UPDATE: APRIL 6, 2020 — The MSO has cancelled or postponed all events until June 30 'due to the extended closure of [its] performance venues'. New dates for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince Live in Concert are yet to be announced, but we'll be sure to keep you updated. To find out more about the status of COVID-19 in Australia and how to protect yourself, head to the Australian Government Department of Health's website.
After bringing Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley back to the big (40-foot) screen for the first five films, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is giving the sixth film in the wizarding franchise the same movie-and-music showcase in 2020.
Across three sessions on Thursday, May 21, Friday, May 22 and Saturday, May 23, Hamer Hall will come to life with the sights and sounds of the Burrow, Potions classes, Quidditch matches and the funeral of one beloved character, because JK Rowling's boy-who-lived and his pals are never far away from a theatre — or a concert hall. And tickets for Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince live in concert are on sale now.
This time around, viewers can expect something a little different. While the event will run as usual, it's the score itself that'll stand out. After doing the honours on the first three HP flicks, veteran composer John Williams stood aside, with two-time Oscar nominee Patrick Doyle (Hamlet, Sense and Sensibility) in charge of the fourth, and Nicholas Hooper whipping up wondrous wizarding soundtracks for the final three. Hooper's score for the Half-Blood Prince is the highest-charting of all six films' soundtracks.