Wind Symphony (WS)
Conductor Warwick Potter
Watch the QYO Wind Symphony play New York from Nigel Hess’s East Coast Pictures.
The 75-member Wind Symphony is the leading Wind Orchestra of Queensland Youth Orchestras. Established in 1973 to cater for the large number of qualified wind and brass players applying for positions within Queensland Youth Orchestras, Wind Symphony has now developed a fine reputation for outstanding concerts.
Repertoire in 2011 includes Holst’s Suite No. 1 in Eb, the famous Symphony in Bb for Wind Orchestra by Hindemith and Bernstein’s Symphonic Dances from West Side Story.
QYO Wind Symphony performs regularly throughout South-east and regional Queensland. It has twice won Sunny (Queensland Recording Industry) Awards for best classical CD. Members range in age from 13 to 23.
QYO3 is playing regularly in Concerts at Twilight at the Old Museum Concert Hall. Please find all dates here
Coming up
WS is playing regularly in Concerts at Twilight at the Old Museum Concert Hall. Please find all dates here
Warwick Potter
Warwick Potter is one of Australia’s leading conductors. In 2011, he has already conducted West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO) in two performances: a concert with Justine Clarke and an education concert in Perth featuring Stravinsky’s 1919 Firebird Suite. He holds debut engagements with both Canberra and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras this year as well as further return performances with Adelaide, Queensland and West Australian Symphony Orchestras.
His career highlights have included conducting WASO in its annual Symphony in the City concert in front of 22,000 people last year, conducting the same orchestra in its collaboration with The Panics in 2010 as well as conducting the Australian premieres of both Takemitsu’s How Slow the Wind and Hindson’s Dangerous Creatures. 2010 also saw his debut both with Queensland Youth Symphony and at the prestigious Stradbroke Chamber Music Festival where he conducted Prokofiev’s Peter and the Wolf with many of Australia’s leading players. In addition to his QYO duties, he is also Conductor - University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra (where he holds the position of Director of Ensembles) and Conductor - Queensland Young Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra.
In 2011, he will adjudicate for Hastings International Piano Concerto Competition in the United Kingdom, ABC/Symphony International Young Performer of the Year and Redlands Eisteddfod. Furthermore, he has been engaged to conduct the 2011 Great Public Schools Music Day Symphony Orchestra as well as Carmina Burana for Queensland Music Festival later this year. He continues to be contracted to Australian Music Examinations Board to help re-write its bassoon syllabus for its mainstream launch in 2012.
As a bassoonist, Warwick trained at Royal College of Music, London winning every prize available to him including an Exhibition Scholarship. He enjoyed a successful freelance career until moving to Australia in 2002. He has toured nationally with Australian Chamber Orchestra on multiple occasions and played Guest Principal Bassoon for both Queensland Symphony Orchestra and WASO.
A committed music educationalist, Warwick is delighted to be conducting QYO Wind Symphony in 2011. It remains a musical genre that is very close to his heart.
WS repertoire
In 2011, WS performed
| Leonard Bernstein | Symphonic Dances from West Side Story |
| Eric Coates, arr. Duthoit | The Dambusters March |
| Nigel Hess | Thames Journey |
| Paul Hindemith | Symphony in Bb |
| Gustav Holst | First Suite in Eb major Opus 28, No.1 |
| Gustav Holst | Second Suite in F major Opus 28, No. 2 |
| Gustav Holst, arr. Jacob | Moorside March from Moorside Suite |
| Gordon Jacob | Prelude to Comedy |
| Rimski-Korsakov | Polonaise from Christmas Eve |
| Ralph Vaughan Williams | Toccata Marziale |
| Various, arr. Lowden | Big Bands in Concert |
| Henry Wood, arr. Duthoit | Fantasia on British Sea Songs |
In 2010, WS performed
| Alfred Reed | A Festive Overture |
| Gershwin arr. Barker | Gershwin! |
| Gustav Holst | Hammersmith |
| Holst | Second Suite in F, Op.28 No 2 |
| Nicolai | The Merry Wives of Windsor - Overture |
| Nigel Hess | East Coast Pictures: Shelter Island, New York |
| Robert Russell Bennett | Suite of Old American Dances |
| Walton arr. Drijvers | “Spitfire” Prelude and Fugue |
| Walton arr. Duthoit | Crown Imperial |
| Williams arr. Hunsberger | Star Wars Trilogy |
In 2009, WS performed
| Bernstein arr Mason | West Side Story: Selections for Orchestra |
| Bernstein arr Polster | West Side Story: Symphonic Dances (Mvts 1 - 4) |
| Bill Reddie | Channel One Suite |
| Curnow | Down Under |
| Dan Rager | Russian Folk Dances |
| Foster & Shuur | You Can Have It |
| German Traditional | The Old Fisherman |
| Gershwin arr Brubaker | An American in Paris |
| Gillingham | Sails of Time |
| Grainger | Colonial Song |
| Grainger | Molly on the Shore |
| Hosay | And the Multitude with One Voice Spoke |
| Hultgren | Bushdance |
| Lloyd | Fanfare for Freedom |
| Maslanka | Give Us This Day |
| Norman Dello Joio | Satiric Dances for a Comedy by Aristophanes |
| Robert Russell Bennett | Suite of Old American Dances |
| Robert Sheldon | Chiaroscuro (Symphonic Dances in Shades of Darkness & Light) |
| Shostakovich | Festival Overture |
| Sparke | Sunrise at Angel’s Gate |
| Stravinsky | Selections from The Firebird |
| Wilson | Vortex |