OBSERVER: Harry Potter
When Harry Potter’s Muggle uncle declared, “There’s no such thing as magic,” he clearly never had the pleasure of experiencing the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra live.
Because pure magic is the only way to describe MSO’s performance of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone in Concert.
Under the flawless direction of conductor Vanessa Scammell, the orchestra brought John Williams’s iconic score to vibrant, emotional life.
Experiencing a live orchestral performance in sync with a film is nothing short of extraordinary—it reminds us just how much music shapes our emotional connection to cinema.
Fear, delight, anticipation, sadness—every feeling is amplified, coloured, and deepened by the score. And yet, we so often forget it’s even there.
What stood out most was the remarkable precision required by the conductor to follow the actor’s cues and on-screen script.
Typically it’s the conductor who leads and co-ordinates the entire performance, including any onstage performers, as in opera.
Here, that dynamic is reversed. Scammell masterfully tracks dozens of cues—one standout being the moment Harry removes his invisibility cloak – the mood music is suddenly interrupted by chime-like sounds, mirroring the cloak’s fall and enhancing the scene’s magical, ethereal atmosphere.
Whether you’re a lifelong Potter fan or completely new to the wizarding world, this next-level cinematic experience is bound to leave you spellbound.
From the delicate celesta and sweeping strings to bold brass and mysterious woodwinds, the orchestra gave depth and drama to every magical moment.
The music danced between light and dark, whimsy and danger, just as the story does.
Events like this serve more than just entertainment—they offer an incredible gateway to orchestral music for younger audiences and reconnect long-time concertgoers with the timeless power of a live score.
It was heartening to see Hamer Hall filled with fans proudly wearing their house colours—from Gryffindor to Slytherin.
Unsurprisingly, the season sold out quickly. Look out for future film-and-orchestra performances at www.mso.com.au
Review by Beth Klein