A multi-media “musical portrait” of cricket legend Don Bradman will be presented by the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra as part of its 2014 season.

The concert, commissioned by the State Government of South Australia, is titled Our Don and will feature a score by young SA composer Natalie Williams.

Simon Lord, ASO director, artistic planning, said the man behind the idea was former premier Mike Rann, who was keen to celebrate Bradman’s achievements and his influence on sporting history.

“The idea is that it will be a multi-media creation, so we’re hoping to bring some of it to life using video footage of Bradman,” Lord told InDaily ahead of the ASO’s official 2014 season launch tonight.

“There will also be a narrator – an actor – who will tell the story of Bradman’s life and times.”

Our Don will have its world premiere in the Adelaide Town Hall in August and is one of four concerts being presented as part of a new ASO series called New Music Now, which seeks “to explore music of our time”.

The orchestra’s gala season will open with a Valentine’s Day concert dedicated to romantic Russian music, including Tchaikovsky’s Romeo & Juliet, while the Santos Symphony Under the Stars will once again light up the sky over Elder Park on February 22.

Other concerts likely to prove popular with a broad audience include an evening of James Bond theme songs, to be presented by Guy Noble; a performance at the Festival Theatre featuring singer Lior and composer Nigel Westlake; and the family show Pixar in Concert, which will combine big-screen animation with music from movies such as Toy Story and Cars.

Lord said having a diverse program helped to extend the ASO’s reach.

“That’s what all orchestras in the 21^st century are seeking to do – reach as wide a  demographic as we possibly can.”

While Arvo Volmer’s 10-year tenure as the ASO’s music director and chief conductor ends this year, he will take up a new role as principle guest conductor in 2014, conducting several concerts including a performance featuring American cellist Lynn Harrell during the Adelaide International Cello Festival.

Lord said the orchestra was also excited to be introducing a new team of conductors which includes baroque and classical specialist Nicholas McGegan, who will curate a two-week Beethoven Festival in September, and young Australian Nicholas Carter, who will lead a performance of Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana. McGegan has been appointed the ASO’s first artist-in-association, while Carter is associate guest conductor.

“We’re building this roster of conductors that the orchestra works with,” Lord said. “The idea is to build relationships with conductors and have them work with us in repertoires in which they excel.”

Other features of the 2014 program include a “12-movement micro-film symphony” by Chinese conductor Tan Dun to be presented during the OzAsia Festival, the return of Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov, a Masters concert directed by violinist Richard Tognetti, and a performance of Peter Sculthorpe’s Memento Mori at Elder Hall, which coincides with the celebrated Australian composer’s 85^th birthday.

Lord said the orchestra’s learning program was an increasing focus, along with projects embracing amateur musicians in Adelaide. The latter will include a Come and Play Beethoven day in which amateur musicians will be able to join ASO members in a rehearsal with conductor McGegan.

“It’s partly fun, but partly inspirational as well. It’s about reaching not just school children but people who are a bit older.”

The full program will be online from tomorrow.