Steel City Strings

A vibrant​ chamber orchestra showcasing the professional talents of players from the Illawarra and Shoalhaven Region. ​

Steel City Strings 2025 Common Ground Concert
9-16 MARCH 2025

COMMON GROUND

Common Ground considers the music that starts with vibrant cultures and their musical self-expression. The enduring legacy of folk music with its ancient rhythms and evocative melodies finds common ground in the present-day in works by Sandor Veress, Peter Sculthorpe and Gerard Brophy. Here, the music honours its origins while connecting with the rich tapestry of past traditions. A particular treat will be the haunting strains of a Balinese gamelan orchestra.

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15-22 JUNE 2025

ECHOES

Echoes takes us on a journey through the rich cultures of our Asian neighbours, finding points of mutual attraction and dynamic interplay, creating a harmonious dialogue between not-so-distant lands. East will meet west in music by Anne Boyd, Julian Yu and Andrián Pertout, and amply illustrate how Australian music is the richer for this connection. Echoes will feature celebrated Australian clarinetist, Lloyd Van’t Hoff.

Owen_Pink Vanitas_SCS-2023
14-21 SEPTEMBER 2025

FOREST BATHING

Forest Bathing or shinrin-yoku draws on the Japanese concept of finding renewal within the natural landscape. The repertoire in this concert reflects the beauty of the natural world, from the majestic stillness of a forest to the tumultuous roar of a coastal landscape. Music by Elena Kats-Chernin, Peter Sculthorpe and Brenda Gifford will offer respite from the hectic pace of the modern world, creating tranquil spaces for self-reflection, perhaps the essential wellsprings of mindfulness.

2025 Season Tickets & Program Now Available

Steel City Strings is proud to announce it’s 2025 season. Our first series, around the theme of identity explores the common grounds of human experience in music that is rich in ideas and emotions.

The second series “Reel Music” presents music for strings in film. Our audiences will be thrilled and delighted by cinematic soundscapes from Psycho, Cinema Paradiso and Pirates of the Carribean.

In the final series of 2025, Steel City Strings will perform with Con Voci and the Wollcon Chamber Choir in a program of works by Faure and a new commission from Sally Whitwell.

Where SCS performs

​​Steel City Strings, Illawarra’s Chamber Orchestra, performs a wide variety of works from classic to popular, often collaborating with talented Illawarra soloists and performers. In 2023 and 2024, Steel City Strings full ensemble performed at:

  • Wollongong Art Gallery
  • Wollongong Town Hall
  • Bowral Memorial Hall
  • Burrawang School of Arts
  • Nowra School of Arts
  • Shellharbour Civic Center
  • St Francis Xavier Catholic Cathedral Wollongong

Performances may be at other venues in Wollongong, Shellharbour, Kiama, Berry, Nowra and the Southern Highlands, for concerts featuring smaller ensembles. Visit our Event Calendar to see information on all upcoming concerts, including the ticket booking link for each concert.

Other musical events in the region

Steel City Strings encourages and supports local musicians organising external concerts in the community.

Wollongong Conservatorium

The Wollongong Conservatorium, a key partner to SCS, offers a wide range of events from local classical musicians. View the Wollongong Conservatorium What’s On page to find out more.

'The Composer is in the Room' concert. Wollongong Town Hall, 2021.
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Experience the Energy

Steel City Strings provides an important platform:

  • for local musicians to come together to play exciting music
  • to inspire young local string players
  • to feature local soloists
  • to support and showcase talented Australian composers

Concerts have featured compositions by Australian composers Carr-Boyd, Sculthorpe, Ford and Grainger as well as local composers John Spence, Michael Barkl and Adrian Whitehall. The orchestra also features the talents of exceptional local solo musicians.

Mentoring and developing young local players through coaching and providing opportunities to play and perform with the orchestra is an integral part of our strategy for developing the orchestra and its members.

Kyle Little

Kyle Little

Artistic Director/Concert Master

Karella Mitchell

Karella Mitchell

Principal Cello

Jacob Antonio

Jacob Antonio

Principal Violin

Ethan Ireland

Ethan Ireland

Principal Double Bass

Adrian Davis

Adrian Davis

Principal Viola

Latest News

2024 Season Announcement

2024 Season Announcement

Steel City Strings is thrilled to announce an exciting 2024 Season Program. A new year will bring 3 carefully curated programs to delight all concert goers who love string music. Program 1 - "Identity" tells the story of human nature and the amazing ability within all...

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Cellissimo Premiere – The cellists

Cellissimo Premiere – The cellists

The cellists of Steel City Strings have formed a cello quartet. We are proud to introduce them as "Cellissimo". In their inaugural program, Cellissimo have chosen a delicious program. In this year of 2023, ABC Classic FM listeners voted the cello Australia's favourite...

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Testimonials

The members of Steel City Strings are outstanding examples of hard work, enterprise, enthusiasm and dedication. They reach for the stars and beyond. More power to these wonderful people.

Richard Gill AO

In Debussy's Sacred and Profane Dances of 1904 the orchestra was joined by harpist Paulina Smirnov whose scintillating playing created a wonderful and subtly-nuanced centrepiece for the concert.

Anon

A fascinating program of works from various musical periods... The orchestra played with a strong sense of ensemble, and brought an infectious verve to the Mozart.

Anon

Sponsors

Community Building Partnership
Benedict
SCE
ACF
Wollongong City

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