Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra 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 , establishe ...

. 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 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 Australian state of Queensland, and the third-most populous city in Australia and Oceania, with a population of approximately 2.6 million. Brisbane lies at the centre of the South ...

at three venues: * Queensland Performing Arts Centre (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 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 (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 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'', and several works of Benjamin Frankel, 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) * Rudolf Pekárek (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 (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 is an annual awards ceremony that recognises excellence, innovation, and achievement across all genres of Australian music. They commenced in 1987. ! , - ,

1999 File:1999 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The funeral procession of King Hussein of Jordan in Amman; the 1999 İzmit earthquake kills over 17,000 people in Turkey; the Columbine High School massacre, one of the first major school shoot ...

, ''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 , ''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) , , - , ''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 of Dilma Rousseff, impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses duri ...

, ''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