Queensland Youth Symphony (QYS)
Conductor John Curro AM MBE
The Queensland Youth Symphony (QYS) is QYO’s leading orchestra. Established in 1966, QYS is widely recognised as a world-class youth orchestra and performs its own concert series at the prestigious QPAC Concert Hall and the Old Museum Concert Hall in Brisbane.
The main works in 2012 include Strauss’ Don Juan, Symphony No. 12 by Shostakovich, Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto with Piano Soloist Jayson Gillham, and Pines of Rome by Respighi. Please find the complete repertoriere here.
In 2011, QYS performed with guest artists including the Diana Dohery (Oboe Concerto by Allan Zavod, world premiere), Kristian Winther (Brahms Violin Concerto) and Dan Curro (Schumann Cello Concerto). The main works for 2011 included Saint-Saëns’ Organ Symphony, The Love for Three Oranges by Prokofiev, Daphnis and Chloe by Ravel, Iberia by Debussy and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.
Coming up
Concert 2 - The Emperor
Saturday 2 June 2012 7pm QPAC Concert Hall
Carl Vine - Celebrare Celeberrime
Ludwig van Beethoven - Piano Concerto No. 5
Soloist: Jayson Gillham
Modest Mussorgsky’s - Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Ravel)
(please note: The previously advertised Symphony No. 7 by Prokofiev has been replaced)
Touring
QYS has performed throughout Australia and internationally during eleven overseas tours (Europe, USA, United Kingdom, Canada, China, Hong Kong, Japan, South Korea and New Zealand) to much critical acclaim.
In 2008, QYS toured to Germany, France, Austria and Italy giving concerts in Mannheim, Speyer, Heidelberg, Strasbourg, Bouxwiller, Scherwiller, Freiburg, Stuttgart, Bamberg, Ancona, Sulmona and Rome. In 2004, QYS toured to Germany and Italy giving concerts in Ulm, Munich, Bamberg, Würzburg, Florence, Santa Fiora and Tivoli.
The next international tour is planned for 2012 to Europe and Asia. Concert destinations include Singapore, Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia), Linz & Salzburg (Austria), Strasbourg (France), and German cities Worms, Frankenthal, Stuttgart, Ehingen and Bamberg. Read more about the tour here
QYS regularly hosts visiting international youth orchestras including, in 2010, the Colorado Springs Youth Symphony, in 2009 the Albuquerque Youth Symphony from the US and the Ulm Youth Wind Philharmonic from Germany. In 2007 and 2008, QYO hosted orchestras from Germany (Mannheim and Stuttgart) and Macau.
Conductor John Curro AM MBE
John Curro AM MBE is both the founder and Director of Music for Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO), conducting the Queensland Youth Symphony since its beginning in 1966. He is in demand as a conductor and tutor for professional and youth orchestras and festivals.
Last year, Mr Curro conducted Havergal Brian’s Symphony No. 1 The Gothic, for the first ever performance in 30 years and the first performance outside the UK. Writing in the Havergal Brian Society Newsletter of December 2010, Malcolm Mc Donald wrote: “… it was as vivid and powerful a reading as the Gothic has yet received and perhaps the most accurate to date…”. With QYS, Mr Curro conducted the Resurrection Symphony by Gustav Mahler in a remarkable performance with Judith Henley (Soprano), Anne Fulton (Mezzo Soprano), the Queensland Conservatorium Chamber Choir and the Brisbane Chorale.
In 2009, he was conductor of the Bishop Orchestra at the Victorian State Music Camp and guest conductor at the Tasmanian Conservatorium and Brisbane Philharmonic (also in 2010 and 2011) orchestras. In 2008, he conducted the Queensland Youth Symphony during its 11th international tour with critically acclaimed concerts in Germany, France and Italy.
Mr Curro has conducted many of Australia’s professional orchestras as well as many opera and ballet seasons in Australia. His guest conducting appearances include the London Virtuosi, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Australian and Bavarian Youth Orchestra, the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
Throughout his distinguished career, Mr Curro has received many prestigious awards including Member of the Order of Australia and Member of the British Empire. He has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Queensland and Griffith University, Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow award, the Australian Music Centre (Qld) Award, the Don Banks Music Award, the Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award, the Orchestras Australia Lifetime Achievement award and the Queensland Premier’s Millenium Award for Excellence in the Arts.
QYS repertoire
In 2011, QYS performed
| Johannes Brahms | Violin Concerto in D major (Soloist Kristian Winther) |
| Samuel Dickenson | Scherzo - World Premiere |
| Claude Debussy | Images - Iberia |
| Edouard Lalo | Symphonie Espagnol (Soloist Lily Higson-Spence) |
| Maurice Ravel | Daphnis & Chloe - Suite No. 2 |
| Ottorino Respighi | Ancient Airs & Dances - Suite No. 3 |
| Serge Prokofiev | The Love for Three Oranges Symphonic Suite |
| Camille Saint-Saens | Symphony No. 3 - Organ Symphony |
| Robert Schumann | Cello Concerto in A minor (Soloist Dan Curro) |
| Igor Stravinsky | The Rite of Spring |
| Pyotr Tchaikovsky | Variations on a Rococo Theme (Soloist Stephanie Stamopoulos) |
| Pyotr Tchaikovsky | Violin Concerto in D major (Soloist Wendy Kong) |
| Joseph Twist | Pop Culture Parody - World Premiere |
| Allan Zavod | Oboe Concerto - World Premiere (Soloist Diana Doherty) |
In 2010, QYS performed
| Arutunian | Trumpet Concerto |
| Bach | Concerto for two harps and orchestra BWV 1060 |
| Dickenson | Romance for Chamber Strings - World Premiere |
| Elgar | Symphony No 2 |
| Gustav Mahler | Symphony No2 in C Minor - Resurrection |
| Haydn | Cello Concerto No. 2 in D Major |
| Ibert | Flute Concerto |
| Mahler | Symphony No 5, 3rd movement |
| Malecki | Concertino in an Ancient Style |
| Prokofiev | Violin Concerto No 2 in G minor |
| Respighi | Pines of Rome-The Pines of the Appian Way |
| Shostakovich | Symphony No. 6 op. 54, B minor, 3rd movement |
| Sibelius | Violin Concerto in D minor |
| Walton | Portsmouth Point |
| Walton | Viola Concerto |
| Wieniawski | Violin Concerto No 2 in D minor |
In 2009, QYS performed
| Arr. Ian McKinley | The Lord is My Shepherd |
| Bartok | Viola Concerto |
| Beethoven | Egmont Overture, op. 84 |
| Beethoven | Violin Concerto |
| Bernstein arr Mason | West Side Story: Selections for Orchestra |
| Brahms | Symphony no. 2 in D major |
| Butterworth | A Shropshire Lad |
| Debussy | Nocturnes 1 & 2 (Nuages & Fetes) |
| Haydn | Cello Concerto in C major |
| Lalo | Cello Concerto |
| Lovelock | Trumpet Concerto |
| Lutoslawski | Concerto for Orchestra |
| Mozart | Clarinet Concerto |
| Prokofiev | Cinderella Suite no. 2 |
| Rachmaninoff | Symphonic Dances |
| Shostakovich | Violin Concerto No. 1 in A minor |
| Strauss | Radetzky March, op. 228 |
| Stravinsky | The Firebird |
| Tchaikovsky | Piano Concerto No. 1 in B flat minor |
| Tchaikovsky | Variations on a Rococo Theme |
| Weber | Bassoon Concerto |
Watch the Queensland Youth Symphony conducted by John Curro play the 2nd movement of Mahler’s First Symphony: