Events
Various
Loud in the Valley
Brisbane / The Tivoli / 17 July – 2 August
FourPlay String Quartet, Jack Ladder, João Rabello, The Innocent Bystanders, Monsieur Camembert, Vulgargrad, Frock, Tom Cooney, Ross McLennan, Kimmo Pohjonen, Dan Hicks and Iiro Rantala New Trio
Music that makes you crazy, music that makes you dream, music that gets in your feet, in your brain, in your guts.
Classical/Contemporary
The Michael Nyman Band
Rockhampton / Pilbeam Theatre / Fri 24 July
Brisbane / QPAC / Sat 25 July
Townsville / Civic Theatre / Thu 30 July
Prepare yourself for a pulse-racing musical encounter between one of the world's greatest contemporary composers, the virtuosity of Australia's William Barton and a 12-piece band that is the closest thing to rock 'n' roll classical music has yet produced. Michael Nyman is exciting and dynamic in a way that is unmatched by other modern composers. His music is supple, brilliant and flawless.
Jazz/Experimental/Beat Box
The Big Finnish
Brisbane / The Tivoli / Sun 2 August
Iiro Rantala New Trio and Kimmo Pohjonen
Finnish accordion adventurist Kimmo Pohjonen’s singular mission is to expand the capabilities, sound, scope, performance and experience of the accordion to levels never before attempted, seen or heard. Accordion, voice, effects, surround sound and light show combine to make a unique and captivating performance event.
Experimental/Popular
Earth Machine Music
Winton / Showgrounds / Sat 25 July
Blackall / Wool Scour / Tue 28 July
St George / Riversands Vineyards / Fri 31 July
Kimmo Pohjonen
An electrifying live concert by Finnish adventurist and accordion virtuoso Kimmo Pohjonen using the raw sounds of live farm machinery. Each concert is a unique work. Local farmers and machine operators will participate with Kimmo in outdoor performances featuring equipment and sounds sourced from the local area.
Contemporary
Presidentsland
Brisbane / City Hall / Wed 29 July
Paul Grabowsky, Don Watson, Erik Griswold, Rodney Hall, Ed Kuepper, Venero Armanno, Southern Cross Soloists and Paul Dean
In Presidentsland, music, words and ideas have been shaken and stirred for a vision of Queensland’s future.
Rock/Alternative
An Evening of AMP
Brisbane / The Tivoli / Sat 1 August
Jack Ladder, Tom Cooney and Ross McLennan
AMP stands for Australian Music Prize, an independent not-for-profit award that encourages a level playing field of musical opportunity. The prize is $30,000 given to an Australian artist or group in recognition of the outstanding creativity they exhibited based on an original album released in 2008.
Rock/Indigenous/Popular
Cannot Buy My Soul
Brisbane / Riverstage in the City Gardens / Sat 1 August
Kev Carmody, Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, John Butler, Clare Bowditch, Tex Perkins, The Herd, The Drones, Glenn Richards, Sara Storer, Steve Kilbey, The Last Kinection, The Pigram Brothers, Dan Sultan, Archie Roach, Missy Higgins, Dan Kelly and Troy Cassar-Daley
Kev Carmody, Paul Kelly, Bernard Fanning, John Butler, Missy Higgins, Troy Cassar-Daley, Clare Bowditch, Tex Perkins, The Drones and many, many more join forces in a special twilight concert at Brisbane Riverstage to celebrate a unique Australian talent.
Indigenous/Contemporary/Popular
Laid in Earth
Cooktown / Endeavour Park / Sat 1 August
Damian Barbeler, Black Image, Emma-Louise, Sarah Blasko and Daniel Rojas
In 2007 The Queensland Music Festival built the Musical Ship, a percussive playground for all ages, on the beautiful foreshore of Cooktown’s Endeavour River. In 2009, The QMF will revisit the Musical Ship with Laid In Earth, a newly commissioned work from celebrated composer Damian Barbeler, featuring multi award winning vocalist Sarah Blasko, Emma-Louise, Daniel Rojas and Kurrawong.
Various
Music in the Streets & Airport City Music
Brisbane / International Airport / Fri 17 July
Brisbane / Queen Street Mall / Fri 17 July
Brisbane / DFO Airport City / Sat 18 July
Brisbane / Queen Street Mall / Sun 26 July
Brisbane / The Parklands at South Bank / Sat 1 August
Rockhampton / Botanic Gardens / Sat 25 July
Nathan Lam, James Whiting and Andre Bonetti
Step outside your front door during Festival time, and you’re likely to be stepping in time to Music In The Streets. Over the three Festival weekends, visitors, travellers, residents and shoppers in Brisbane and Rockhampton will be grooving to music in unexpected places.
Musical Theatre/Theatre
The Pink Twins
Brisbane / QPAC, Cremorne Theatre / Wed 22 July - Sat 1 August
They dressed in Pink, accessorised in Pink, lived in pink and drove a pink car. The twins also made a difference to the lives of thousands of people with disabilities through their long-term commitment to the Sunshine Welfare and Remedial Association (SWARA), an organisation perched on a remnant of land between Albert Park and the Normanby Fiveways.
