This year Queensland Symphony Orchestra celebrates 75 years with a season of epic symphonies from the classical canon, world premieres by Australian composers and concerts that joyously celebrate modern music-makers, with spine-tingling solos and special moments for music lovers of all ages, across all of Queensland.
There’s music from Brahms and Beethoven, Mozart to Strauss (both Richard and Johann Jr!), Shostakovich, Schubert, Stravinsky, Tchaikovsky and Rachmaninov… and 20 works from Australian composers, half of whom are Queensland born, raised, or resident. Works by established composers, including Cathy Milliken, Brett Dean and Nigel Westlake, sit alongside works by the next generation including Melody Eötvös, Lachlan Skipworth, Harry Sdraulig, and Andrew Howes. The Orchestra honours the role of two pioneering 20th century artists, Miriam Hyde and Margaret Sutherland. Two new works by Nicole Murphy and Joe Twist for the QSO Connect 13-piece ensemble will also premiere across the state. HERE’S what the rest of the year sounds like….
Fantasy and Folklore (Music on Sundays) A magical musical experience
SUN 24 JUL 11.30AM
Venue Concert Hall, QPAC
Conductor Umberto Clerici
Host Guy Noble
PROGRAM INCLUDES Mussorgsky Night on Bald Mountain Likhuta Rituals of Heartland Dvořák Midday Witch Wagner Ride of the Valkyries Williams The Flight to Neverland from Hook and more…
If you want to make a film or compose a piece of music to attract the masses, fantasy and folklore are a great source of inspiration. In this relaxed Sunday morning concert, conductor Umberto Clerici will wave his wand … sorry, baton … and whisk us away on an exotic musical journey. Remember that dramatic finale to Disney’s Fantasia when a mountain came to life? That was Mussorgsky’s spooky masterpiece Night on Bald Mountain and it’s just one of the many wild and enchanting works on this program of magic and mystery.
Triumphant Tchaikovsky (Morning Masterworks + Maestro)
FRI 29 JUL 11.30AM SAT 30 JUL 7.30PM
Venue Concert Hall, QPAC Conductor Giordano Bellincampi
Soloist Kang Wang, tenor
PROGRAM INCLUDES
Verdi Overture from Nabucco Verdi O inferno… Sento avvampar nell’anima… Cielo pietoso rendila from Simon Boccanegra Verdi Quando le sere al placido from Luisa Miller Puccini Intermezzo from Manon Lescaut Puccini Che gelida manina from La Bohème Puccini Nessun Dorma from Turandot Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4 in F minor
Tchaikovsky’s 4th Symphony has an intriguing relevance to our times. It begins with a strident fanfare played by the horns that the composer indicated was meant to be the sound of ‘the fatal power which prevents one from attaining the goal of happiness’. Throughout the opening of the symphony, this sound of fate comes through. However, after a series of wondrous musical episodes, Tchaikovsky works his magic and joy is unleashed in the finale. If you perhaps feel that fate has been a bit rough on all of us these past couple of years, we invite you to come and experience the exhilaration of overcoming all obstacles. Also joining us for the evening is one of the most sought-after young tenors in the world: Kang Wang. The Australian-Chinese singer is a rising star in the opera world and he will join forces with conductor Giordano Bellincampi to bring you some of the most moving tenor arias of all time, including Nessun Dorma from Turandot.
Orchestral Adventures (Maestro)
SAT 13 AUG 7.30PM
Venue Concert Hall, QPAC
Conductor Elena Schwarz
Soloist Jack Liebeck, violin
PROGRAM INCLUDES Milliken Piece 43 For Now (Australian premiere) Mozart Violin Concerto No.3 in G, K.216 (Strassburg) Shostakovich Symphony No.9 in E flat
The story goes that a fellow Russian composer, upon hearing Shostakovich’s 9th Symphony for the first time, wrote: “The main theme of the first movement – Mozart! Almost literally Mozart.” Shostakovich, known for taking the symphonic sound to some dark places, surprised everyone with a much lighter touch this time around. And yet he retained his immense power for showing what an orchestra could do. From the piccolo to the tuba, the whole orchestra, under the baton of Swiss-Australian conductor Elena Schwarz, will be drawn into this playful world. As for the Mozart comparison, you’ll be able to judge for yourself as Jack Liebeck, master violinist and Artistic Director of the Australian Festival of Chamber Music, will perform Mozart’s genius Violin Concerto No.3. Although many composers transport us to other times and places, there are some who choose to reflect on a specific moment in history. Completing this concert is Australian composer Cathy Milliken’s Piece 43 For Now, written (in Cathy’s words) in response to “the rollercoaster months for me in the six months since the announcement of lockdown in March 2020”.
