SUNDAY 29 MARCH 2026
TOBY WONG ON THE SHAUMET MUSIC ‘DAS RHEINGOLD’
2.00pm:
Talk by conductor Toby Wong
on the Shaumet Musc Das Rheingold
Venue:
Willoughby Uniting Church
10-12 Clanwilliam Street
North Willoughby NSW
Tickets:
$35 members, $45 non-members, $15 full-time students
BUY TICKETS HERE
ABOUT TOBY WONG
Toby Wong is a Hong Kong–born, Sydney-based conductor whose work spans choral, operatic, and orchestral repertoire. He is currently Assistant Music Director at Christ Church St Laurence, one of Australia’s oldest professional choral and instrumental institutions, where he collaborates closely with Music Director Sam Allchurch on an ambitious programme ranging from Gregorian chant to contemporary works. He is also Music Director of the Cooperative Opera Company, and in 2026 will conduct the Sydney premiere of Jonathan Dove’s chamber adaptation of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold.
Toby began conducting at an early age: at 12, he led his school orchestra in Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos, and by 17 he became the youngest Music Director in the history of St Michael’s Choir at Holy Cross Church, Hong Kong. He later served as Assistant Conductor of Cantabile (Hong Kong) under Philip Chu, directing repertoire from Baroque oratorio to film music.
Since relocating to Sydney, Toby has sung with the Sydney Chamber Choir and assisted in preparing the ensemble for major projects, including performances at the Gewandhaus Leipzig and the Berliner Dom. He has participated in masterclasses with distinguished musicians including James O’Donnell, Dr Sharon Paul, and Lior Shambadal with the Berliner Sinfonietta.
Toby holds a Master of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. His research on conducting and performing Puccini operas received multiple academic commendations. A versatile musician trained in piano, violin, and organ, he has also performed with the Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus under conductors including Lorin Maazel, Jaap van Zweden, Carlo Rizzi, and Karina Canellakis.
ABOUT SHAUMET MUSIC DAS RHEINGOLD
Shaumet Music, an Australian arts company, is proudly presenting a landmark event: the Australian premiere of Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick’s celebrated chamber adaptation of Richard Wagner’s Das Rheingold in concert at 7.30pm on Friday 24 April 2026 in the City Recital Hall. The opening chapter of Wagner’s monumental Ring Cycle unfolds in a world where gods, giants, and the guardians of the Rhine battle over ultimate power: the Ring forged from the stolen Rheingold. This streamlined yet dramatically charged adaptation preserves all the intensity of Wagner’s score while revealing the opera’s gripping narrative with crystal clarity.
Led by rising conductor Toby Wong, this performance showcases an exceptional line-up of a mixture of young and experienced Australian operatic talent. Audiences will be transported through awe-inspiring musical landscapes, from the shimmering depths of the Rhine to the towering heights of Valhalla. Presented without interval, this rare performance highlights the irresistible forward momentum and raw dramatic energy of Wagner’s vision.
Adaptation of The Rheingold by Jonathan Dove and Graham Vick, orchestration by Jonathan Dove, by arrangement with Birmingham Opera.
ABOUT TOBY WONG’S TALK
Toby will share the story of how he first discovered Jonathan Dove’s chamber adaptation of Das Rheingold, and the artistic and logistical challenges of bringing this project to Sydney. He will speak about his vision of presenting this work with a fully local Sydney/Melbourne cast, and his musical approach to conducting this chamber arrangement. He hopes to show selected excerpts from the full score to illustrate some of the structural and orchestration decisions.
As well as planning to include short video excerpts from a previous production of this arrangement by a Strasbourg-based company, Toby’s presentation will conclude with a short live performance excerpt featuring Jill Sullivan (mezzo-soprano and WSNSW member) as Erda, accompanied by pianist Jamie-Lee Xu