Queensland Symphony Orchestra to stage free 75th birthday concert at QPAC concert hall

To celebrate their 75th anniversary, Queensland Symphony Orchestra will stage a free major concert event on Friday 19th August in the Concert Hall at 7.30pm. This special performance is presented in association with QPAC and supported by Brisbane City Council.

For 75 years Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) has shared the power and joy of music with Queenslanders from Townsville to Toowoomba and the Tweed, Gladstone to the Gold Coast, and Cairns to Cunnamulla, performing in town halls, on open air stages by the sea, in dusty main streets of the outback, school classrooms, remote communities and of course, in its home on stage at the Concert Hall at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC).

The concert will celebrate the history and the future of Queensland’s state orchestra, and will feature guest artists, interviews with musicians and historical imagery. A major highlight will be the wide range of music showcasing the Orchestra’s famed signature style of playing, from Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake finale to Australian composer Sean O’Boyle’s Concerto for Didgeridoo performed by acclaimed First Nations didgeridoo player Chris Williams, all under the baton of conductor Guy Noble.

In addition, Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser Johannes Fritzsch will lead a performance from QSO’s 2022 Young Instrumentalist prize winner, percussionist Chantel Chen, and will conduct Respighi’s mighty Pines of Rome: one of the greatest orchestral showpieces in the repertoire.

Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner said Queensland Symphony Orchestra debuted in Brisbane 75 years ago and it was fitting to mark the anniversary with a local audience adding "whether it's performing classic renditions or scores to films, Brisbane residents of all ages and interests have been enriched by the magic of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra,"

Tickets to the free concert are now available at qso.com.au and are expected to reach capacity quickly.

Images from top: QSO musicians celebrating 75 years: Ken Poggioli (Double Bass) who started in 1985, Nicolas Thomson (Principal Bass Trombone) who was appointed in December 2021 and the newest QSO member, Mia Stanton (Violin) who was appointed in June 2022; Queensland Symphony Orchestra and Dane Lam February 2021. Credit: Peter Wallis; Queensland Symphony Orchestra Messiah December 2017 Credit: Peter Wallis