Backstage with our Director - Artistic Planning

My title is Director of Artistic Planning and my role has artistic direction and oversight over all that the Orchestra does, from our QPAC Concert Hall concerts to our partnerships with the ballet and opera companies, our educational activities to our new initiatives including training programs for composers, conductors, and student musicians.

This work is done in collaboration with many people, not least the QSO musicians and staff. The Orchestra is at the heart of the organisation and everything my team and I do is focussed on connecting our wonderful musicians in the best possible programs with as many audiences as possible in venues and settings right across the state, and nationally and internationally through broadcasts and digital activity.

How long is a piece of string? A standard timeline for one of our mainstage concerts is around two years from the initial idea to the musicians being on stage, though sometimes it can be longer than that and sometimes shorter. There is no standard process or time for any concert or program, each is unique and we take the time to shape each of them into something special.

2020 saw the standard timeline and processes thrown out the window and we had any number of iterations of what 2021 could have been. In the end, the combination of Australian conductors, soloists (many from within the Orchestra) and diverse repertoire came together in a way that feels compelling and appropriate for this time and place.

There are so many elements that go into programming the whole season, and so many things to consider. Date availability at QPAC and other venues, our work with other companies, the right mix of conductors for the Orchestra to work with, new projects to explore, and what we would like to offer as the mix of concerts to our varied audiences including students, families, in regional centres, and across greater Brisbane.

We are now working on 2022 and are having interesting exploratory conversations with the Orchestra’s Artistic Committee about what the shape of the season and who the guest artists will be, as well as considering the whole range of programs we will present including outdoor performances and collaborations with pop musicians, First Nations artists and more.

So many ideas get put to the side or are recycled into other years – it is a constantly evolving process. It’s also a wholly collaborative one, which is the exciting part of my role – synthesising all the ideas and then making the decisions that feel right for the Orchestra and our audiences. And then we wait a year or two to see them play out, checking in along the way to make sure that everything is in place, and then hopefully it all comes together and is artistically successful and enjoyed by everyone.

My aim is for every QSO performance to be a program of diverse and balanced works that is presented by the musicians in engaged, communicative performances that entertain and inform. I know our musicians are keen to achieve that too, whether it’s at QPAC or in the Chinchilla Community Hall.

This is especially true for performances for young people. Children are the most ‘real’ audience; if they are not engaged you know immediately and when they are engaged the impact is visceral and lifelong. They are also very open to new sounds and experiences – we shouldn’t be afraid of presenting complex and involved music to young people because they have such a capacity and openness to process music and ideas. The same goes for regional communities. Our aim is never to ‘dumb down’ any performance the QSO presents.

Relaxing as much as I can – which means walking in my local park or along Moreton Bay and Brisbane River, spending time with family and friends, listening to music and reading, swimming at Sunshine Coast beaches, and gardening. My partner Chris and I have been in Brisbane for two and a half years now and we are lucky to have a beautiful townhouse and courtyard in Nundah and we have put lots of energy into making it a haven. We also sing in Brisbane Pride Choir and that has been a great way for us to meet people and engage in the community.