The ABC Classic 100 in Concert: A Celebration of Australian Classical Music
Every year, after Australian classical music lovers cast their votes and once the ABC Classic 100 countdown is complete, those favourites move from the radio to the concert hall. The ABC Classic 100 in Concert is an annual event that brings the nation’s most loved classical music to life. Since 2023, the concert has been presented by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Hamer Hall a few weeks after the popular countdown.
“Seeing the music come alive in the hall with an audience of music lovers who have voted, adds a new, spine-tingling dimension,” says Megan Burslem, ABC Classic Breakfast presenter and co-host of the ABC Classic 100 in Concert. Burslem will be joined by co-host Jeremy Fernandez, from ABC News.
“The concert is about celebrating the full spectrum of what classical music is and how it makes us feel,” he says. “I studied classical piano when I was a child. I wasn’t very good at it, so the next best thing is to enjoy someone else doing it.”
The Voting Process and Behind-the-Scenes Efforts
Presenting music chosen by Australian music-lovers is a complex process. Burslem and others share how the ABC Classic 100 in Concert comes together, what goes on behind the curtains, and why it has a special place in their hearts.
As the presenter of ABC Classic Breakfast, Burslem is deeply embedded in the workings of ABC Classic 100. This is the time of year when the station asks the audience to vote for up to 10 pieces of music based on a given theme. This year’s top-secret theme will be announced when voting opens on May 4, and Burslem is eagerly anticipating the launch.
“Observing the whole process of launching the ABC Classic 100 on the radio, seeing the votes stream in and then seeing it come to life in the concert is really magical,” Burslem says. “For some people, they know the 10 pieces that they’re going to vote for, but other people might find it’s a very difficult process.”
While Burslem is encouraging audiences to vote and testing the mood through incoming messages, another person is listening closely to what everyone is saying. Benjamin Northey has been conducting the ABC Classic 100 in Concert since its launch in 2023.
“As soon as the voting opens, we start monitoring the tallies and analyse trends to predict which pieces might end up in the top 10,” Northey says. It might seem like an unfair advantage, but he needs the help. “One of the great challenges about this program is having to book soloists, for example, without really knowing exactly what they’re going to be playing,” Northey says. That’s because Northey can only finalise music for the concert once the votes have been revealed during the ABC Classic 100 countdown in early June.
Preparing for the Concert
When asked whether Northey finds out the top winner of ABC Classic 100 before the rest of Australia, he only says: “I have just enough information to avoid disasters. I’ve been sworn to secrecy regarding any information that I have.” Burslem also doesn’t want to get in trouble, so her lips are sealed about what goes on in the ABC Classic studios during the lead-up to the countdown.
But Fernandez isn’t shy on sharing what he’s hoping to hear in the final concert. “I’m a big fan of the piano, the strings and the French horn,” he says. “I love choral music and a big orchestra sound.” There’s no predicting what music will make it into this year’s concert. But unlike the financial market, past concerts do give us some clues about future performances.
“They’ve always played the number one winner and celebrate it in the concert,” Burslem says. “Whether the number three or four is played, I’m not sure.” The concert will feature highlights from the top 100 pieces of music as voted by the audience.
Bringing the Music to Life on Stage and Screen
On the day of the concert, the orchestra isn’t just performing to audiences in the hall, but also listeners and viewers around the country. Burslem explains what’s at stake for the musicians. “[In regular concerts], we rarely see this sheer number of soloists on stage with quick changeover, roving cameras and presenters moving around the stage,” Burslem says. She describes the many wheels in motion during the ABC Classic 100 in Concert.
“Every single person, whether they be a stage manager, a production assistant, or a camera operator, they are concentrating like their life depends on it.” The complex operation means that conductor Northey is managing a lot on stage. “He’s holding an entire orchestra, the choir, soloists, TV cameras, and the hall inside his head,” Burslem says. “Yet as soon as he steps foot on the stage, no-one would even know.”
For his part, Northey says audience enjoyment is the most rewarding aspect of the job. “Knowing that these pieces are voted for and loved creates a real sense of shared ownership between the audience and the orchestra,” he says. “It’s quite a loud audience in my experience.” Not that he minds: “You can really feel the level of enthusiasm and engagement in the room.”
A Shared Experience
It’s a feeling that’s also shared backstage. Fernandez recalls meeting composer Nat Bartsch in 2025 as one of the highlights of the concert. “I came to know her music at a challenging time in my life,” Fernandez says. “Her music was the soundtrack of so much of what I was going through but overcoming as well. I wish we could broadcast the great admiration and support that the performers at this concert have for each other.”
Tickets for the ABC Classic 100 in Concert are on sale now. You can watch the concert on ABC TV and ABC iview and hear it on ABC Classic on Saturday June 27 at 7:30pm. Get the latest classical music stories direct to your inbox.
