If you simply can’t imagine hip hop, African and Latin music blended with classical orchestral arrangements, you will be surprised to hear the plans of Queensland Symphony Orchestra for their 2016 QSOCurrent programme.
After making waves during last year’s event when the orchestra intertwined with the internationally-acclaimed beatboxer Tom Thum, the QSO have announced an even more genre-melding programme for this April.
The two-day line-up once again features the now QSOCurrent Artist-In-Residence Tom Thum, and makes way for a brand new array of performers dubbed 'the absolute flag-bearers of genre-busting sound creation'.
Under the wing of both Tom and the QSO’s talented composer Gordon Hamilton, this year's event will showcase: audio visual artists Sampology, Brisbane-based cross-disciplinary duo Argo, mesmerising music ensemble Kupka's Piano, anticipated new work from saxophone player Rafael Karlen and many more.
However, not only will these artists bring an experimental and contemporary sound to the stages of the State Library auditorium and Brisbane Powerhouse theatres, but they are part of a promising innovation for the arts.
Audiences will be fortunate enough to witness a line-up of three world premiere performances from the QSO including 'Prints Of The Pigeons', 'While We Forget' and 'Natural Selections'.
Kupka's PianoFriday night will see saxophone player Rafael Karlen, commissioned especially for the event, working with the QSO Chamber Orchestra and pianist Steve Newcomb in the debut performance of their daring classical and jazz-infused lyrical work. As the name ’While We Forget’ suggests, the piece explores the power of memory and forgetting and is set to be accompanied by other works of the Brisbane performers.
The premiere of 'Prints Of The Pigeons' will see the resurrection of Tom and the QSO's popular combination of the different genres. Their performance at the Powerhouse Theatre on Saturday is 'set to reframe sound' with the collaboration with exciting music makers Mantra, Jamie MacDowell and Dave Atkins.
Following this, the Powerhouse will host the very first performance of the QSO and electronic sound and vision master Sampology. This performance will showcase their latest EP release, ’Natural Selections', which mixes the likes of nature and bird song, African and Latin percussion and the layering of orchestral arrangements also from Gordon Hamilton.
Audiences can also catch the new world music of Kupka’s Piano on Friday and Argo with their experimental and boundary-bending classical infusion on Saturday.
QSO’s CEO Sophie Galaise has embraced these ground-breaking steps into musical innovation and the rejuvenation of classical music. "We believe in collaboration with contemporary artists from Australia and across the world; and where the experimental and innovative does not exist, we will create it or commission it ourselves.
"Our collaborations with Sydney Dance Company and Expressions Dance Company, films in-concert such as Star Trek and The Lord of the Rings, and mega shows like the Doctor Who Symphonic Spectacular are attracting new audiences like never before.”
QSO Performance Dates
Fri 29 April - Kupka's Piano @ State Library of QueenslandFri 29 April - Rafael Karlen & QSO @ State Library of Queensland
Sat 30 April - Tom Thum & QSO @ Brisbane Powerhouse
Sat 30 April - Argo @ Brisbane Powerhouse
