2021 in Review
UQ School of Music
Delivered online teaching to students in 18 countries, published research in international journals, and hosted world-renowned researchers.
Presented nearly 50 concerts and events that were viewed by audiences around the globe.
Composed music for SBS television, Opera Queensland, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and Australian Youth Orchestra.
Facilitated competitions and concerts by Australian Piano Duo Festival, Australian Music Teachers Association, Musica Viva and 4MBS Classic FM.
Collaborated with Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Opera Queensland, Queensland Music Festival, and Duchesne College to produce major events.
The Vice-Chancellor's Concert Series presents
Ode To Joy:
Dane Lam conducts Beethoven 9
"The Vice-Chancellor’s Concert Series provides music students with a platform to showcase their immense talents to appreciative Queensland audiences. Through their vibrant performances, our musicians entertain us, challenge us, and enrich the quality of life for our community. The Series highlights the School of Music as a world-leading institution for teaching, research, and performance."
The University of Queensland’s School of Music proudly welcomed Maestro Dane Lam to conduct Beethoven's Ninth Symphony in his debut performance as Conductor and Director of The University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra (UQSO) and UQ Chorus.
This performance featured a mentoring and side-by-side collaboration with members of Queensland Symphony Orchestra and were joined by soloists Sarah Crane, Maria Woolford, Rosario La Spina, and Shaun Brown.
Described as a “declaration in favour of universal brotherhood”, and a “quest for freedom of the mind and spirit”, Beethoven's Ninth embodies an elemental struggle incorporating macro and microcosmic musical perspectives. A crescendo towards cacophony gives way in the final choral movement, where Schiller’s “Ode” is so famously set. Arvo Pärt’s beautiful Cantus in Memoriam Benjamin Britten formed a short prelude.
"...[it was] difficult at times to remember that this concert was mostly played and sung by students... the standard was of a very high quality indeed, both in the playing and delivery."
For the UQ School of Music, Beethoven's Ninth was an ideal work to celebrate a return to QPAC after the loss of two concert hall performances in 2020, and to welcome the University’s new Vice-Chancellor, Professor Deborah Terry AO.
The performance received a standing ovation, and was described by many as one of the School of Music's best productions to date.
Songs of Love and War
A collaboration with Opera Queensland in association with Urban Arts Projects
“...I got shivers from the beauty of the music at several points. I attended with a friend, and we were blown away by how fantastic the experience was. We both found it inspiring and left with our spirits soaring and a determination to attend more art [music] performances!”
On Friday 24 September the UQ School of Music collaborated with Opera Queensland in their production Songs of Love and War at Urban Art Projects (UAP) foundry.
This innovative production placed Monteverdi’s madrigals beside contemporary songs of love and war. The music of ABBA, Beyoncé, Led Zeppelin, and David Bowie was reimagined for a full orchestra and ensemble of eighteen voices. Compositions and arrangements were written by lecturer Dr Robert Davidson, and students and alumni from The University of Queensland.
“UQ orchestra and singers with Dane as Conductor were great and the principals all shone in this environment. The music selection was also most enjoyable.”
Performed in the raw industrial setting of UAP in Northgate, the production invited audiences to move through the space as six soloists, twelve chorus members, and the UQ Pulse Chamber Orchestra brought to life the passions and desires of lovers and fighters from the past four hundred years.
Along the way the production featured intimate chamber performances, live art projected on the factory’s walls and ceilings, the extraordinary costumes of Karen Cochet and Bianca Bulley, and sublime music from the Renaissance to the present day.
"Brisbane has come of age when a performance of opera is held in a venue such as UAP. Wonderful to see collaboration like this.”
In 1638, renowned Italian composer, Claudio Monteverdi, published his book of songs titled, Madrigals of Love and War (Madrigali guerrieri, et amorosi). Intent on changing the way stories were told through song, he set out to write music that expressed the third “missing” passion. Up until this point, he believed, the first two passions – the soft and the moderate – had been well captured by composers. His desire was to express the third – agitation.
With this as his goal, in Songs of Love and War, Monteverdi conjures the passion that deep love has to offer, with a collection of songs as ferocious as they are sublime. The “war” of the title is often referring to the fighting emotions of the heart as well as the violence of battlefield. In many ways they are like the first pop songs, exploring all the intensity of feeling that comes with falling in and out of love.
