Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian

symphony orchestra An orchestra (; ) is a large instrumental ensemble typical of classical music, which combines instruments from different families. There are typically four main sections of instruments: * bowed string instruments, such as the violin, viola, ce ...

in the state of

Queensland ) , nickname = Sunshine State , image_map = Queensland in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of Queensland in Australia , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , established_ ...

. The orchestra is based in the

Australian Broadcasting Corporation The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-own ...

's building in

South Bank The South Bank is an entertainment and commercial district in central London, next to the River Thames opposite the City of Westminster. It forms a narrow strip of riverside land within the London Borough of Lambeth (where it adjoins Alber ...

. The Orchestra is funded by private corporations, the state government and the Australian federal government through the Australia Council.

Performance venues

Most of the Orchestra's performances take place in

Brisbane Brisbane ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the states and territories of Australia, Australian state of Queensland, and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a populati ...

at three venues: *

Queensland Performing Arts Centre The Queensland Performing Arts Centre (also known as QPAC) is part of the Queensland Cultural Centre and is located on the corner of Melbourne Street and Grey Street in Brisbane's South Bank, Queensland, South Bank precinct. Opened in 1985, it ...

(QPAC) Concert Hall * QSO Studios, South Bank * Brisbane City Hall In addition, the orchestra tours other parts of the state of Queensland regularly, including the following locations: *

Gold Coast Art Centre Home of the Arts (HOTA), opened as the Keith Hunt Community Entertainment and Arts Centre in 1986 and subsequently renamed The Arts Centre Gold Coast (TAC) and Gold Coast Arts Centre, is a cultural precinct situated in Surfers Paradise, City of ...

* The Events Centre,

Caloundra Caloundra ( ) is a coastal town and the southernmost town in the Sunshine Coast Region in South East Queensland, Australia. Geography Caloundra is north of the Brisbane central business district. Caloundra is accessible from Landsborough ...

* Empire Theatres, Toowoomba * Pilbeam Theatre, Rockhampton *

Mackay Mackay may refer to: *Clan Mackay, the Scottish clan from which the surname "MacKay" derives Mackay may also refer to: Places Australia * Mackay Region, a local government area ** Mackay, Queensland, a city in the above region *** Mackay Airpor ...

Entertainment Centre *

Townsville Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 180,820 as of June 2018, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland; it is unofficially considered its capital. Estimated resident population, 3 ...

Civic Theatre *

Cairns Cairns (, ) is a city in Queensland, Australia, on the tropical north east coast of Far North Queensland. The population in June 2019 was 153,952, having grown on average 1.02% annually over the preceding five years. The city is the 5th-most-p ...

Civic Theatre

History

Queensland Symphony Orchestra played its first concert on 26 March 1947, consisting of 45 musicians, conducted by

Percy Code Edward Percival "Percy" Code (3 July 1888 – 16 October 1953) was an Australian classical composer and musician, specialising in cornet and trumpet. He is best known for his compositions for brass band, including many solo works. Biography Per ...

John Farnsworth Hall John Farnsworth Hall (8 December 1899 – 15 June 1987''Sydney Morni ...

was recruited from the Sydney Symphony Orchestra as the Orchestra's first Chief Conductor. The Orchestra played concerts in various Queensland cities and towns, such as Innisfail and Townsville, travelling up to 3500 miles a year in the process. During the first part of its history, the QSO's longest-serving Chief Conductor was

Rudolf Pekárek Rudolf Pekárek (24 February 190026 October 1974) was a Czechs, Czech-Australian conductor. In 1934 he founded the Prague Symphony Orchestra, giving work to many unemployed musicians. It was known as the FOK Orchestra (Film – Opera – Konzert ...

(1954–1967). In 1988, Vladimir Kamirski was appointed Chief Guest Conductor.

Muhai Tang Muhai Tang (; born 1949 in Shanghai) is a Chinese conductor. He is the youngest son of celebrated Chinese film director Tang Xiaodan and brother of painter and poet Tang Muli. Tang initially learned music with his parents, and later studied ...

was Chief Conductor from 1991 to 2001. In 2001, QSO was merged with Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, to form The Queensland Orchestra (TQO). Michael Christie was the first Chief Conductor of the Orchestra under its new name, from 2001 to 2004. In July 2007,

Johannes Fritzsch Johannes Fritzsch (born Meissen, Germany, 1960) is a German conductor. Biography Fritzsch's father, a cantor and organist, was his first music teacher, in piano and organ. His brother Georg Fritzsch (born 1963) is also a conductor. His other br ...

was named the next Chief Conductor of TQO, beginning in January 2008, with an initial contract through 2010. On 14 October 2009, the orchestra announced its intention to revert to its former name of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, effective in 2010. In February 2010, the orchestra announced a three-year extension of Fritzsch's contract as Chief Conductor, through 2013. Fritzsch stood down as QSO chief conductor at the end of 2014, and subsequently took the title of Conductor Laureate of Queensland Symphony Orchestra. In May 2015,

Alondra de la Parra Alondra de la Parra (born October 31, 1980) is a Mexican conductor. Biography De la Parra was born in New York City, the daughter of Manelick de la Parra, a writer and editor, and Graciela Borja, a sociologist and educator. Her father was a fil ...

made her first guest-conducting appearance with the Orchestra. In October 2015, the orchestra announced the appointment of de la Parra as its first-ever music director and first-ever female conductor in its principal conducting post, effective in 2017. De la Parra completed her tenure as music director at the end of the 2019 season. In February 2021, the QSO announced the return of Fritzsch to the orchestra as its new principal conductor and artistic adviser, with a contract until 2023. In 2021,

