Late 2021 I got a call from Sarah-Grace Williams about a project she had coming up. Peter Shaffer's Amadeus was being staged at the Sydney Opera House to open a year of fiftieth birthday celebrations.

Months of discussion went into how to make the music work. What we landed on was an orchestra of 20 musicians placed at different points on and off stage, live singers, pre-recorded orchestral stems, and a pre-recorded chorus from Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, all integrated by Grammy winning sound designer Tony David Cray. From 20 players the audience heard 32 pieces of Mozart.

Rehearsal weeks meant tweaks, cuts and additions almost daily, each one turned around before the next day's call. When those lists finally got to nothing, The Metropolitan Orchestra ran the final print of the show books.

I came over for the final preview and opening night. Having worked on it from New Zealand, arriving to see it standing up was something. Thirty-two shows, thirty-two standing ovations.