“I loved the collaboration between partners, especially the involvement of UQ students in the production which I feel made it more approachable for younger people like myself.”
Musical Director
Dane Lam
Director
Patrick Nolan
Costume
Karen Cochet • Bianca Bulley
Lighting
Bernie Tan-Hayes
Music
Claudio Monteverdi • Robert Davidson • Marike Van Dijk • Alexandra Mison • Matthew Minter • John Rotar • Alexandra Voltz
Singers
Amber Evans • Jessica Low • Sofia Troncoso • Shaun Brown • Nick Kirkup • Timothy Newton
Guest Artists
UQ Pulse Chamber Orchestra • UQ Singers
The Vice-Chancellor's Concert Series presents
Opera at UQ
Puccini’s 'Gianni Schicchi'
"The UQ School of Music executed a magical production of Gianni Schicchi at the UQ Centre. The student orchestra and operatic singers brought Puccini’s masterpiece to life, transporting us all from the UQ Centre to 19th-century Florence...
The UQ Singers and The University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra under the direction of Maestro Dane Lam produced Puccini's Gianni Schicchi on 19 September 2021.
The afternoon of melody and mayhem was directed by Dr Shaun Brown, presented by the UQ School of Music, and was supported by Alumni Friends as part of the UQ Vice-Chancellor’s Concert Series.
Gianni Schicchi is a one-act romp through a classic sit-com scenario - "Who gets the inheritance?" - set against a ravishing palette of orchestral colour and vocal power. The wealthy master of a large family has died, and his relatives gather and shamefully manoeuvre to claim the inheritance. They are mortified to learn that the fortune has been left to a local monastery.
Gianni Schicchi was presented in the UQ Centre; the first opera staged by the UQ School of Music in well over a decade. Vice-Chancellor and President of UQ Professor Deborah Terry AO was in attendance.
...The performance was of an incredibly high standard, with O mio babbino caro a highlight – but one that was well supported by superlative singing and playing throughout the opera. And the student performers were very, very funny. As Executive Dean, I am proud of how our School of Music contributes to Brisbane’s cultural community."
William Barton
Featuring Amiti String Quartet
and Aunty Delmae Barton
William Barton joined forces with his mother Aunty Delmae Barton and the UQ student ensemble Amiti String Quartet (ASQ) to present new works written for didgeridoo, guitar, spoken word, singing, and string quartet for the Live at UQ concert series. The School was proud to announce William as the 2022 Kinnane Scholar in Residence at the performance.
After arranging his original works for string quartet William was scheduled to perform with ASQ earlier in 2021 at the Australian Festival of Music Winter School; directed by Associate Professor Adam Chalabi and held in Townsville. Although the festival was cancelled, a casual chat between William and ASQ led to an impromptu jam session that inspired an outdoor concert in Queens Gardens at Townsville.
William Barton is widely recognised as Australia’s leading didgeridoo player as well as a highly esteemed composer, instrumentalist and vocalist. He has composed works for didgeridoo and orchestras, string quartets, jazz and rock bands as well as collaborative contributions with some of Australia’s leading composers. William started learning the instrument from his uncle, Arthur Peterson, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga people. His mother, Delmae Barton, a singer, songwriter and poet who learnt to sing as a small child from listening to the bird calls, also encouraged his love of music leading William to work from an early age with traditional dance groups and fusion/rock jazz bands, orchestras, string quartets, and mixed ensembles. William’s passion is to create a journey for people through music and present them a diversity of musical styles using the didgeridoo. William utilises his cultural heritage to present his didgeridoo fusion as a storyteller, engaging audiences in the uniqueness of Australia, its Aboriginal heritage and to challenge perspectives of the didgeridoo as an instrument. William works closely with classical music and composers to develop and sustain music for the didgeridoo in this environment.
Founded in early 2021, ASQ is a new ensemble which operates out of the University of Queensland. The four quartet members are all current students at the UQ School of Music and have performed at venues in North Queensland including Townsville Civic Centre, Townsville Grammar School, and Queens Garden. The quartet have also been privileged to perform alongside other incredible artists such as eminent clarinettist Lloyd Van’t Hoff and Adam Chalabi.
Richard Pollett
10th Anniversary Commemorative Concert
Richard Pollett: 10th Anniversary Commemorative Concert marked the passing of violinist Richard Pollett. We payed tribute to his life and legacy through a special concert at The University of Queensland's Customs House, which included an announcement of the winner of the 2021 Richard Pollett Memorial Award.