Superfamous (Special Event + Music on Sundays)
SAT 20 AUG 7.30PM SUN 21 AUG 11.30AM
Venue Concert Hall, QPAC
Conductor Guy Noble
PROGRAM INCLUDES
Mozart Eine Kleine Nachtmusik, mvt 1: Allegro Beethoven Symphony No.7 in A, mvt 2: Allegretto Morricone Gabriel’s Oboe Debussy Clair de Lune Kats-Chernin Eliza Aria from Wild Swans Suite and more…
For all those people new to classical music that think, “I just want to hear the really famous pieces” – this concert is for you. For all those who recognise a tune when they hear it but can’t quite remember what it’s called – this concert is for you. And for the rest of you who know and love these favourites, you’ll want to be there as well. With the engaging conducting of Guy Noble, this is going to be a non-stop romp through the music that has thrilled audiences for decades. Superfamous is exactly what it says on the tin – excerpts from some of the most famous pieces ever written, all in one show. You’re gonna love it!
Piano Power (Morning Masterworks + Maestro)
FRI 9 SEP 11.30AM SAT 10 SEP 7.30PM
Venue Concert Hall, QPAC
Conductor Asher Fisch
Soloist Behzod Abduraimov, piano
PROGRAM INCLUDES Skipworth Hinterland (QLD Premiere) – Saturday only Rachmaninov Piano Concerto No.2 in C minor Brahms Symphony No.3 in F
There are few combinations of sound-worlds so thrilling as piano and orchestra, and never more so when the composer is Rachmaninov. The ‘Rach 2’ as it’s affectionately known, is an absolute finger-buster, and yet still manages to tug at your heartstrings. You’ll be swept away by the melodies one moment, while the next your jaw will drop at the technical skill required to pull it off. This concerto will be performed by Uzbek pianist Behzod Abduraimov, described by The Independent as ‘the most perfectly accomplished pianist of his generation’. One of our most talked-about concerts of 2021 was our performance of Brahms’ Symphony No.2. We’ll continue our survey of this orchestral master as renowned conductor Asher Fisch leads the orchestra through the rich and beautiful world of Brahms’ Symphony No.3.
Studio Sessions 4 (Studio Sessions) WORLD PREMIERE Our string and wind ensembles bring to life music by Australian and female composers
SUN 25 SEP 3PM Venue QSO Studio, South Bank PROGRAM INCLUDES Harrison Balderdash Shaw Entr’acte Green Wind Quintet (World Premiere) Sdraulig Meridian
Beethoven and Dvořák (Morning Masterworks + Maestro)
FRI 14 OCT 11.30AM
SAT 15 OCT 1.30PM + 7.30PM
Venue Concert Hall, QPAC
Conductor and Soloist Guy Braunstein, violin
PROGRAM INCLUDES Beethoven Concerto in D for Violin and Orchestra
Dvořák Symphony No.8 in G
Guy Braunstein was the youngest violinist ever appointed to be concertmaster of the Berlin Philharmonic and his formidable talents will be on display as he both plays and conducts in this concert. He will perform as soloist and conductor in Beethoven’s Violin Concerto, one of the most beloved works for violin and orchestra. This will be followed by exuberance on an even larger scale as we perform Dvořák’s 8th Symphony, a high-spirited spectacle of orchestral excellence. Presented in association with QPAC.
Viennese Classics (Music on Sundays) A tribute to the city of music SUN 23 OCT 11.30AM Venue Concert Hall, QPAC Conductor and Soloist Guy Braunstein Host Guy Noble
PROGRAM INCLUDES Beethoven Romance No.2 Suppé Light Cavalry Overture J. Strauss Jr Emperor Waltzes Mahler Symphony No.1, mvt Blumine Schubert Symphony No.8 (Unfinished), mvt 1: Allegro moderato Vienna was referred to for a long time as ‘the city of music’ because many of classical music’s greatest names made their fame (if not always their fortune) in this city. Beethoven rose to prominence here; Johann Strauss Jr created his great waltzes in this city; Mahler led their orchestra; and – though he wasn’t famous in his day – the beloved composer Franz Schubert crafted his masterpieces here that were to grow in fame long after his departure from this world. In this concert, you will feel the musical heritage of this great city in the melodies and rhythms brought to life by our musicians. For a special treat, you will have the opportunity to hear Guy Braunstein give a breathtaking solo as he performs Beethoven’s achingly beautiful Romance No.2 for violin and orchestra.
