From Marc Taddei - Music Director
“…this is a game that may end very badly.”
With these chilling words, the official voice of a totalitarian regime set the stage for one of the most dramatic chapters in music history.
Orchestra Wellington invites you to join us as we explore this gripping story in our upcoming season, THE DICTATOR’S SHADOW.
2025 is a significant anniversary. We will mark it by tracing the meteoric rise of a teenage wunderkind celebrated by their country, who eventually faced censure and potential imprisonment, or worse. This perilous history feels all too relevant today.
How does the artist exist in society? How do they respond to repression, reveal (or disguise) their thoughts, and connect? These questions shape our season.
Spanning a tumultuous 15-year period, Orchestra Wellington’s season involves 20th-century symphonies and an opera that journey through experimentation, official rebuke, and an artistic response that set the composer on a new path while posing questions about what might have been. These masterpieces symbolise the artist’s struggle and resilience under repression. You can also expect surprises and fun along the way — who knows, we may even feature zombie sheep!
It is an honour to serve you, and your support inspires us at Orchestra Wellington to present stories that speak to profound truths, but also inspire, delight, and entertain. Please consider subscribing to this wonderful season—let’s shine some light on that shadow!
Read about our 2025 season in full
WHY SUBSCRIBE?
Subscribing to the 2025 season of THE DICTATOR’S SHADOW before 9 November 2024 gives you access to the incredible rate of $35 per performance! As a subscriber of Orchestra Wellington, you are joining us on our journey to make the world of orchestral music accessible to everyone.
YOUR support as a subscriber enables us to present the work we do both inside and outside the concert hall, reaching communities throughout the region to share in the thrill of live music.
At the heart of Orchestra Wellington is our commitment to making music accessible and deeply enriching for all. We have teamed up with an incredible array of artists, alongside passionate community leaders and national arts organisations, to ensure that our reach continues to grow, bringing powerful musical experiences to every corner of our region. Whether through our Music to Schools programme, which brings the magic of live performance to thousands of young people in their classrooms, or our scholarship programmes that nurture the next generation of musicians by offering invaluable experience alongside accomplished artists, we’re ensuring that music is for everyone and will continue to inspire a love for it in generations to come.
Subscribing each year ensures you can retain the same seat and receive our direct communications, priority programme notes and information regarding pre-concert talks prior to each performance.
You will gain access to offers and advance notice of our shows outside of our season, including our joint ventures and community events. Finally, all subscription bookings are managed in-house.
