RRI.CO.ID, Yogyakarta - Indonesia and Australia celebrated a decade of cultural partnership through a collaborative concert featuring the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) and participants of the Youth Music Camp 2026. The performance was held in Yogyakarta on Thursday, July 16, 2026, marking 10 years of cultural cooperation between the Special Region of Yogyakarta and the State of Victoria.

Governor of the Special Region of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X, said the collaboration reflects a deeper mutual understanding built over the past decade. He said the concert united Australia's orchestral tradition with Indonesia's wayang heritage.

He said wayang is more than a traditional performance for the Javanese people. He noted that UNESCO recognized wayang as a Masterpiece of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity in 2003.

"Tonight, we gather as witnesses to a decade-long journey between two nations. At this ten-year milestone, we bring together two artistic traditions that may seem distant, yet are deeply connected: Melbourne's magnificent orchestra and wayang, the noble heritage from the heart of Java." Sri Sultan said.

The governor added that civilization grows through harmony in diversity rather than uniformity. He said cultural collaboration encourages friendship, mutual understanding, and peace across continents.

Chief Operating Officer of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Susanne Dembo, said the partnership began with a shared belief in music's power to unite people. She added that the collaboration has strengthened lasting friendships and deepened cultural ties between Australia and Indonesia.

The concert featured five MSO musicians, 25 Youth Music Camp 2026 participants, Indonesian supporting musicians, and young puppeteer Fani Rickyansyah. It concluded with Dharma, a collaborative composition by Indonesian composer Vishnu Satyagraha and Australian composer Thomas Green, combining orchestral music with Javanese shadow puppetry inspired by the Mahabharata.