What’s On: Heavenly (Queensland Symphony Orchestra)

Queensland Symphony Orchestra will open their 2019 season with Heavenly on February 16, the first Maestro concert of the year and a continuation of Music Director Alondra de la Parra’s Mahler cycle, featuring soprano Morgan England-Jones and Artist in Residence Paul Lewis as a soloist.

Following a spine-tingling performance of Mahler 3 in November to close their 2018 season, QSO will burst into 2019 with Mozart’s haunting and melodious Piano Concerto No. 27 and Mahler’s fourth symphony; shorter and lighter in tone than his third, spiritual and profound, filled with childlike moments and finishing with a beautiful soprano aria.

Music Director Alondra de la Parra will replace the incapacitated Franz Welser-Möst in conducting a new production of Die Zauberflöte (The Magic Flute) at the prestigious Staatsoper Berlin. QSO Chief Executive Craig Whitehead said this was an extraordinary career opportunity for Maestra de la Parra and the entire company was thrilled for her and delighted with the role that the QSO had played in her extraordinary talent being recognised internationally. Unfortunately, this means that she will no longer be able to conduct QSO’s opening Maestro concert, but her world-class replacement will no doubt thrill audiences in equal measure.

Scandinavian conductor Daniel Blendulf will take the podium for Heavenly in Maestra de la Parra’s stead. One of the world’s most highly-regarded young conductors, Blendulf made his debut with QSO in their opening Maestro concert last year, conducting the orchestra and French pianist Jean-Efflam Bavouzet with passionate precision. He is also set to conduct the June Maestro concert titled Soulful Journeys, which features Spiritus, the work of Australian composer Lachlan Skipworth, Nocturnes by Debussy and Dvořák’s Concerto in B minor for Cello and Orchestra with Spanish cellist Pablo Ferrandez as the soloist.

Queensland Symphony Orchestra Chief Executive Craig Whitehead said welcoming Maestro Blendulf back to Brisbane for the opening Maestro concert was an extraordinary coup. “Following news that Maestra de la Parra is to become the first Mexican conductor to take the baton at the prestigious Staatsoper Berlin, we are thrilled that one of the world’s rising stars in Daniel Blendulf can return to Queensland to open our season,” he said.

For ticketing and further information, visit QSO’s website.