Adelaide Symphony Orchestra
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The Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (also known as the ASO) was founded as a 17 player radio ensemble in 1936, in Adelaide, South Australia. The orchestra reformed in 1949 as the 55 member South Australian Symphony Orchestra. It reverted to its original and present title, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, in 1975, and currently comprises 74 permanent members.
Each year the orchestra undertakes over 100 performances across a diverse musical spectrum. The ASO provides the orchestral support for all productions of the State Opera of South Australia, for Adelaide performances of the Australian Ballet and Opera Australia, and is the most prolific contributor to the Adelaide Festival. The popular annual tradition of Symphony Under the Stars, the outdoor Alfresco series, the innovative Education Program, ASO on Tour, the East End Rush Hour chamber series, and the entertaining Showtime Series are just some concerts bringing live orchestral music to South Australians each year.
The ASO won world acclaim in 1998 with Australia’s first production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle. This magnificent feat was repeated in late 2004 with the first fully Australian production of The Ring, described by national and international critics as "one of the finest occasions in the history of Australian music".
The ASO has performed with such artists as Plácido Domingo, Luciano Pavarotti, Split Enz, Shirley Bassey, Tony Bennett, James Morrison, Dionne Warwick, Andrea Bocelli, Lalo Schifrin, k.d. Lang, and Ben Folds.
