Is there anything better than hearing superb classical music on a lazy Sunday afternoon? It feels like one of those necessary luxuries – a precious pause in the week where the world softens and the ears open. In a life that’s increasingly loud and accelerated, music becomes a kind of refuge: a place where time stretches, breath returns, and the world feels briefly coherent again.

The Ku‑ring‑gai Philharmonic Orchestra (KPO) has spent more than fifty years creating that kind of gift for its community – commissioning new Australian works, championing young performers, and drawing together professionals, teachers, students and seasoned amateurs into a single, generous ensemble. I had heard of their reputation as a committed and long‑standing ensemble, but what I didn’t expect was a performance of such polish, ambition and world‑class artistry. The term “community orchestra” barely begins to describe the depth, finesse and presence they brought to the stage.

Conducted by Paul Terracini, KPO opened their first concert of the year, Handel, Mozart & Mahler, with striking assurance. Their cohesion and clarity were a testament to his thoughtful, finely calibrated direction. It was a cleverly shaped program, each composer offering a sharply contrasting musical world and demanding a different kind of attack from the orchestra.

Handel brought the ceremonial blaze: bright pomp and bold brass. Mozart, by contrast, pulled everything inward, tightening the emotional focus and sharpening the shadows. Then came Mahler, the great maximalist, whose vast emotional canvas required the orchestra to expand again – in colour, in stamina, in sheer expressive reach. You didn’t need to know the name of every movement to feel the sweep of it; this was the kind of program that tests an orchestra’s range, and KPO met every challenge head on.

Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks opened the concert in magnificent style — bold brass, bright rhythms and that unmistakable spirit of celebration. Royal pageantry seemed to fill the hall, the music gleaming with trumpet-bright splendour and buoyant energy. Each section shifted the mood just enough to keep things alive: a flash of grandeur, a moment of calm, then a sweep of jubilant momentum. Every phrase carried a crispness and lift that kept the festive spirit aloft.

Listening to Mozart’s Piano Concerto in D minor is an immersive journey – tense, stormy, and emotionally charged, yet threaded with moments of luminous lyricism. Featured soloist Vatche Jambazian, a world‑class pianist trained at Juilliard, brought a poised intensity to the performance, shaping every phrase with intelligence and expressive clarity, drawing out the drama, elegance and subtle humour that Mozart wove into the score. It was a wonderful treat to hear a pianist of his calibre bring such depth and imagination to the work.

KPO carried this brilliance with effortless finesse: the strings and winds shimmered in dialogue with the piano, accentuating contrasts between the brooding first movement and the tender Romance. Their precise articulation and dynamic sensitivity made the finale leap with exuberant drive.

Mahler’s Symphony No.1 in D Major “Titan” was a revelation, not least because it is so rare to hear a work of this scale performed live. Seeing such a large orchestra assembled on stage was thrilling, and the wave of sound they produced was nothing short of epic. The symphony moved through its vast emotional landscape with ease: pastoral warmth, rustic humour, moments of shadowed mystery, sudden bursts of playfulness and, finally, a triumphant crescendo that felt almost cinematic, making this rendition feel both monumental and deeply human.

It is no surprise that KPO also invests deeply in the next generation. Their annual Concerto Competition has grown into one of the most prestigious opportunities for young soloists, attracting competitors from across Australia and overseas. It offers emerging artists something rare: the chance to perform with a full symphony orchestra, gain meaningful mentorship, and step onto a stage that can shape the course of a musical career. 

After a performance of this distinction, it is clear why the competition matters and why so many young musicians aspire to stand in front of this orchestra. Joe Hisaishi’s stunning Spirited Away Suite, arriving later this year, will introduce a stylistically bold new chapter to their 2026 season. Make sure you grab your ticket.