Orchestrating the metropolis

Abstract

In 2012 the Sydney Symphony Orchestra celebrated its 80 th birthday, dating its beginnings from the establishment of the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) on 1 July 1932. Yet a body of instrumentalists called the �Sydney Symphony Orchestra� began holding regular subscription concerts as early as 1908. This article explores the early history of the orchestra and argues that it was part of a broad-based community drive to promote civic values and claim the perceived benefits of the �civilised� world for a growing urban community, laying the groundwork for the development of modern musical institutions.