When you think of an orchestra, names like Mozart, Beethoven and Tchaikovsky might come to mind. But with recent performances of music from Harry Potter and Back to the Future, as well as collaborations with contemporary artists such as Hilltop Hoods, The Avalanches and The Cat Empire, the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO) is not exactly like other orchestras.

Mark Wigglesworth, who stepped into the role of the ASO’s chief conductor in January 2025, explains that it is important for the orchestra to engage with the here and now.

“I think orchestras have changed because we are a reflection of contemporary society, and it’s really important that we do change and do things that are relevant,” he says.

As the ASO marks its 90th anniversary in 2026, CityMag looks back at the long and storied history of this Adelaide institution.

Dating back to 1936, the ASO was formed under the umbrella of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). The orchestra gave its first major performance in May of that year at the Adelaide Town Hall, playing Mozart’s Don Giovanni Overture, Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony and Grieg’s Piano Concerto.

Plenty of well-known names have been associated with the ASO, including famed conductor Otto Klemperer, virtuoso violinist Pinchas Zukerman and opera goddess Kiri Te Kanawa.

ASO CEO Colin Cornish, who was a professional viola player for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, says the orchestra once placed a greater emphasis on traditional, classical repertoire. But beginning in the late ‘80s and ‘90s, they began to explore different styles, venues, ensemble sizes and collaborations.

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Another change Mark and Colin are proud to highlight is the championing of female composers and conductors by the ASO, including at the annual She Speaks concert.

“Certainly, we are the leading orchestra in terms of programming works by women,” says Colin. “I think the other thing that Adelaide’s been very bold and courageous in supporting is Australian artists.”

Colin says that highlights throughout the ASO’s history include a performance of Brett Dean’s Hamlet, Kanawa’s Opera in the Outback, the annual Symphony Under the Stars concert, the Festival of Orchestra, and more recently, Born in Vienna, the Sanctuary Series and Notes & Notes.

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Mark and Colin are firm believers in sharing the “powerful” experience of classical music with all South Australians, joining a chorus of prominent voices calling for a dedicated space for the state’s music lovers.

Plans for a new concert hall were first proposed back in the ‘90s and have received the backing of everyone from Governor Frances Adamson to legendary SA architect Guy Maron.

“We want to create a space and a situation where two-thirds of people under 35 who listen to classical music can experience it live and appreciate how much more extraordinary and unforgettable an experience it is,” Mark says.

One person who has experienced a lot of change at the ASO is violinist Julie Newman, who joined the ASO back in 1976 alongside her twin sister Jennifer, who retired from the orchestra in 2022.

“I mean, the standard of it is much higher now than when I first joined. There were quite a lot of elderly people when I first joined, and they all went in time” says Julie, who is currently the longest serving member of the ASO.

She joined CityMag for a sit-down interview alongside the orchestra’s youngest member, principal tuba player Stan McDonald, who joined the ASO in 2023.

Julie started violin lessons when she was nine years old under her mother’s encouragement, and later caught the music bug while attending state music camps.

“I was just hooked,” Julie says. “I thought, ‘This is wonderful’, and I came home after a two-week camp and said, ‘I want to be in the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and that was the turning point for me.”

Julie says she enjoys the variety and flexibility of the role, having also served in the army reserve, run Tilling Hill Equestrian Centre, volunteered for Operation Flinders and raised her two children.

“I just love it. There’s just a lot of variation, quite a lot of movement, people coming and going and different soloists and conductors and a variety of music,” she says.

Stan started out on trombone and later switched to tuba while at Brisbane State High School when his school’s band was looking for someone to play the instrument.

“No one else wanted to play the tuba, but I couldn’t understand why no one wanted to. I’m like, ‘This is the best one. That’s the biggest, shiniest one.’ I thought all the low notes were cool,” Stan says.

Stan went on to study tuba at the Queensland Conservatorium, but was starting to lose motivation before a lesson with David Cribb of Gewandhaus Orchestra rekindled his passion.

After a stint as a fill-in musician for the ASO, Stan was called in for an audition, taking the reins from long-term orchestra tuba player Peter Whish-Wilson.

Stan says one of his favourite composers is Prokofiev, who “writes some really good tuba parts”, while Julie is wedded to the traditional composers.

Asked what musicians of different generations can learn from each other, Julie says she can discover new ways of interpreting a piece, while Stan values guidance from more senior players.

“Once we’ve poured everything into a performance, then you stand up and, it’s pretty cool, everyone’s clapping for you and the whole orchestra – it kind of makes you feel special,” Stan says.

ASO’s chief conductor Mark says the journey classical music takes you on is powerful.

“Personally, that’s what I find so profound about it, is that you listen to it and you’re taken somewhere and your imagination is stimulated to travel across a huge range of emotions,” he says.

“To have an experience, whether it’s goosebumps or whether it’s a sense of being transported to another place, they’re the performances you never forget,” ASO’s CEO Colin adds.

The ASO will celebrate its 90th anniversary this weekend with its 90th Anniversary Gala Dinner. There will also be two major concerts as part of its Symphony Series– The Ring on 29-30 May and Nature Untamed on 5-6 June at Adelaide Town Hall.