2025
ODE TO FATE
Saturday, November 29, 2025
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| HUMPERDINCK | Overture to “Hänsel und Gretel” |
| BRUCH | Violin Concerto No. 1, Op. 26 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Symphony No. 4in F Minor, Op. 36 |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
BRILLIANT BRAHMS
Saturday, September 13, 2025
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| BRAHMS | Tragic Overture |
| BRAHMS | Selections from “Hungarian Dances” |
| BRAHMS | Symphony No. 3 in F Major |
| Greg Larielle-Jones | conductor |
SYMPHONIC HEROES
Saturday, June 21, 2025
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| GIACCHINO | Marvel Studios Fanfare |
| CONTI | ““Gonna Fly Now” from Rocky |
| MORRICONE | Symphony No. 8 in G Major |
| WILLIAMS | Suite from Star Wars: The Force Awakens |
| NORTH | “Love Theme” from Spartacus |
| KONDO | Medley from the Legend of Zelda series |
| WILLIAMS | Superman March |
| INTERMISSION | |
| WILLIAMS | Raiders March |
| arr. LOPEZ | Medley from the James Bond series |
| LINDGREN arr. WANG | “A Cup of Liber-Tea” from Helldivers |
| POWELL | Music from How to Train Your Dragon |
| ELFMAN | Main Theme from Batman (1989) |
| Marvel Suite | |
| SILVESTRI | I. Main Theme from The Avengers |
| SILVESTRI | II. Captain America March |
| TYLER | III. Main Theme from Iron Man 3 |
| SILVESTRI | IV. “Portals” from Avengers: Endgame |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
SURPRISES & TYPEWRITERS
Saturday, March 22, 2025
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| ANDERSON | The Typewriter |
| HAYDN | Symphony No. 94 in G Major, “Surprise” |
| BEETHOVEN | Symphony No. 2 in D Major |
| Heather Skinner | typewriter |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
2024
STAR-CROSSED
Saturday, November 23, 2024
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| VIVALDI | Concerto for Two Trumpets |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | “Romeo and Juliet” Fantasy Overture |
| DVORAK | Symphony No. 8 in G Major |
| Raphael Harvey | trumpet |
| Matt Carter | trumpet |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
CLASSICAL CINEMA
Saturday, September 14, 2024
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| R. STRAUSS | Prelude to “Also Sprach Zarathustra” |
| BIDELT arr. RICKETTS | Themes from “Pirates of the Caribbean” |
| BARBER | Adagio for Strings |
| WILLIAMS | Suite from “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone” |
| VANGELIS | Theme from “Chariots of Fire” |
| WILLIAMS | Theme from “Jurassic Park” |
| SHORE arr. WHITNEY | Symphonic Suite from “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers” |
| WILLIAMS | “Star Wars” Suite |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
STUNNING SIBELIUS
Saturday, June 15, 2024
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| SIBELIUS | Finlandia, Op. 26 |
| SIBELIUS | “Karelia” Suite, Op. 11 |
| SIBELIUS | Violin Concerto in D Minor |
| Sunny Roh | violin |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
EUROPEAN EXTRAVAGANZA
Saturday, March 16, 2024
4:00pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| SCHUMANN | Overture to “Genoveva”, Op. 81 |
| DVORAK | Symphonic Variations, Op. 78 |
| MENDELSSOHN | Symphony No. 3 in A Minor, “Scottish” |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
2023
PICTURES
Saturday, November 18, 2023
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| MARQUEZ | Danzon No. 2 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | “Nutcracker” Suite |
| MUSSORGSKY arr. RAVEL | Pictures at an Exhibition |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
PATHETIQUE
Saturday, September 2, 2023
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| ROSSINI | Overture to “The Barber of Seville” |
| GRIEG | “Peer Gynt” Suite No. 1 |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Symphony No. 6 in B Minor, “Pathetique” |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
PASTORAL
Saturday, June 3, 2023
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| WAGNER | Prelude to “Die Meistersinger von Nurnberg” |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | “Swan Lake” Suite Op. 20a |
