Maestro 7: Symphonic Dances | Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Clerici draws out the power of the orchestra in a piece that includes a memorable saxophone solo, sparkling harp and piano interplay, and an excellent ‘wind section conversation.’ The first movement is incredible: lyrical, soaring strings combined with the rising tension from the brass and woodwind, left the audience quite breathless. And of course the finale of the third movement is a very satisfying way in which to conclude any concert.
Attenborough’s Ocean in Concert | Camerata
Ocean with David Attenborough is a powerful documentary film. However, seeing the work on a large screen can have so much more impact--particularly when Steven Price’s incredible score is played live by Camerata. The production offers audiences a memorable experience, and the warm and extended applause is a measure of the skill of the musicians, vocalists and conductor.
Old. New. Borrowed. Blue. | Camerata
Camerata’s Old. New. Borrowed. Blue. is a captivating collaboration with Anthony Romaniuk. Dave Brubeck’s iconic Blue Rondo à la Turk, as reinvented in Romaniuk’s fresh setting for strings and harpsichord, was my favourite piece of the night. Fast, fabulous, and fun, Romaniuk’s arrangement made me smile - playing homage to the jazz original, but drawing classical music and traditional instruments.
Revolution Remixed | Camerata
One of the many reasons to see live music, of any kind, if the to marvel at the artistry and skill of the performers. A definite highlight of the Camerata Revolution Remixed performance was to watch the interactions between the artists, and to see how the musicians bring the composers’ works to life.
Phantastic Ferniture, supported by Juice Webster | Tivoli in the Round
More than just a concert series, the ‘in the round’ program continues a tradition of reimagining how live music is staged in Brisbane. It transforms a historic theatre into a circle of connection.
Altimate Showdown - Heat 5 | Alt Entertainment
What do Jessica Rabbit, a praying mantis with udders, and a lap dancing Gandalf the Grey have in common? All three were featured in heat 5 of Altimate Showdown at The Brightside, and after attending this show, it’s easy to see why this yearly competition is becoming one of the most anticipated alternative events in the Brisbane arts scene.
Bringing the best of Blak Australian music to new audiences and new heights
Adam James: "John Farnham released a record called ‘The Great Australian Songbook’ in the early 2000’s and I've enhanced the idea and coloured it in. There are so many great First Nations singers and songwriters in Australia, this was my chance to take their voices to the nation."
The Cat Empire with Queensland Symphony Orchestra | Queensland Symphony Orchestra & Brisbane Festival
For all the fun and frivolity of the night there too was a sincerity to the evening. It was born of a shared love for the work of this iconic Australian band, but also for the power of live music to escape us from our troubles and honour our survival.
Dreams & Stories | Queensland Symphony Orchestra with William Barton
Sculthorpe’s Kakadu followed, which was a standout in terms of William Barton’s additions through didgeridoo. Note that this was not part of the original score and something Sculthorpe included after hearing Barton play. In part a beautiful homage between musos. I loved the harmonic shifts of the different instruments mimicking birds, trees, nature and the sometimes flight, fright, freeze and fawn.
Reuben Tsang in Concert
The highlight of the day was Franz Liszt’s Rhapsodie espagnole S 254. This suggestive traditional Spanish music opened with a cadenza, included rapid chords and octaves, that was spiced with the feeling of improvisation. Tsang dazzled me with his exquisite piano techniques and I was impressed by the way he swept those 88 keys so blazingly.
Dots+Loops: Rewind
The walk down memory lane ends, and we are ushered out in the foyer for the after party. There’s a bounty of cupcakes (I told you there would be cake didn’t I?) and HipHopHoe is waiting for us with an epic and eclectic set that has the crowd dancing their socks off for the last hour and a half of the night.
“Post-genre means equity and inclusivity: every genre, every discipline, every community, has something valid to share.”
Looking at it this way, the most important aspects therefore weren’t just the pieces we programmed, or the particular genres involved, but how, and why, we do what we do. This realisation has given us so many more possibilities artistically, but also resulted in us curating using our values of social equity, non-hierarchical artistic collaboration, and celebrating community first.
Full Spectrum | Anna Whitaker & Riley Towers
The manipulation of the footage felt both hallucinogenic and as if the data was being corrupted. With the electronic tones accompanying the visuals, the experience felt like a computer analysing footage, perhaps trying to understand human behaviour.
NGPE Conversations #2: The Jodie Rottle Fight for Fun
“I wanted music to be enjoyable and funny instead of stressful and serious. Eventually, I found myself asking, why are we even doing this? Fortunately, I had some really, really fun colleagues.”
An Unquiet Grave | Blue Stockings
The full moon in Taurus shines bright over the city as I make way to The Station for An Unquiet Grave and the chaos of the early morning’s lunar eclipse still vibrates through the air. The ambience is perfect; low light, candles lit, witchy music, and witchy people in witchy outfits.
West End Stories | West End Community House + Guest Artists
It was on that note of hope and healing where a group of women took their spots on the stage and sang ‘Meanjin Sunrise’ for themselves, their babies, and the betterment of their communities
Yirinda | Fred Leone & Samuel Pankhurst
Between songs Leone told us the translated stories and I was in awe of the huge amount of knowledge he had and how deeply he held it within himself.
Hold Me Closer Tony Danza | The Farm
Hold Me Closer Tony Danza took me by surprise. I expected a show that was much more focused on pop culture references and punchlines. These aspects were undoubtedly present, but the show was more impactful and thoughtful overall. The common ground of pop culture and music was used to bring the audience together and prime us for more complex topics. While watching, I felt simultaneously unsure of what was coming next and excited to see where the performers would take us. This show will be stuck in my head for a long time, alongside the slightly altered chorus of Elton John's Tiny Dancer.
Global Fusion- India - 'Into the Light' | Thomas Dixon Centre & BEMAC
“I pay homage to the light,” says Menaka, gently reinforcing the intention of the performance to honour Diwali, the Festival of Light through an amalgamation of select Indian elements and Western influences. The mellifluous sounds of the Bansuri (bamboo flute) played dexterously by Darshil Shah juxtaposed against the lean silhouettes of professional Ballet dancers, Sarah Thompson and Jayden Grogan signal to us that more forces of global fusion are waiting to be unleashed. From the wings onto the stage, and into the light.
Mosaic Multicultural Festival | Multicultural Australia & Brisbane Serenades
These are just some of the many performances featured in the massive action-packed program - there was so much content to discover. The event was so joyous and provided me with numerous insights on how multicultural Brisbane really is and its relevance to celebrate and promote. Not only that, but the audience loved seeing their own culture represented, just like a mini Olympics for the arts.