Musical Theatre Gala (Special Event) SAT 29 OCT 1.30PM + 7.30PM Venue Concert Hall, QPAC Conductor Guy Noble Soloist Amy Lehpamer
Soloist Alexander Lewis
Soloist Emerging young artists from the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University
INCLUDES MUSIC FROM Kander Chicago Rodgers & Hammerstein The Sound of Music Lloyd Webber Jesus Christ Superstar Schönberg Les Misérables Lloyd Webber The Phantom of the Opera
Schwartz Wicked and more… In 2021 we hosted our first ever Musical Theatre Gala featuring four stellar singers, and the audience feedback consisted of two main sentiments: ‘Can you do this again next year?’ and ‘Can you make the concert longer?’ Well we have heard your requests, and our 2022 concert is guaranteed to be bigger than ever – more great musical stars singing more of the hit songs you love. Even if you know every beat of the cast recordings from back to front, your spine will tingle at the sound of great musical theatre voices with the big, spectacular sound of Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Last year’s concert was so amazing, we all agreed ‘you just had to be there’. We know you’re going to feel the same about this one. Presented in association with Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University.
Studio Sessions 5 (Studio Sessions) Concertmaster Natsuko Yoshimoto play-directs Mozart and Beethoven FRI 4 NOV 7.30PM Venue QSO Studio, South Bank Director Natsuko Yoshimoto
PROGRAM INCLUDES Mozart Symphony No.29 in A, K.201 Beethoven Symphony No.1 in C, Op.21
Mighty Rachmaninov (Maestro) WORLD PREMIERE
SAT 19 NOV 7.30PM Venue Concert Hall, QPAC
Conductor Johannes Fritzsch
Soloist Phoebe Russell, double bass
PROGRAM INCLUDES Howes Luminifera – Wild Light for Orchestra (QLD Premiere) Paul Dean Double Bass Concerto (World Premiere) Commissioned for Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Phoebe Russell by the Frazer Family Foundation Rachmaninov Symphony No.2 in E minor
Anyone who has been to a Queensland Symphony Orchestra concert knows the enthusiasm and energy that radiates from our Section Principal Double Bass, Phoebe Russell. In this concert we’re inviting her to centre stage to perform the world premiere of a concerto for double bass and orchestra written especially for her by Queensland composer Paul Dean. Then to end our Maestro series on a high, we’re finishing with one of the grandest masterpieces of Russian music – Rachmaninov’s Second Symphony. This piece is big in every sense of the word, full of rich emotion and melody. Conducted by Principal Conductor Johannes Fritzsch, this will be an unforgettable end-of-year concert. We are Powered by Music and this concert will show you exactly what we mean.
Studio Sessions 6 (Studio Sessions) Revel in a glorious line-up of chamber music greats SUN 27 NOV 3PM Venue QSO Studio, South Bank PROGRAM INCLUDES Mozart Quartet No.19 in C, K.465 (Dissonance)
R. Strauss Variations on a Bavarian folk song for String Trio
R. Schumann Piano Quartet in E flat, Op.47
Messiah (Special Event) SAT 26 NOV 7.30PM Venue Concert Hall, QPAC Conductor Benjamin Northey Choir Voices of Birralee
PROGRAM INCLUDES HANDEL Messiah
We know it’s been a while, but our annual tradition of performing of Handel’s choral masterpiece is well and truly back. To conduct this spectacle will be Benjamin Northey, Limelight Magazine’s 2018 Australian Artist of the Year. He brings his own unique vision to this work, joined by a stellar cast of soloists and the fresh and energetic sound of Voices of Birralee. Featuring the mighty ‘Hallelujah’ chorus and so many other memorable moments, this is one to look forward to.
Symphonic Santa (Family) SAT 10 DEC 9.30AM + 11.30AM Venue QSO Studio, South Bank
Kick off your festive season with Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s family Christmas show! Join Sneezy the Reindeer and Izzy the Elf as they help Santa and Mrs Claus get ready for Christmas. There will be mischief, merriment, and lots of great music! Featuring familiar festive favourites and some new works too, children will be delighted as well-known tunes are brought to life by the Orchestra.
Held in our studio and hosted by our musicians, these concerts are relaxed, interactive, and fun – the ideal introduction to live orchestral music. There will be lots of opportunities to join in, sing along, move about and have fun.
Tickets:
Website: qso.com.au or
