To kick off celebrations for its 10th anniversary year, the Gippsland Symphony Orchestra will take audiences on a musical journey at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Sunday, March 16.

The first concert in the "Symphonic Journeys" series, the March GSO performance will feature Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf" as the main work.
Also featured in the concert is Beethoven's "Coriolan Overture", Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite" and Haydn's "Toy Symphony".
Conductor David Williams said the pieces selected for the concert were chosen based on their level of difficulty for the players and their flow together.
"You need try and think of something that's playable, challenging, enjoyable and engaging," he said.
The first piece in the concert, Beethoven's "Coriolan Overture", has a special connection to the GSO.
"That was the first piece (the GSO) ever played," David said.
Based on the Shakespearean tragedy "Coriolanus", the overture was composed in 1807.
Often referred to as programmatic, the overture features a stormy sound in C minor for the first subject, representing Coriolanus and his rebellious nature. The second subject is gentler and flowing, representing his wife Volumnia.
The "Nutcracker Suite" will feature a number of famous pieces from the beloved ballet, including the "Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy", "Waltz of the Flowers" and "Trepak - the Russian Dance".
The "Nutcracker Suite" showcases Tchaikovsky's gift for melody and orchestration, capturing the fantastical elements of the original ballet.
The "Toy Symphony" will delight audiences with the whimsical sounds of toy instruments including the toy trumpet, ratchet, bird calls from a cuckoo, nightingale and quail, chime tree, triangle, drum and glockenspiel.
David explained the interesting origins of the symphony.
"The "Toy Symphony" is a bit of an orphan, no one really knows who wrote it," David said. "It's attributed to Joseph Haydn, but some academics think it was Leopold Mozart."
Some scholars also consider "Berchtolds-Gaden Musick", composed by the Austrian Benedictine monk Edmund Angerer as the original "Toy Symphony".
"It's a bit of fun, because you hear (all the instruments) and then you hear someone play a cuckoo sound," David said.
"One of our players brought a tub of toys to rehearsal the other night, we had significantly more toys than what was (written in the piece) but it was lots of fun."
The main piece in concert, Prokofiev's "Peter and the Wolf", is a symphonic fairytale that introduces the different instruments of the orchestra to children.
Each character is represented by a different instrument with their own themes.
Filled with the familiar tunes of the "Nutcracker" and the whimsical sounds of the "Toy Symphony", David said the concert program is perfect for introducing young people to symphony orchestra music.
"It's definitely a family friendly concert," David said. "It would be a great concert to bring young kids to, teenagers or anyone who hasn't actually been to a symphony orchestra concert before.
Audiences also will get exposure to different instruments and their sounds during the performance of "Peter and the Wolf".
"The first page of the (Peter and the Wolf) score, there's text that introduces the bird, played by the flute, then the duck played by the oboe, then the wolf," David explained. "Even before you've played the piece through, you indicate to the audience the instruments, and the character they represent."
"It's a perfect concert to bring young kids to and introduce them to an orchestral experience."
The GSO will perform at the West Gippsland Arts Centre on Sunday, March 16 at 2pm. The concert will run for an hour and 45 minutes including intermission.
Tickets are available to purchase online at sales.wgac.com.au