Strauss injected multiple musical quotations into his self-referential masterpiece Ein Heldenleben – so you’re bound to recognise a few when you hear it live. Spot your favourite Straussian sound bite or simply revel in the triumphant melodies that earned the piece the title of A Hero’s Life. Conductor Nicholas Carter will also take you on a journey of Shéhérazade for Voice and Orchestra. The expressive voice in question belongs to Australian soprano Siobhan Stagg, and for you she’ll sing three fantastical tales inspired by The Arabian Nights. Helen Grime’s intricately textured Near Midnight tells another story, evoking D. H. Lawrence’s poetic imagery of church bells clamouring through the night. Grime Near Midnight* (Saturday only) Ravel Shéhérazade for Voice and Orchestra Strauss, R. Ein Heldenleben CONDUCTOR Nicholas Carter SOLOIST Siobhan Stagg, soprano