| BEETHOVEN | Symphony No. 6 in F Major, “Pastoral“ |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
MAGNIFICENT MENDELSSOHN
Saturday, March 11, 2023
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| MOZART | Overture to “The Magic Flute” |
| MENDELSSOHN | Violin Concerto in E Minor |
| BRAHMS | Symphony No. 2 in D Major |
| Warwick Adeney | violin |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
2022
SYMPHONIC SHAKESPEARE
Saturday, November 26, 2022
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| WAGNER | Prelude to “Lohengrin”, Act I |
| BIZET | Carmen Suite No. 2 |
| PROKOFIEV | Selections from “Romeo and Juliet” Suites No. 1 & 2 |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
THE PLANETS
Saturday, September 10, 2022
7:30pm, Pioneer Theatre, Castle Hill
| RACHMANINOV arr. UPTON | Prelude in C-Sharp Minor |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Capriccio Italien |
| HOLST | The Planets |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
BEETHOVEN 7
Saturday, June 25, 2022
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| MOZART | Overture to “The Marriage of Figaro” |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Violin Concerto in D Major |
| BEETHOVEN | Symphony No. 7 in A Major |
| Alexander Norton | violin |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
ENIGMA
Saturday, April 2022
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| BRAHMS | Academic Festival Overture |
| REINECKE | Harp Concerto in E Minor |
| ELGAR | Enigma Variations |
| Verna Lee | harp |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
2021
ENIGMA – CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
THE PLANETS – CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
RAVISHING ROMANTICS
Saturday, June 19, 2021
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| DVORAK | Carnival Overture |
| BIZET | Selections from “L’Arlesienne” Suites 1 & 2 |
| RACHMANINOV | Symphony No. 2 in E Minor |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
FIRSTS AND LASTS
Saturday, March 27, 2021
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| ROSSINI | Overture to “La Gazza Iadra” |
| ELGAR | Cello Concerto in E Minor |
| SIBELIUS | Symphony No. 1 in E Minor |
| Lianah Jaensch | cello |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
2020
CHAMBER SESSIONS
Wednesday, December 9, 2020
Livestreamed via Facebook
| HOLST | St. Paul’s Suite |
| BEETHOVEN arr. UPTON | Piano Sonata No. 8 in C Minor, “Pathetique” (arr. for wind ensemble) |
| MOZART | Symphony No. 40 in G Minor (first movement) |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
ELGAR & DVORAK – CANCELLED DUE TO COVID-19 PANDEMIC
2019
FROM THE NEW WORLD
Saturday, December 7, 2019
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| COPLAND | Fanfare for the Common Man |
| SMETANA | Die Moldau |
| DVORAK | Symphony No. 9 in E Minor |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
FATE
Saturday, September 20, 2019
7:30pm, Pioneer Theatre, Castle Hill
| BARBER | Adagio for Strings |
| SCHUBERT | Symphony No. 8 in B Minor, “Unfinished” |
| BEETHOVEN | Symphony No. 5 in C Minor |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
BEETHOVEN TRIUMPHANT
Saturday, May 25, 2019
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| BEETHOVEN | Coriolan Overture |
| BEETHOVEN | Piano Concerto No. 5 in Eb Major |
| BEETHOVEN | Symphony No. 3 in Eb Major, “Eroica” |
| Nicholas Young | piano |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
SIBELIUS 2
Saturday, March 9, 2019
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| SIBELIUS | Finlandia |
| HAYDN | Cello Concerto No. 1 in C Major |
| SIBELIUS | Symphony No. 2 in D Major |
| Kirsty Vickers | cello |
| Chris Upton | conductor |
2018
GLORIOUS BEGINNINGS
Saturday, December 1, 2018
7:30pm, Hills Grammar School, Kenthurst
| BEETHOVEN | Overture to “Egmont” |
| MENDELSSOHN | Overture to “Hebrides” |
| BRAHMS | Tragic Overture |
| TCHAIKOVSKY | Symphony No. 5 in E Minor |
| Chris Upton | conductor |