Wind Symphony (WS)
Conductor Warwick Potter
Watch the QYO Wind Symphony play New York from Nigel Hess’s East Coast Pictures.
The 70-member Wind Symphony is the leading Wind Orchestra of Queensland Youth Orchestras. Established in 1973, Wind Symphony has developed a fine reputation for outstanding concerts.
Members include students from the Queensland Conservatorium and the UQ School of Music, as well as advanced secondary students, with an age range from 15 to 23.
QYO Wind Symphony performs regularly throughout South-east and regional Queensland. This year the orchestra also participated in the Yamaha National Band Championships for the first time. It has twice won Sunny (Queensland Recording Industry) Awards for best classical CD.
Repertoire in 2013 includes An American in Paris by Gershwin (arr. van Gils), The Planets by Holst (arr. Patterson), Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks by R. Strauss (arr. Hindsley) and New London Pictures by Nigel Hess.
WS Tour to Perth
WS on camp in Watson Park
Coming up
Sunday 16 June 4.00pm
Old Museum Concert Hall
WS & Canterbury College
Concert Program includes Nigel Hess’ New London Pictures, Richard Strauss’ Till Eulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks and the world premiere of a new work by former WS member Samantha Wolf.
Warwick Potter
Warwick Potter is one of Australia’s leading conductors. He has conducted Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Canberra Symphony Orchestra (CSO), Darwin Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra on multiple occasions. He has just returned from assisting Nicholas Milton with CSO’s world premiere, Symphony No.3 by Andrew Schultz.
Locally, he currently conducts University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra (UQSO), University of Queensland Wind Ensemble and Queensland Youth Orchestras Wind Symphony. He has recently been appointed Coordinator of Winds at University of Queensland where his other duties include lecturing in instrumental conducting, wind/brass performance practice skills, chamber music and advanced conducting.
A committed music educationalist, Warwick has also conducted for MOST, State Honours Education Program, Great Public Schools’ Music Day, Queensland Young Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra and Queensland Youth Symphony in the youth sector. The adult education sector is equally important to him and he has conducted Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra and St.Lucia Orchestra (SLO), the latter of which is Artistic Director for 2013. He was technical consultant for the present Australian Music Examination Board’s bassoon syllabus.
He trained at Royal College of Music, London where he was awarded every bassoon prize including an Exhibition Scholarship. He studied bassoon with Kerrison Camden, Geoffrey Gambold and John Burness. He enjoyed a successful freelance career in the United Kingdom including many concerto appearances after winning the 1992 Hastings National Concerto Competition.
His future engagements include conducting CSO in the final of the 2013 Southern Highlands International Piano Concerto Competition, an enhanced education fortnight with CSO, conducting Rachmaninov’s 2nd symphony with UQSO, a return to the biannual MOST program, leading the forthcoming QYWS tour to Perth as well as further performances with SLO throughout the year.
WS repertoire
In 2012, WS performs
| Arnold, arr. Paynter | Scottish Dances |
| Bernstein, arr Grundman | Candide overture |
| Coates, arr. Duthoit | London Suite |
| Elgar, arr. Patterson | Enigma Variations |
| Gershwin, arr. Rogers | Cuban Overture |
| Hess | Global Variations |
| Kenton, arr. Wayne Scott | Stan Kenton in Concert |
| Stauffer | Fugue ‘n Swing |
| Strauss, arr. Patterson | Don Juan |
| V.Williams | Folk Song Suite |
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 |