Various/Songwriting Workshops
Song Trails - Finale Concert
Brisbane / Brisbane Powerhouse / Finale Concert / Sunday 2 August
Rebecca Barnard, Peter Farnan, Leah Flanagan, Robert Forster, Mark Gable, Eric McCusker, Melinda Schneider and Scott Edgar
An acoustic jam featuring Rebecca Barnard (Rebecca’s Empire), Scott Edgar (Tripod), Peter Farnan (Boom Crash Opera), Leah Flanagan, Robert Forster (The Go-Betweens), Mark Gable (The Choir Boys), Eric McCusker (Mondo Rock) and Melinda Schneider.
Songwriting Workshops
Song Trails Central
Moranbah / Mon 27 July
Emerald / Tue 28 July
Rockhampton / Wed 29 July
Bundaberg / Thu 30 July
Nanango / Fri 31 July
Brisbane / Brisbane Powerhouse / Finale Concert / Sun 2 August
Peter Farnan, Rebecca Barnard, Scott Edgar and Robert Forster
Registrations for our free songwriting workshops have now closed! Come and see the Song Trails Finale Concert at Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday 2 August, 3.30pm.
Songwriting Workshops
Song Trails South
Cleveland / Mon 27 July
Brisbane / Tue 28 July
Warwick / Wed 29 July
Ipswich / Thu 30 July
Logan / Fri 31 July
Brisbane / Brisbane Powerhouse / Finale Concert / Sun 2 August
Melinda Schneider, Leah Flanagan, Mark Gable and Eric McCusker
Registrations for our free songwriting workshops have now closed! Come and see the Song Trails Finale Concert at Brisbane Powerhouse on Sunday 2 August, 3.30pm.
Contemporary
Queensland at Home
Pomona / The Majestic Theatre / Sat 1 August
Brisbane / Brisbane Powerhouse / Sun 2 August
Topology and Sally Golding
A time capsule of vintage film, photos and audio with Live Music by Topology. Queensland at Home intertwines contemporary music performance with footage and oral histories from the State Library of Queensland archives dating back to the early 20th century.
Musical Theatre
The Road We're On
Charleville / Levee Bank, Wills Street / Thu 30 July - Sat 1 August
An unforgettable outdoor musical event under the magnificent night sky, The Road We’re On brings together a world class team of creators to celebrate Charleville’s rich vein of stories and talent in an evening of explosive, levee-bursting, star gazing, ground breaking entertainment.
Dance/Contemporary
Remember Me
Brisbane / Brisbane Powerhouse / Wed 29 July - Sat 1 August
Gavin Webber and Iain Grandage
This powerful Dancenorth production merges live music with film, theatre and dance to create a work of great tenderness and nostalgia. Documenting a lifestyle of weekly social dancing that has largely disappeared from modern Australian life, Remember Me evokes eternal themes of age, life and death.
Dance/Hip Hop
Battle City
Brisbane / Under the Turbot Street Overpass / Fri 24 July
Once again the Turbot Street Overpass will become a battle ground as Australia’s premier dancers invade the city to compete in this annual battle of the willing. Battle City, now in its eighth year, sets the stage for the most talented, dedicated and fearless b-boys and b-girls to flex their skills in a highly competitive battle environment.
Popular
Acoustic in the Park
Brisbane / The Parklands at South Bank / Sun 19 July
Local artists showcase their talent within the relaxing setting of the Rainforest Green at The Parklands, South Bank. This outdoor musical event provides local original artists and emerging songwriters with a chance to showcase their talent to the wider community.
Big Band
Brisbane's Bands. Big, Bold & Brassy!
Brisbane / Suncorp Piazza / Sat 25 & Sun 26 July
Over two huge days, Big Bold and Brassy will showcase the amazing talent of Brisbane’s local band scene with a massive weekend of FREE music at Suncorp Piazza. Experience one of the biggest band events of the year!
Folk/Jazz/Swing/Country
Dan Hicks and The Innocent Bystanders
Brisbane / The Tivoli / Fri 24 & Sat 25 July
Dan Hicks is truly an American original. His unique blend of swing, jazz, folk and country music, coupled with his irresistible sense of rhythm, hip lyrical styling, laid-back vocalising, and infamous on-stage wit make his live audiences fans for life. For more than 40 years, most famously with his band The Hot Licks, Dan has been a stalwart of the American music scene.
Opera
Fidelio
Brisbane / Queensland Conservatorium / Sat 11 July - Sat 1 August
In the darkest dungeon of a state prison, Florestan, a young nobleman who exposed the crimes of Don Pizarro, the corrupt governor of the fortress, is slowly nearing death. Florestan’s wife, Leonore, is determined to find him and has disguised herself as a young man, Fidelio, working for Rocco, the head jailer.
Folk/Rock/Country/Bluegrass
Stretch 'N' The Truth
Moranbah / Community Centre / Thu 23 July
Stephen Teakle, Brian Kneipp, Gus MacMillan, Nara Demasson, Philip Rex, Haydn Meggitt and Erkki Veltheim
From a tall man comes even taller tales. The yarn is central to the musical stretch. From city to country the stories, the poetry and the raucous music hall atmosphere will have you clicking your fingers, tapping your toes and singing out loud.
