Darwin Symphony Orchestra celebrates islands as places of connection in Island Signal, Island Song.
Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) is set to start the dry season with its second concert of the 2026 Season, Island Signal, Island Song, presented in The Playhouse at AANT Centre on Saturday, 9 May. This evocative program invites audiences to explore islands not as remote outposts, but as vibrant places of encounter, beauty and shared human experience.
The evening opens under the baton of guest conductor Fabian Russell, opening the program with Mills’composition Island Signal/Island Song, from which the concert takes its name. The work features four DSO French Horn soloists and reflects Mills’ fascination with calls that travel across distance – both geographical and historical.
“My piece is based on the idea of calling across space and time,” Mills explains. “From the traditional conch shell inter-island callings of the Torres Strait to the elaborate antiphonies of the Venetian Baroque – particularly the music written by the Gabrieli brothers for the Basilica of San Marco. Our French horn section will be the featured soloists – and will progress into the hall for music of response and echo which finally calls the players back to the stage – celebrating the thrill of recognition of the magic of echo and the human commonalities which we all share regardless of distance.”
The program also showcases works by Rautavaara, Mendelssohn and Tchaikovsky, each offering its own reflection on the landscapes, myths and inspirations of islands.
Rautavaara’s Isle of Bliss paints an imagined island alive with colour, luminosity and mystery – an idealised world conjured in translucent, shimmering orchestral textures.
Mendelssohn’s The Hebrides – often described as a “watercolour in music” – captures the rugged beauty of Scotland’s western coastline, inspired by the composer’s visit to Fingal’s Cave.
You can sense a feeling of distance and far-off places in Tchaikovsky’s Fourth Symphony, written while he was staying at Venice’s Hotel Londra. Though the symphony makes no overt reference to the city, Mills notes that “the idea of an isolated place, removed from the bustle of the world, has long sparked creative inspiration – one thinks of Gauguin in Tahiti, for example.”
Across cultures and histories, islands evoke both separation and connection. “Despite distances, isolation and horizons of sea and river, islands encourage us to explore essential humanity and to communicate across time and space – just as this music does,” Mills reflects.
Tickets are on sale now. Visit www.dso.org.au/island-signal-island-song for more information or to book seats.
Event Details
Date: Saturday, 9 May 2026
Time: 7:30pm
Location: The Playhouse, AANT Centre
Tickets are on sale now: https://dso.org.au/island-signal-island-song/