2025 Season: Join us!

After a brilliant weekend at the Peninsula Summer Music Festival, we’re preparing for the Australian premiere of the Bach/Mendelssohn St Matthew Passion in the Sydney Opera House on 17 April with Sydney Philharmonia Choirs.

Conducted by Elizabeth Scott, with ARCO led from the violin by Rachael Beesley, with an all-star soloist line-up, this is Mendelssohn’s version of Bach’s masterwork, transformed for 19th-century audiences and Romantic ears with a double orchestra, basset clarinets, organ and more – performed for the first time in Australia, on period instruments.

Tickets now on sale – don’t miss out!

Help Us Change Lives

With every breath or bow-stroke, ARCO inspires and uplifts Australians. One of Australia’s leading historically informed performance (HIP) ensembles, we make classical music fresh and vibrant.

We give dynamic performances, expand horizons for youth with unique musical experiences, inspire all ages with free engagement programs and reach deep into hearts and minds to transform lives with empathy, curiosity and joy.

But we cannot do this work without your support. Now is the perfect time to make a tax-deductible donation and ensure that ARCO’s extraordinary impact can continue. Join us.

Illuminate CD

Our newest album Illuminate is shining bright! Recorded live on our acclaimed 2021 tour, it’s available for digital download and streaming. With the brilliant strings of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra conducted by Rachael Beesley and soprano Jacqueline Porter, Illuminate features three late Romantic works by Bruch, Britten and Tchaikovsky, shimmering with emotion, colour and light.

Heavenly Mozart CD

Our CD Heavenly Mozart has received rave reviews, and is available in physical, digital and streaming formats. Bringing together two of Mozart’s most beloved works — his final ‘Jupiter’ Symphony No.41 and sublime Piano Concerto No.23 — Heavenly Mozart features the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra at its finest, conducted by Rachael Beesley with fortepiano soloist Neal Peres Da Costa.

Young Mannheim Symphonists

The Young Mannheim Symphonists is Australia’s only national youth orchestra program focused on historically informed performance (HIP). A unique and exciting program, YMS is designed to give students and emerging musicians the opportunity to discover for themselves the magic of approaching music with historical performance style.

As the students are led through great musical masterpieces of the Classical and Romantic periods, and exposed to the knowledge and perception of experienced professional HIP (historically informed performance) musicians, they are inspired by how the music comes to life, and empowered to begin making informed musical decisions on their own.

"An impressive display of joy and freedom, musical expansion and individual commitment from the next generation of HIP musicians." – Neal Peres Da Costa

Voyage of Musical Discovery

The Voyage of Musical Discovery education series was established and designed by the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and its founding artistic director and world-renowned educator, the late Richard Gill.

Part concert, part demonstration, Voyages are presented by co-artistic directors Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen with musicians of the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and a contemporary guest artist or ensemble.

By juxtaposing contemporary Australian music with Classical and Romantic works, each Voyage reveals the many compositional links and similarities in structure, tonality, rhythmic function, orchestration and expression.

“A dazzling performance…by Australia’s finest early music exponents.” – Australian Arts Review, 2023

“A magical, musical engine, made up of many individual parts but operating as one whole. The virtuosity of the entire orchestra was remarkable.” – Canberra City News, 2023

Founded under the artistic direction of renowned musician and educator the late Richard Gill and now under the co-artistic direction of Rachael Beesley and Nicole van Bruggen, the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra is a world-class orchestra of leading Australian musicians who are dedicated to the performance of Classical and Romantic orchestral and chamber music repertoire in historically-informed style on period instruments. This inspiring and highly influential period of composition from the late 18th to early 20th centuries demonstrates the depth and passion of the time and when placed in context the music comes to life.