Queensland Symphony Orchestra Unveils Monumental 80th Anniversary Season for 2027

Queensland Symphony Orchestra has revealed a bold, forward-looking 2027 season to mark its 80th anniversary, balancing monumental classical masterworks with theatrical collaborations, cinematic showcases, and an intentional commitment to contemporary Australian voices.

The landmark programme also represents the final chapter of Umberto Clerici's transformative tenure as Chief Conductor. Under his direction, the ensemble has steadily expanded its expressive palette and stagecraft. Clerici's culminating year is designed to test dynamic range and thematic scope, opening with John Adams' minimalist epic Harmonielehre—marking the composer's own 80th birthday—and traversing a complete Beethoven cycle to commemorate 200 years since the composer's death.

"In my time as Chief Conductor, we built up the orchestra and pushed the programming to a more edgy, creative and international level," Clerici noted. "We prepared the ground, planted the seeds, watered the plant, and now, we are enjoying watching the trees grow into a beautiful forest. Every time we play, we have to deliver something incredible and create these immersive experiences for our audiences."

At the heart of the celebrations stands the QSO 80: Anniversary Gala, a cross-disciplinary collaboration with visual theatre innovators Dead Puppet Society. Blending kinetic puppetry with full orchestral force, the production pairs Stravinsky's 1947 version of Petrushka with Wagner's Tannhäuser Overture—a deliberate nod to QSO's inaugural concert in 1947. The gala also premieres a commissioned fanfare by Brisbane composer Joseph Twist and welcomes back virtuoso William Barton as soloist in Kalkadungu, co-written with Matthew Hindson.

The signature Maestro Series underpins the orchestral calendar with scale and structural ambition, programming Mahler's colossal Symphony No. 2 (Resurrection), Bartók's Concerto for Orchestra, Sibelius' Finlandia, and Lorin Maazel's seamless arrangement of Wagner's The Ring Without Words.

Beyond European canons, the 2027 calendar sharpens its contemporary focus. QSO Chief Executive Michael Sterzinger emphasised that the milestone honours the orchestra's foundational ambitions while investing heavily in new Australian writing.

"Mirroring the ambition of the inaugural season which featured works by composers from as early as 1551 to the contemporary voices of today—QSO's 2027 program will feature music spanning nearly five centuries, alongside world premiere performances of new works by Australian composers," Sterzinger said. "In 2027, we are commissioning eight new works from five composers, while music by 13 living composers will feature across the season—more than one in five of the 61 composers represented."

Minister for Education and the Arts John-Paul Langbroek affirmed the Crisafulli Government's core organisational funding for the orchestra, noting the season aligns with the state's broader arts strategy and cultural reputation ahead of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Director – Artistic Planning Matthew Wood highlighted two key additions to the season: Mana Moana, an uplifting collaboration with New Zealand's Signature Choir celebrating Pasifika musical traditions, and the new Pulse concert series dedicated solely to music by living composers.

"Queensland is home to the largest Pasifika population in Australia, so it's a very special and important program," Wood explained of Mana Moana. Turning to the contemporary slate, Wood added: "Just as we love to celebrate the classics, we're equally proud to celebrate revolutionary and significant new music. It's easy to forget nowadays how shocking and innovative composers such as Beethoven were to audiences of their day."

That dual focus extends to the appointment of soprano and proud Koa, Kuku Yalanji, and Wakka Wakka woman Nina Korbe as Artist-in-Association, performing across works ranging from Handel's Messiah and Holst's The Mystic Trumpeter to modern cinema compositions. The orchestra will also continue its regional touring across ten Queensland centres alongside education initiatives including the QSO Academy and Young Instrumentalist Prize.

Subscription packages for QSO's 2027 season opened at 9:00 am on Monday, 28 September, with single tickets following on Monday, 9 November.