Umberto Clerici Umberto is a masculine Italian given name. It is the Italian form of Humbert. People with the name include: * King Umberto I of Italy (1844–1900) * King Umberto II of Italy (1904–1983) * Prince Umberto, Count of Salemi (1889–1918) * Umberto I ...

made three guest-conducting appearances with the QSO. In May 2022, the QSO announced the appointment of Clerici as its next chief conductor, effective 1 January 2023, with an initial contract of three years. In parallel, Fritzsch took the title of principal guest conductor in 2023, and is scheduled to resume his post as conductor laureate in 2024. The QSO's discography includes

Tchaikovsky Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky , group=n ( ; 7 May 1840 – 6 November 1893) was a Russian composer of the Romantic period. He was the first Russian composer whose music would make a lasting impression internationally. He wrote some of the most popu ...

's ''

1812 Overture ''The Year 1812, Solemn Overture'', Op. 49, popularly known as the ''1812 Overture'', is a concert overture in E major written in 1880 by Russian composer Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky to commemorate the successful Russian defense against Napoleon ...

'', and several works of

Benjamin Frankel Benjamin Frankel (31 January 190612 February 1973) was a British composer. His best known pieces include a cycle of five string quartets, eight symphonies, and concertos for violin and viola. He was also notable for writing over 100 film scores ...

, including his eight symphonies, violin concerto, viola concerto, and several film score suites.

Chief conductors

John Farnsworth Hall John Farnsworth Hall (8 December 1899 – 15 June 1987''Sydney Morni ...

(1947–1954) *

(1954–1967) *

Stanford Robinson Stanford Robinson OBE (5 July 190425 October 1984) was an English conductor and composer, known for his work with the BBC. He remained a member of the BBC's staff until his retirement in 1966, founding or building up the organisation's choral g ...

(1968–1969) *

Ezra Rachlin Ezra Rachlin (5 December 191521 January 1995) was an American Conducting, conductor and piano, pianist. Life and career Rachlin was born in Hollywood, Los Angeles, Hollywood, California, to Jewish parents, and first showed an interest in the piano ...

(1970–1972) * Patrick Thomas (1973–1977) * Vanco Cavdarski (1978–1982) *

Werner Andreas Albert Werner Andreas Albert (10 January 1935 – 10 November 2019) was a German-born Australian conductor. Personal life Albert was born in Weinheim. He began his studies in musicology and history, and later studied conducting with Herbert von Ka ...

(1983–1990) *

(1991–2001) * Michael Christie (2001–2004) *

(2008–2014) *

(2017–2019; Music Director) * Johannes Fritzsch (2021–2022; Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser) * Umberto Clerici (2023–present)

Awards and nominations

ARIA Music Awards

The

ARIA Music Awards The Australian Recording Industry Association Music Awards (commonly known informally as ARIA Music Awards, ARIA Awards, or simply the ARIAs) is an annual series of awards nights celebrating the Australian music industry, put on by the Austr ...

is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of

Australian music The music of Australia has an extensive history made of music societies. Indigenous Australian music forms a significant part of the unique heritage of a 40,000- to 60,000-year history which produced the iconic didgeridoo. Contemporary fusions of ...

. They commenced in 1987. ! , - , 1999 , ''Ariel's Music'' (with Paul Dean and Richard Mills , rowspan="4" ,

Best Classical Album The Grammy Award for Best Classical Album was awarded from 1962 to 2011. The award had several minor name changes: *From 1962 to 1963, 1965 to 1972 and 1974 to 1976 the award was known as Album of the Year – Classical *In 1964 and 1977 it wa ...

, , rowspan="4" , ARIA Award previous winners. , - , 2004 , ''Sculthorpe: Songs of Sea and Sky'' (with William Barton) , , - , rowspan="2" ,

2006 File:2006 Events Collage V1.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2006 Winter Olympics open in Turin; Twitter is founded and launched by Jack Dorsey; The Nintendo Wii is released; Montenegro 2006 Montenegrin independence referendum, votes to declare ...

, ''Piano Concertos: Tchaikovsky, Grieg'' (with

Simon Tedeschi Simon Tedeschi (born 1 May 1981) is an Australian classical pianist and writer. Early life Tedeschi was born in Gosford to Mark Tedeschi QC, Senior Crown Prosecutor for New South Wales, and doctor Vivienne Tedeschi, the daughter of a Polis ...

Richard Bonynge Richard Alan Bonynge ( ) (born 29 September 1930) is an Australian conductor and pianist. He is the widower of Australian dramatic coloratura soprano Dame Joan Sutherland. Bonynge conducted virtually all of Sutherland's operatic performances ...

) , , - , ''Rodrigo Guitar Concertos'' (with

Slava Grigoryan Slava Grigoryan (born 1976) is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist. He frequently collaborates and performs with his younger brother, fellow guitarist Leonard Grigoryan, performing as the Grigoryan Brothers. Early life He was ...

Leonard Grigoryan Leonard Grigoryan is an Australian classical guitarist and recording artist of Armenian heritage. He is the younger brother of fellow guitarist Slava Grigoryan, with whom he often plays in a duo as the Grigoryan Brothers. Life and career Of Arm ...

& Brett Kelly) , , - ,

2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...

, ''Gallipoli Symphony'' , Best Original Soundtrack, Cast or Show Album , , ARIA Award previous winners. , -

References

External links

Official homepage of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra
{{DEFAULTSORT:Queensland Symphony Orchestra Australian orchestras Symphony orchestras Musical groups established in 1947 1947 establishments in Australia