Emirates and Sydney Symphony Orchestra extend their two decade partnership and plan to take performances across the globe

By Rafiq Vayani

DUBAI: Emirates has further solidified its commitment to supporting arts and culture in Australia by extending its 21-year partnership with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra until 2025. A cornerstone of its ongoing support to music and arts around the world, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra is the airline’s longest-running non-sports partnership.

Emirates’ support of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will help deliver world-class entertainment experiences to customers in Australia, connecting music lovers across the globe to the symphony’s innovative digital concert series. The partnership will also deliver the classical masterwork of one of the world’s finest orchestras to millions of Emirates passengers through the airline’s in-flight entertainment system, ice. The sponsorship will continue to offer ticket and hospitality experiences, presenting partner opportunities for the symphony’s popular concert series, as well as branding and promotional opportunities, among other benefits.

Over the two decades of partnership, the Sydney Symphony Orchestra has performed to over 4 million people across almost 3,000 live performances. Emirates’ renewed partnership comes as the Sydney Symphony Orchestra enters a new artistic period, highlighted by its return to a reopened Sydney Opera House Concert Hall in July 2022, under the direction of Simone Young, the Orchestra’s internationally renowned Chief Conductor.

Barry Brown, Divisional Vice President Australasia at Emirates, says, “Like air travel, music has the power to lift our spirits, broaden our horizons and open up the world around us. We’re proud to continue our support to the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, which is home to exceptional standards of performance, outstanding musicians, and is regarded as one of the world’s leading orchestras. Emirates is well-known for sponsoring the best in sports, but we’re also passionate about growing global music, arts and culture to enrich the lives of the communities we serve. Our Sydney Symphony partnership, now well into its second decade, is Emirates’ longest running non-sports sponsorship and we look forward to continuing our great work together.”

The Sydney Symphony Orchestra has been present during many of Emirates’ key milestones and initiatives over the years, including the launch of the airline’s flagship A380 aircraft in Australia and more recently the launch of its new Premium Economy cabin in Sydney. Performing over 150 concerts a year to a live audience of more than 350,000 people, the Sydney Symphony will work with Emirates to expand the global audience through the Orchestra’s Sydney Symphony on Demand digital platform which features full-length concert experiences. The platform also presents special chamber music recordings with the finest musicians making new Australian work available to audiences around the world. The platform, launched in partnership with Emirates in 2020, provides free access to a catalogue of great performances.

The partnership will also continue to offer ticket and hospitality experiences, Presenting Partner positioning for the Orchestra’s popular Emirates Master Series, as well as branding and promotional opportunities, among other benefits.

Music is a big part of the content offered on Emirates’ ice inflight entertainment system, with over 6,500 channels that include diverse genres like classical, opera, jazz, among others.

Craig Whitehead, Chief Executive Officer of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, adds: “We thank Emirates for its continued support and sharing the Sydney Symphony’s vision for creating musical experiences that are amongst the world’s finest. Emirates has been a significant partner in the Orchestra’s long history of bringing the greatest artists and extraordinary musical experiences to the Concert Hall of the Sydney Opera House. Emirates’ support has also allowed us to continue an ambitious program of commissioning and recording new work by Australian composers. We are looking forward to sharing our performances on Emirate’s global platform, where the unique nature of our performances will be available to audiences around the world.”

With sponsorships spanning literature, film, art, culinary, music festivals and globally renowned orchestras, Emirates is dedicated to supporting the growth and reach of cultural activities in Australia and around the world.

Within Australia, Emirates also proudly sponsors the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, including its recent exhibition, taypani milaythina-tu: Return to Country. The partnership saw Emirates transport a precious Aboriginal object from Paris to Tasmania, 230 years after it was first removed. The artefact, a rikawa (kelp water carrier), is only one of two known to be in existence, and its new home at the museum will allow the Tasmanian Aboriginal community to reconnect with their cultural history. Emirates also has a longstanding sponsorship with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, now approaching 20 years.