QMF 2013 - Festival Highlights
Queensland Music Festival (QMF) is a state-wide celebration of musical excellence, a major cultural and artistic success story with a national and international reputation, and an unparalleled geographic reach.
Our vision is to transform lives through unforgettable musical experiences. For our most recent Festival in July 2013, the best of local, national and international talent brought every conceivable style of music to Queenslanders from all walks of life, in Brisbane and in 44 regional and remote centres. Many events were free, and more events than ever featured large-scale collaborative community engagement, creating works that truly reflect the life of our diverse and vibrant state.
Increasingly QMF projects take place over months or even years, as is highlighted by some of our regional community projects including Boomtown in Gladstone, Heart of an Open Country in Tambo, Swingin' Utes in Mount Isa and Roma, and the inaugural Yarrabah Band Festival. Each of these events was the result of extended periods of consultation, creative development and skills development through work with professional artists. Elsewhere two significant regional tours -- Tedeschi & Cooper: Classics, Gypsy and Jazz and Piano Lessons -- brought internationally renowned artists to audiences in communities such as Birdsville, Normanton, Goondiwindi and Cunnamulla.
Opera at Jimbour reached new heights through a partnership with Opera Queensland and Camerata of St John's, performing an all-Verdi program. Elsewhere in Queensland songs of a different kind filled the air, with free community concerts in Moranbah and Emerald by Paris-based Australian songstress Tina Arena in concert with Queensland Youth Orchestra.
With the World's Biggest Orchestra, our Brisbane program featured large-scale community participation for the first time. 7,224 musicians young and old broke the GUINNESS WORLD RECORD™ at Suncorp Stadium, making history by being part of the largest orchestra ever assembled.
The world premiere of a spectacular double concerto by Australian composer Matthew Dewey was presented as part of Queensland Symphony Orchestra's Maestro Series, while international artists and musical styles graced the stages of Queensland Performing Arts Centre and Brisbane Powerhouse, with performances by vocal ensemble Take Six, the inimitable Brodsky Quartet and an absolute feast of music in the Esperanto program.
Our signature Brisbane event was at City Hall; How Deep Is Your Love was a tribute to the prolific songwriting career of Queensland's legendary Bee Gees, performed by an amazing line-up of top Australian artists.
QMF 2013 brought the best of international and home-grown music to your doorstep. With more than 40 events to choose from and performances spanning the state, there were more ways than ever to find your transformational musical experience.