A series of talks on a range of fascinating musical topics including the stories behind composers, musical genres, instrumentation and more.

Please check this page regularly for updates.

Bookings details

Tickets: $10 (online presentation)
Venue: The talks will be presented on Zoom.

Conducting, What’s all the Fuss About?

What exactly does a conductor do? Do they really affect the “sound”? Are they even necessary? Do you have what it takes to be a conductor? In an engaging and entertaining manner, Lachlan will answer these questions and more about the little known role of the conductor.

We have a limited number of in-person tickets available, so book early – as these tickets will sell out quickly.

By purchasing a ticket to this event you are providing the support needed to keep us on-air.

Presenter – Lachlan Snow

By day, Lachlan is the Philanthropy Manager for Musica Viva Australia. By night and outside working hours, Lachlan facilitates the enjoyment of many in the community for music making, including both choirs and orchestras. Lachlan also presents pre-concert talks for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

The Emperors of Waltz

The Strauss family of Vienna took Europe and North America by storm in the 19th century. They were The Beatles of their era! Three generations of the Strauss family composed and performed ‘music to make you happy’ for the masses and for the aristocracy. This talk will showcase the family, their challenges and, of course, their wonderful music.

We have a limited number of in-person tickets available, so book early – as these tickets will sell out quickly.

By purchasing a ticket to this event you are providing the support needed to keep us on-air.

Presenter – Robert Gilchrist

Robert has been a presenter at Fine Music Sydney since 2011. He learnt the violin as a child, led the school orchestra and has never lost his taste for classical music, especially the Strauss family! In the real world he is an IT Consultant working in the financial services sector.

Lost in Translation?

What does a librettist actually do? What happens when the language is changed from the original? This is a fun look at such topics as Gilbert and Sullivan in French and Yiddish, Offenbach and the Sadlers Wells translations, plus other singable and un-singable texts. Boito’s settings of Shakespeare in Italian will be included, as well as some Victorian versions of well-known arias that don’t quite say what they’re supposed to say.

We have a limited number of in-person tickets available, so book early – as these tickets will sell out quickly.

By purchasing a ticket to this event you are providing the support needed to keep us on-air.

Presenter – Angela Cockburn

Angela is mezzo-soprano, professional actress and founding member of Murder By Design, for which she has written many scripts. As a student, she translated Paul Claudel’s L’Annonce faite à Marie and later adapted it for the libretto of Edward Grantham’s opera Bitter Innocence. She was also involved in the translation of Mozart’s Don Giovanni. Both translations presented the challenge of needing to be both singable and true to the original.

The Greatest English Composer?

Purcell died young of a fever – yet the legacy he left us was enough to establish him as perhaps the greatest ever English composer. How did he establish his reputation?

We have a limited number of in-person tickets available, so book early – as these tickets will sell out quickly.

By purchasing a ticket to this event you are providing the support needed to keep us on-air.

Presenter – Andrew Dziedzic

Andrew first volunteered as a presenter in 2006 fulfilling a life-long ambition. He can be heard on air frequently and trains new presenters. He helped set up ELD in 2012 and has given several talks on Bach’s cantatas and masses as well as Schubert’s Winterreise.