Richard was dedicated to life itself, with music just one avenue for him to explore the world around him in all its beauty, subtlety, grandeur, and complexity.
UQ musicians, family and friends performed together in a tribute to Richard and celebrated the success of the young musicians who have held scholarships and awards in his name. The program focused on Richard’s legacy, and featured music written in his honour, and works with special significance to the young musician.
Richard’s life was tragically cut short at the age of 25 but the legacy of his many solo performances with orchestras, and in particular the memory of his winning performance of the Symphony Australia’s 2010 Young Performers Awards, will remain for ever. Richard touched many through his playing and his person and was an inspiration to all who knew and heard him. He will long be remembered as a young violinist and musician of extraordinary depth. This together with his unique personality of intelligence, warmth, and humility will remain forever.
In association with the Australian Youth Orchestra, the Richard Pollett Memorial Award was presented by Professor Deborah Terry AO, Vice- Chancellor and President, The University of Queensland.
Relive the Richard Pollett 10th Anniversary Commemorative Concert
2021 Virtual Concert Series
Curated by Dr Shaun Brown
In 2021 the UQ School of Music continued its virtual concert series that was launched during the outbreak of COVID-19.
Our 2021 concert series profiled UQ performance staff, students, and South East Queensland’s finest artists. The series offered a diversity of musical styles consisting of instrumental and vocal combinations that catered for a wide range of musical tastes.
"The virtuosity of the filming is the equal of any other online recordings I've subscribed to. The UQ experience is my benchmark standard...far exceeding stationary single camera recordings I've endured from other professional music sources."
Our livestreamed concerts were mostly broadcast from our Nickson Room performance venue and consisted of world class artists such as Viney-Grinberg Duo, Adam Chalabi, Sarah Crane, Rosario la Spina, Milijana Nikolic, Patrick Murphy, Alex Raineri, Robert Davidson, and Patrick Nolan. The UQ Chamber Singers, UQ Composers, and Muses Trio were also featured; the latter performance consisted entirely of music written by women in celebration of International Women’s Day.
The School was also thrilled to continue its long-standing relationship with the UQ Art Museum. Concerts featured staff, students, and affiliate ensembles working in emerging musical genres including electro-acoustic, structured improvisation, electronic, and contemporary classical music.
"As a full time worker, these virtual concerts have given me a wonderful opportunity to listen later to both the students and lecturers of the school."
Members of the Seren8 vocal ensemble recorded segments of repertoire to promote their concert on Thursday, 27 May in 2021.
Strong Female Lead
SBS Documentary
Music composed by Dr Robert Davidson
Music written by Dr Robert Davidson was featured in a documentary about Australia’s struggle with the notion of women in power, which premiered on SBS in early October, 2021.
The film, Strong Female Lead, explores Julia Gillard’s time as Prime Minister and has been nominated for an AACTA Award for best documentary, and for the Sydney Film Festival’s Documentary Australia Prize.
Julia Gillard - former Australian Prime Minister
Julia Gillard - former Australian Prime Minister
UQ School of Music’s Senior Lecturer in Composition Dr Davidson composed the music for the film and recorded in the Nickson Room with The Australian Voices, produced by Professor Andy Arthurs.
Strong Female Lead aims to keep the topic of gender equality on the national agenda in order to shift our culture towards becoming a more inclusive and productive community for all.
Directed by Tosca Looby, the film premiered cinematically at the Brisbane International Film Festival on October 24 and at the Sydney International Film Festival in November.
Dr Davidson said working with Mr Looby was such a joy, even while they were both frequently distraught when considering the level of misogyny that has been allowed to play out in Australian parliament and society.
“I wanted to use Julia Gillard's spoken voice directly, accompanying her with the Greek-chorus-like choir, to aid perception of her highly musical speech, to counter derogatory judgements of her voice by people like previous NSW premiers," he said.
Dr Robert Davidson
Dr Robert Davidson
Post-Doctoral Fellowships
"Post-Doctoral appointments are key to creating innovation and breakthroughs in new knowledge. Our fellows are playing a crucial role to that end; exploring topics that intersect a broad range of disciplines, including community music-making, arts policy and engagement, health and wellbeing, performance, and composition."
