2023 The.SYO | La Mer

Water. Earth. Fire. Air. The SYO masters all four elements to bring you this delectable program. With Toby Thatcher at the helm, we begin with Hill’s Śūnyatā (pronounced “shoonyata”); a textural and microtonal experience that toys with the Buddhist concepts of emptiness and our grounding connection to the earth.

In a change of scene, we move to Britten’s Four Sea Interludes​ from his opera Peter Grimes to take the audience on a seaside journey featuring crashing cymbal waves, thunderous timpani and turbulent winds. 

Inspired by Vija Celmins’ photorealistic drawings of natural environments; Illean’s Land’s End is next on our elemental line-up. Subtle changes in dynamics, timbre and tonality will keep you on the edge of your seat before the program concludes with a crowd favourite; Debussy’s La Mer.

Where’s the fire? You ask? The SYO, they’re straight fire baby!

HILL Śūnyatā ​

BRITTEN Four Sea Interludes​

ILLEAN Land’s End​

DEBUSSY La Mer

Toby Thatcher

Toby Thatcher is an Australian/British conductor. He is also co-founder & conductor of Ensemble x.y, Artistic Director of Zeitgeist, & founder & Artistic Director of the Nineteenth Circle.

During the 2022-2023 season Toby will debut with Ensemble Intercontemporain, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Reykjavík Chamber Orchestra & the Dubrovnik Symphony, and return to the Slovenian Philharmonic, Southbank Sinfonia & Sydney Youth Orchestra.

In 2022 Toby was guest Assistant Conductor to the London Philharmonic Orchestra. Between 2020-2021, he was Assistant Conductor to the Orchestre National de France. Between 2018-19, he was mentored by Peter Eötvös. In 2019 he was Conducting Fellow at the Cabrillo Festival, under Cristian Măcelaru. Between 2015-17 Toby was Assistant Conductor to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (under David Robertson) as well as being invited by the London Philharmonic Orchestra as guest assistant to Vladimir Jurowski.

Toby has worked with ensembles internationally including Orchestre National de France, hr-Sinfonieorchester Frankfurt, Ensemble Modern, Slovenian Philharmonic, Croatian Radiotelevision Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonieorchester Basel, Korean Symphony Orchestra, Panon Philharmonic, Riot Ensemble, Auckland Philharmonia & Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Toby has been invited as guest speaker by the Royal Academy of Music, University of the Arts London & the British Association of Romantic Studies. He has appeared on BBC Radio 3 & the ABC.

Toby graduated from the Royal Academy of Music with an MA in Music Performance. As an orchestral musician he performed regularly with the London Philharmonia, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, & London Sinfonietta.