The two-week Vienna Philharmonic tour of Asia under Valery Gergiev, which took the orchestra to Seoul, Hong Kong and for the first time in the 164 year history of this renowned ensemble to Australia, concluded with a major triumph in Sydney. The program included works by Brahms, Tchaikovsky, Shostakovich, Schumann and Mozart.

The four concerts which constituted the guest appearance of the Vienna Philharmonic in Sydney were such a significant event in the history of our orchestra that we would like to provide a detailed account of the tour in its historical context.