ABOUT THE FESTIVAL
An Afternoon to Remember
Acclaimed musicians and artists from China and Australia come together for one afternoon only. Guzheng virtuoso Lu Jing performs celebrated works — Fisherman's Song at Dusk, Jasmine Fragrance and Butterfly Lovers — accompanied by an Australian string quintet and piano.
The afternoon also features renowned Australian conductor Luke Spicer, with performances by international visiting choirs alongside local Australian choir ensembles and soloists — a celebration of friendship, artistic excellence, and the unifying power of music.
The Venue
Address
Bennelong Point, Sydney NSW 2000
Capacity
~2,679 seats · Concert Hall
Getting There
Circular Quay, 5 min walk
Accessibility
Fully accessible · hearing loops
East meets West
Dec 12, 2025 · 7:30 PMAustralian Festival of Arts & Music
East meets West
A glimpse of this extraordinary celebration in performance.
Programme
An Afternoon of Music
Saturday, 25 July 2026 · 1:30 PM · Sydney Opera House Concert Hall
Highlights
Photo Gallery
Lu Jing
Guzheng · SoloistA world-renowned guzheng performer and professor at the Sichuan Conservatory of Music, celebrated for blending Chinese musical heritage with refined cross-cultural performance. She has given hundreds of recitals worldwide, including the first guzheng recital at Vienna's Golden Hall (2023).
Luke Spicer
Conductor & ViolistAn Australian violist and conductor working across orchestral and operatic repertoire. A founding member of the Greenway String Quartet, he completed a Master of Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium and has worked with Opera Australia and orchestras throughout Australia.
Emma Jardine
Violin · Festival CuratorA soloist, chamber musician and festival curator, described by The Strad as an 'eloquent, silver-toned violinist.' One of Australia's leading chamber musicians and founder of the Streeton Trio, she has performed across Europe, the UK, Asia and Australia.
Monique Irik
ViolinA 2009 Sydney Symphony Orchestra Fellow who studied at UNSW and in Italy. She has performed with the Opera Australia, Sydney, Queensland, Tasmanian and New Zealand symphony orchestras, and as a soloist the Khachaturian, Sibelius, Tchaikovsky and Bruch concertos.
Jack Ward
CelloAn Australian cellist and chamber musician, and a 2017 Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He has performed with the Australian and Melbourne Chamber Orchestras and the Penny Quartet, and lectures at the Australian Institute of Music.
Michael McNamara
Double BassAn Australian double bassist and educator who has appeared as principal bassist with leading youth and chamber orchestras and performed internationally at venues including Carnegie Hall. He studied at the Sydney Conservatorium under Alex Henery and Kees Boersma.