What brings you to see a live performance of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra? Is it the chills down your spine as you listen to the melting sounds of the strings section? Is it the technical expertise of the musicians? Is it watching the passionate conductor Alondra De La Parra? Whatever the reason may be, I can assure you that when you leave a QSO performance you will feel changed, and this is due to the gift that the QSO brings to audiences such as they did tonight at the Concert Hall at QPAC with the Season 2019 Launch.
What is coming up for QSO in 2019 is very exciting. Not only is there the Maestro Series, Choral, Morning Masterworks, Music on Sundays, Chamber Players, Special Events and the WAVE Festival but many more performances that branch under these main titles. There is a lot to explore in the upcoming performances from the QSO, and those that attended the launch got to experience first-hand a taste of what was to come.
Whilst it was an informative night, it was thrilling and refreshing each time the orchestra played a piece. It was great to hear music director Alondra De La Parra talk about each upcoming performance, and it was clear to see she was quite eager for the year ahead, and she has reason to be, as she is hosting a special event Latin American Gala: Mexico vs Brazil and is also conducting performances as part of the Maestro Series including Heavenly, The New World, Romance and Revolution and Tchaikovsky and Beethoven as well as a Morning Masterworks piece Timeless: Season Finale to name a few.
The audience even got to hear from the Chamber Players, and they were an absolute delight. There is plenty to look forward to for the year ahead for the QSO, and the best way to engage with all this new work is to dive in and experience it for what it is. Feeling the Concert Hall come to life with the variety of instruments being tuned, hearing the silence before a piece begins, and watching the conductor feel the music like no other, a tingle runs through my spine, and all I know is I’m in the right place at the right time.
14th August, 2018
Concert Hall, QPAC
Review: Joanna Letic