Uploaded March 2023 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
From the Film Australia Collection comes a rare behind-the-scenes portrait of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as they prepare and perform Concerto for Orchestra, the very work returning to their stage this week.
Filmed in 1964 and conducted by Dean Dixon, this beautifully observed documentary captures the rhythm, discipline and quiet intensity of orchestral life, from rehearsal rooms to performance at Sydney Town Hall.
The film reveals how a collective of individual musicians is shaped into a single, unified voice, guided by one of the great conductors of the era.
Concerto for Orchestra offers an intimate impression of orchestral life, using Béla Bartók’s landmark composition as both subject and structure. The film follows the orchestra in the hour leading up to a concert, as Dixon prepares mentally and musically to bring out the best in each player.
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Title: Concerto for Orchestra
NFSA ID: K73NRR9E
Year: 1965
Director: Robert Parker
Producer: Stanley Hawes
Associate Producer: Malcolm Otton
Production Company: Australian Commonwealth Film Unit
#SydneySymphonyOrchestra #ConcertoForOrchestra #BelaBartok #ClassicalMusic #NFSA
From the Film Australia Collection comes a rare behind-the-scenes portrait of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as they prepare and perform Concerto for Orchestra, the very work returning to their stage this week.
Filmed in 1964 and conducted by Dean Dixon, this beautifully observed documentary captures the rhythm, discipline and quiet intensity of orchestral life, from rehearsal rooms to performance at Sydney Town Hall.
The film reveals how a collective of individual musicians is shaped into a single, unified voice, guided by one of the great conductors of the era.
Concerto for Orchestra offers an intimate impression of orchestral life, using Béla Bartók’s landmark composition as both subject and structure. The film follows the orchestra in the hour leading up to a concert, as Dixon prepares mentally and musically to bring out the best in each player.
Subscribe to explore more rare and restored films from the NFSA Film Australia Collection:
youtube.com/@NFSAFilmAustralia?sub_confirmation=1
Title: Concerto for Orchestra
NFSA ID: K73NRR9E
Year: 1965
Director: Robert Parker
Producer: Stanley Hawes
Associate Producer: Malcolm Otton
Production Company: Australian Commonwealth Film Unit
#SydneySymphonyOrchestra #ConcertoForOrchestra #BelaBartok #ClassicalMusic #NFSA
