The Magic of This Dawn

Program

Aurora Musis Amica by Sally Greenaway
Overture Grandioso by Taylee Jurekie-Rofe
The Magic of This Dawn by Christopher Sainsbury
Incantation and Dance by James Barnes Chance
October by Eric Whitacre
Fast Ride in a Suave Machine by Katy Abbott, Arr. Nicholas Enrico Williams
Aurora Awakes by John Mackey

UQ Wind Symphony

The UQ Wind Symphony was re-established in 2024, and has quickly established a culture of inclusion, connection, and creative musical excellence. Comprised of 50 talented musicians, the auditioned ensemble predominantly draws membership from the UQ student body, but also welcomes players from the broader community. The UQ Wind Symphony is a genuinely collaborative ensemble, poised to solidify its position as one of Australia’s premier youth wind ensembles in the coming years. 

Rachel Howley (director and conductor)

Rachel Howley is an accomplished conductor, music educator and researcher. She completed a Doctor of Musical Arts in Conducting at the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University and has conducted some of Australia’s finest youth ensembles. She is a regular conductor in the Young Conservatorium programs, conducts several times a year in the Queensland State Honours Ensembles Program, and is a member of the Queensland Wind Orchestra conducting team, one of Australia’s most distinguished wind ensembles. Rachel is regularly engaged as a clinician throughout Australia. In 2023, Rachel became a Reynolds Conducting Institute Fellow at The Midwest Clinic International Band and Orchestra Conference and in 2022 was named as one of Australia’s Most Influential Educators by the Educator Magazine. 

In 2015, Rachel was the founding Director of Grace Academy at Grace Lutheran College, a leading Queensland program in Performing Arts, and is sought after as a music education consultant and mentor. A passionate advocate for inclusivity, Rachel’s research focuses on the pivotal role conductors play in championing the wind band works of Australian female composers. Her commitment to diversity is evident in her advocacy for fair representation through thoughtful repertoire selection. In 2018, she founded the Australian Women’s Wind Band Composition Award and this has contributed more than 50 new works to the industry by Australian female-identifying composers and continues to facilitate partnerships between emerging composers and Australian publishing companies.