Dr Charu Mani
In July 2021 Dr Charu Mani was appointed as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at the School of Music.
Dr Mani is an artist-researcher originally from Chennai, India, and recently migrated to Australia. Her Post-Doctoral Research Fellowship is part of a broader Creative Arts and Human Flourishing (CAHF) project undertaken for the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS).
Dr Mani’s background involves leading, designing, and creating arts-led research projects for community health and wellbeing initiatives, such as Sing to Connect. Dr Mani’s PhD, undertaken at Griffith University, focused on Early Opera and Karnatik singing.
In 2021 Dr Mani published her first monograph with Cambridge University Press and has been accepted into the FHEA program to enhance her teaching capacities. She has engaged with BEMAC (Brisbane Multicultural Arts Centre) and the Logan City Council for her recent project ‘Together we rise: Exploring culture, creativity, and collaboration for global musicianship in a digital age’.
Dr Mani in 2021 worked alongside colleagues at the UQ School of Music while designing research for another CAHF project ‘Songify your day’ and has set in motion partnerships with Moreton Bay City Council, UQ Summer in Queensland Program, and UQ International Students Association.
In 2022 Dr Mani will continue to produce research through a collaborative process while teaching courses on Music, Health and Wellbeing, and Research Methods. She has written 4 journal articles that she anticipates will be published in 2022.
Dr Robert Manley
Dr Robert Manley was appointed as a Post-Doctoral Fellow at the UQ School of Music in July 2021. He is continuing research undertaken during his PhD, which examined the sociocultural and musical factors that facilitated and constrained audience engagement with classical chamber music in a regional Australian community.
Dr Manley is currently investigating social capital as part of his post-doctoral research; exploring its relationship to social wellbeing in the reported experiences of classical music audiences in a regional Australian community. A second strand of the project also considers social capital in the context of Australian arts policy, particularly in relation to the municipalisation of culture and the use of ‘wellbeing frameworks’ to illustrate the delivery of public value through arts and cultural activities. Central to this discussion are conceptions of intrinsic vs instrumental benefits of cultural participation, which have varied across time and across Western countries.
Since commencing his position, Dr Manley has made two submissions to present at the International Society for Music Education (ISME); their World Conference will be in Brisbane during July 2022. Both submissions include discussions of the role of improvisation in engaging audiences for classical music and the music identities of regional chamber musicians. Late in 2021 Dr Manley will travel to regional Queensland in order to undertake interviews and surveys.
Dr Manley has submitted two articles for peer review in 2022: A policy-focused manuscript for the Australian Journal of Public Administration and an engagement-focused manuscript for the International Journal of Community Music. Previously he has studied at The Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and worked with numerous symphony orchestras in Australia and New Zealand.
UQ Music
4MBS Radio Programs
In 2021 staff and student announcers presented radio shows on a range of topics for the 'UQ Music' 4MBS Classic FM radio program. Topics included discussions about classical performance, musicology, new compositions, and UQ productions.
Listen to a selection of programs below via our Sound Cloud site.
"Music and..."
Building the Future of music for Queensland
In 2021 the School launched 'Music And...', articulating and communicating the School's mission and values to the wider community.
At the UQ School of Music we build our vision on the notion of "Music AND...". UQ is the place for musicians who want to connect their passion for music with the broader world. We understand that music does not function in isolation, but in relation to people, places, and ideas.
The School is driven by a desire to nurture the next generation of musicians and music lovers. Creating that musical future requires a supportive community.
Generous philanthropy has always sustained the offerings of our School, with examples such as the Mayne family estate's donation of a Steinway piano coinciding with the formal recognition of the Music Department in 1956, right through to the extraordinary $8 million Paula and Tony Kinnane bequest of 2016 shared with the UQ Art Museum. With current philanthropic initiatives continuing to support outstanding musicians to reach their full potential, the School is proud of and thanks the donors who continually facilitate world-class opportunities for our musicians.
We welcome conversations about supporting music, musicians and communities through the School of music. Thank you for bringing music to every corner of Queensland, now and for generations to come.
Want to join us on our Journey?
The UQ School of Music brings together students, staff, alumni and the general public through our UQ Friends of Music community; creating opportunities for shared and interactive experiences as part of our diverse music making activities.
If you would like to keep up to date with our latest news and events, please sign up to the Friends of Music Newsletter.
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