Classical crossover goes both ways when Dmitri Shostakovich dabbles in jazz and George Gershwin tries his hand at 'serious' music.

Whenever pianist Jean-Yves Thibaudet visits Sydney it's a treat. He brings an impeccable flair to his performances, and you'll want to hear him in George Gershwin's jazz-inflected piano concerto: the effervescent result of a popular musician's foray into classical territory.

'Serious' Shostakovich made the journey in the other direction. He loved light music, was fascinated by jazz and didn't hide the fact. A waltz, a polka and a foxtrot blues - who could ask for anything more?

Prokofiev's Fifth Symphony reflects a different era - not the Roaring Twenties but World War II. Those dark days in Soviet Russia gave rise to a symphony that strives for an optimistic mood, but in amongst the martial heroism and irresistible climaxes there lurks a funeral march and a touch of the blues. Pre-concert talk in the Northern Foyer, 45 minutes before each performance. SHOSTAKOVICH Jazz Suite No.1 GERSHWIN Piano Concerto in F PROKOFIEV Symphony No.5

Artists James Gaffigan conductor Jean-Yves Thibaudet piano

*Nathan Henshaw - alto saxophone