Phillip Scott has joyfully been puncturing the inflated egos of this country’s elite for four decades. He does it all – a writer, composer, actor, singer, and musician – skills which come together for satirical comedy shows beginning in the early 1980s with The Gillies Report, morphing into their current guise as The Wharf Review for the past 25 years. All good things must come to an end, and he and his fellow satirists are presenting their final iteration of the show – The End of the Wharf as We Know It.

Phillip also has a connection with 2MBS Fine Music Sydney. As the first Director of Programming back in 1975, Phillip shares some of the stories of the chaotic early days of the station, as it approaches its 50th anniversary. We also find out how his professional life has been shaped and get a peek into how his acclaimed shows come together. There are some guest appearances from a couple of his well known characters, too!

The End of the Wharf as We Know It runs at The Seymour Centre until 23 December, and tours regionally during 2025.

A musician described as “the most interesting voice on the guitar for a generation”, Edinburgh-born Sean Shibe is as at home on the electric guitar as he is on the classical acoustic one. Winner of awards including the 2018 Royal Philharmonic Society Young Artist Award and the 2022 Leonard Bernstein Award, he was nominated in 2023 for a Grammy, and continues to prove himself as an original mind at the frontier of contemporary classical music.

In this conversation, Sean demystifies the electric guitar while eloquently introducing us to a deliciously diverse selection of music. He has an inspiring approach to both the acoustic and electric guitar which embraces tradition while pushing boundaries.

Sean Shibe performs with the Australian Chamber Orchestra under artistic director Richard Tognetti for Scotland Unbound around Australia until November 18, with performances at the City Recital Hall on November 9, 12 and 13, and at the Sydney Opera House on November 10.

A keyboard soloist and conductor, Francesco Corti is one of Europe’s most in demand musicians. He is a member of Les Musiciens du Louvre, Bach Collegium Japan and Le Concert des Nations, among several others. He’s led Tafelmusik, the English Concert, and the Freiburg Baroqueorcheter, is the musical director at the Drottningholm Royal Court Theatre, and appears on over 30 albums.

Francesco takes us through his passion for early music, and performing on instruments authentic to the period. He details his love of this era and shares some of his deep understanding of the fortepiano and its relevance as an instrument today. We also delve into the technique and process of his reconstruction of a JS Bach concerto.

Francesco Corti performs with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra until 2 November.