QSO ensemble heads out west
QUEENSLAND Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is ready to hit the road again – this time it’s taking the QSO Connect Ensemble west from September 13 to 17 as part of the Chinchilla Miles Roma Tara Enrichment through Music (CMRT) Initiative, an innovative partnership with Australia Pacific LNG operated by Origin Energy.
The program allows QSO to deliver quality music education and concert experiences to the students, teachers and communities of Western Queensland.
This unique annual regional tour sees QSO collaborate with local schools in each town, delivering workshops with students and professional development sessions for teachers, as well as playing side-by-side with community bands in Roma and Chinchilla.
Free concerts for students will be performed in all four communities.
This September, Community in Concert performances in Roma and Chinchilla will celebrate the joy of music, featuring pieces by Bizet, Handel and Ravel, alongside performances with community and school musicians.
This year is the fifth year that QSO has toured under this program, having not been able to visit last year due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“QSO is powered by music and is passionate about sharing the joy of making music and celebrating music,” Queensland Symphony Orchestra director – artistic planning Timothy Matthies said.
“We take our role as the state’s orchestra very seriously, and we look forward each year to working with the teachers, students and local communities of regional Queensland.
“Already more than 1600 students and community band members have participated in the CMRT Initiative and over the past five tours the QSO Connect Ensemble has performed 26 concerts to 5992 students and audience members. “This year, we look forward to performing side-by-side with Maranoa Music, Roma Strings, Wallumbilla State School Concert Band, Roma State College and St John’s College Roma bands, Chinchilla Concert Band, Chinchilla Strings, Chinchilla Christian College Band and Chinchilla State High School.”