Dance
1+1 in 2/4 Time:
Brisbane / Brisbane Powerhouse / Sat 1 August
Dance and Music are intrinsically linked. Throughout history, the relationships between choreographer and composer have spawned some of our best loved music – Tchaikovsky and Petipa, Adam and Coralli , Delibes and Saint-Leon, Debussy and Diaghalev, Copland and Graham, Cage and Cunningham – none of the great classical and modern dance repertoire of the 19th and 20th century could have emerged without the collaborative creative energies of these makers.
Classical
Leslie Howard
Brisbane / QPAC / Fri 24 July
Brisbane / Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University / Sat 25 July
Australian born Leslie Howard is known internationally as much for his musicality as for his record-breaking recordings of the complete music for solo piano by Frank Liszt; some 94 CDs.
Indigenous/Popular
Hidden Republic
Thursday Island / Primary School Oval / Fri 17 July
Brisbane / Live Webcast to Brisbane Square (top of Queen St Mall) / Fri 17 July
David Arden, Mark Atkins, Kutcha Edwards, Ruby Hunter, Jimmy Little, Lou Bennett, Sally Dastey, Emma Donovan, Bevan Gabanbulu, Shane Howard, Bunna Lawrie, Rachael Maza Long, Shellie Morris, Amy Saunders, Ursula Yovich, Genevieve Lacey, The Black Arm Band, Dan Sultan and Archie Roach
The 2009 Queensland Music Festival will launch spectacularly into life with the largest concert event to be performed on Thursday Island, webcast live to a big screen in the centre of Brisbane.
Education
The Big Weekend
Mount Isa / Civic Centre / Sun 2 August
The Big Weekend is a celebration of community music making at its best. Over 120 musicians from Birdsville to Karumba, Julia Creek to Barkly come together every two years to form a massed community all-ages symphonic orchestra. Three days of intensive rehearsals, tutorials and instrumental workshops culminate in a concert performance at the Mt Isa Civic Centre.
Education
Score It!
Online / Queensland / Ends Fri 26 June
Queensland Music Festival would like to thank all the entrants for Score It! 2009. There were over 146 entries from across the state and from those entries 18 finalists were selected. On Saturday 25 July the 6 winners of Score It! were announced. The winners for Score It! 2009 are: BARWORK SENIOR Saraiha GrashuisBARWORK JUNIOR Isabelle Fitzsimons Reilly
Popular
João Rabello
Brisbane / The Tivoli / Fri 17 July
The guitar is central to the Brazilian musical experience. From great composers like Villa-Lobos, to folk forms like samba and bossa-nova, the guitar has played a pivotal role in unifying "high" and "low" music. In a country as large as Brazil, with such a rich musical heritage this means a lot. The guitar became popular there even before emerging as a concert instrument in Europe in the 20th century.
Classical/Popular
FourPlay String Quartet
Brisbane / The Tivoli / Sat 25 July
FourPlay String Quartet defies convention and stereotyping. As much a band as a string quartet, they blur the boundaries between styles and genres while maintaining their own original and true sound. FourPlay perform covers by a diverse array of bands; from The Strokes and Radiohead to Charles Mingus, Robert Johnson and many, many more.
Experimental/Electronic
Francisco López
Cairns / Tank Arts Centre / Fri 31 July
Brisbane / Institute of Modern Art / Sun 26 July
Over the past 25 years, the concerts and installations of Spanish sound-artist Francisco López have generated astonishing sonic universes. His personal, iconoclastic work is grounded in a profound listening to the world, through which he seeks an absolute transformation of reality through sound.
Jazz/Cabaret
Vulgar Cheesy Frock!
Brisbane / The Tivoli / Sat 18 July
Vulgargrad, Monsieur Camembert and Frock
It’s not hard to understand why triple ARIA Award-winning group, Monsieur Camembert have been at the forefront of Australia’s GYPROCK scene for the past eight years. Described as theatrical, irreverent, virtuosic and irrepressibly talented, Monsieur Camembert is truly a force of nature so bring your dancing shoes, this music is irresistible.
Opera/Jazz/Popular
Opera at Jimbour
Jimbour / Jimbour House Amphitheatre / Sat 25 July
Maggie Noonan, Brian Noonan, Guy Noble, Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, Barry Otto, Katie Noonan and Tyrone Noonan
The ever-popular Opera at Jimbour, a regular feature of Queensland Music Festival’s program, will this year highlight the extraordinary contribution made by the Noonan family to Queensland’s arts and cultural landscape. Join the Noonan family in this special event at historic Jimbour House.
Percussion
Mutant Theatre & Inside Music
Brisbane / Queensland Conservatorium / Wed 29 July
One of Australia's truly innovative composers, Anthony Pateras has created his own sound universe – maximalism drowning in minimalism, buoyed by rich orchestration and elastic tempo. “Anthony Pateras is emerging as one of the most vibrant and original figures in Australian new music …” - The Australian
