well-respected broadcaster, most particularly for the ABC program Keys to Music, and has more recently developed a reputation as one of our premier music tour leaders. After many decades of waving his arms about, he’s decided that he will bring his conducting career to a close with a composer he has dedicated much of his career to and one of the most famous pieces of music ever written – Handel’s Messiah.

Graham shares his adoration of Handel and gives us an understanding of how he worked and where Messiah fits into his greater oeuvre. He talks of his love of radio broadcasting, and his role as a music tour leader. His skills in all these areas manifest themselves throughout the program through his musical selections.

Graham Abbott conducts Sydney Philharmonia Choirs for Handel's Messiah at the Sydney Opera House from 13-15 December.

Violist Irina Morozova has a long and distinguished career, including as principal viola of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and guest principal of the Sydney Symphony and Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestras. But it's as part of the Goldner String Quartet that she and her fellow musicians Dene Olding, Dimity Hall and Julian Smiles, have found a significant place in the hearts of Australia's classical music lovers.

Long been considered Australia’s pre-eminent string quartet, the Goldners are considered among the best quartets in the world. They’ve recorded 19 albums covering repertoire from Beethoven to Peter Sculthorpe and have performed internationally including at London’s Wigmore Hall and at the Biennale in Venice. But this year, their 30th season, is also their last, with their farewell concert taking place this Sunday 8th of December at the Verbruggen Hall of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in association with Musica Viva.

Irina talks about the significant place the Goldner String Quartet has had in her life and heart. The music she shares is done so with thoughtfulness and passion, and her story is inspiring.

A conductor renowned for his dynamic interpretations and exceptional leadership, Vasily Petrenko has firmly established himself as one of the most compelling conductors of our time. Currently the Music Director of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, after his 15 year stint as chief conductor of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Orchestra, his illustrious career spans collaborations with some of the world’s finest orchestras and opera companies including the Berlin and London Symphony Orchestra, as well as the Gewandhaus, the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Opera, among many others.

Vasily talks about his upbringing in the then-USSR, and speaks with great passion about the need for music to bring peace in all parts of the world. He has a deep understanding of the music he conducts, and strives to expand the musical horizons of audiences.

Vasily Petrenko conducts the Sydney Symphony Orchestra from 27-30 November.

A young violinist who undoubtedly represents the future of classical music , Edward Walton won his first international competition in Italy at the age of just 13. He has appeared with orchestras and performed recitals across the globe. Now aged just 18, he was described by The Violin Channel as having “maturity and understanding far beyond his age”. Born in Australia, he took up opportunities in the UK a couple of years ago, and is currently based in Vienna to further develop his career. He has studied with some greats of the violin, most notably Itzhak Perlman.

Edward modestly talks about his talents and early development as he embarks on what is already becoming a stellar performing career.

Edward Walton performs Brahms's Violin Concerto in D with the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra under chief conductor Dr Nicholas Milton on 23-24 November.

Phillip Scott has joyfully been puncturing the inflated egos of this country’s elite for four decades. He does it all – a writer, composer, actor, singer, and musician – skills which come together for satirical comedy shows beginning in the early 1980s with The Gillies Report, morphing into their current guise as The Wharf Revue for the past 25 years. All good things must come to an end, and he and his fellow satirists are presenting their final iteration of the show – The End of the Wharf as We Know It.

Phillip also has a connection with 2MBS Fine Music Sydney. As the first Director of Programming back in 1975, Phillip shares some of the stories of the chaotic early days of the station, as it approaches its 50th anniversary. We also find out how his professional life has been shaped and get a peek into how his acclaimed shows come together. There are some guest appearances from a couple of his well known characters, too!

The End of the Wharf as We Know It runs at The Seymour Centre until 23 December, and tours regionally during 2025.

A musician described as “the most interesting voice on the guitar for a generation”, Edinburgh-born Sean Shibe is as at home on the electric guitar as he is on the classical acoustic one. Winner of awards including the 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award and the 2022 Leonard Bernstein Award, he was nominated in 2023 for a Grammy, and continues to prove himself as an original mind at the frontier of contemporary classical music.

In this conversation, Sean demystifies the electric guitar while eloquently introducing us to a deliciously diverse selection of music. He has an inspiring approach to both the acoustic and electric guitar which embraces tradition while pushing boundaries.

Sean Shibe performs with the Australian Chamber Orchestra under artistic director Richard Tognetti for Scotland Unbound around Australia until November 18, with performances at the City Recital Hall on November 9, 12 and 13, and at the Sydney Opera House on November 10.

A keyboard soloist and conductor, Francesco Corti is one of Europe’s most in demand musicians. He is a member of Les Musiciens du Louvre, Bach Collegium Japan and Le Concert des Nations, among several others. He’s led Tafelmusik, the English Concert, and the Freiburg Baroqueorcheter, is the musical director at the Drottningholm Royal Court Theatre, and appears on over 30 albums.

Francesco takes us through his passion for early music, and performing on instruments authentic to the period. He details his love of this era and shares some of his deep understanding of the fortepiano and its relevance as an instrument today. We also delve into the technique and process of his reconstruction of a JS Bach concerto. 

Francesco Corti performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra until 2 November.

He is a counter-tenor loved by audiences around the world. Andreas Scholl has a beautiful pure clarity of voice, gives absolutely divine performances including on his dozens of albums, and he has a wonderful gentle good humour too.

Andreas talks about the discovery of his beautiful counter tenor voice as an adolescent, which inspired him to make music his career. We hear about how his musical development was nurtured and what he has learnt on this journey. We also get to hear his baritone singing voice, which is heard more often than you might think, including on electro-pop songs!

Andreas Scholl performs with the Australian World Orchestra in Sydney on 23 and 24 October, and in Melbourne on 26 October.