QPAC

Ensemble Q's 2023 concert season at QPAC offers an exciting new series that takes audiences on a musical, visual, and immersive journey.

A QPAC Company in Residence, the ensemble made a splash with its first concert in 2023, Deep Blue, taking audiences to the depths of the ocean with an atmospheric and descriptive program of works celebrating man’s fascination and love for the sea.

Featuring guest artist, UK-based mezzo soprano Lotte Betts-Dean, the program included Voice of the Whale by George Crumb, Paul Dean’s The Sea Meets Infinity and Chausson’s exquisite Poeme de l'amour et de la mer.

In keeping with a sea theme, sea shanties and fish and chips were on the menu for Ensemble Q's second concert in their 2023 QPAC season, Fish, Chips & Warm Beer on Sunday 16 July offering a musical journey around Britain through the eyes of the much-loved composer Ralph Vaughan Williams.

The program explored lesser-known masterpieces by some of the heroes of British music, the beauty of English folksong, and featured works by Thomas Adès, Benjamin Britten, Frank Bridge, Elizabeth Maconchy and Malcolm Arnold.

The Dinner Party will round out the year in style on Sunday 8 October 2023, inspired by an extraordinary dinner party that took place at the opening night of Richard Strauss’ Salome in 1905.

At the time, the world and its music were changing, and the participants of the dinner party – Puccini, Schoenberg, Zemlinsky, Berg, Mahler, Webern, and Strauss – were at the forefront of this volatile period. For this special concert, Ensemble Q will recreate that evening featuring works by these outstanding composers and welcome guest artist, Australian Baritone, former Opera Queensland Young Artist, and current Voice Performance Fellow at University of Queensland, Shaun Brown.

Co-Artistic Director, Ensemble Q Trish Dean said, “Moving our residency to QPAC in 2022 was always an exciting step for Ensemble Q, but I couldn’t have imagined how positively the change has influenced the way we can now interact with our audience, and in turn how much freedom this has given us to program engaging and immersive performances.

“The Concert Hall in reverse mode (where the audience is seated on stage) is an absolute gift, it brings our audience to us and vice versa, and the sound is incredible. We have designed our programs as all-inclusive events to suit the space, using the back of the hall as a massive backdrop and spreading ourselves over the stage with creativity and artistic flow," said Trish.

“We are adding visual and auditory elements that will make each audience member feel like they have entered our imaginations and will enhance how they relate to the music we’ve chosen.”- Trish Dean

"This talented ensemble includes some of the cream of Australia’s classical music scene, based right here in Queensland. 

I can’t wait to see their next musical foray on 16 July – Fish, Chips & Warm Beer, a journey around Britain via the music of Vaughan Williams, and on 8 October, The Dinner Party, which celebrates the opening night of Strauss’ Salome in Dresden in 1905."

Fish Chips and Warm Beer garnered four and half stars from Limelight:

“A celebration of music both Great and British, Fish, Chips & Warm Beer was brilliantly played and passionately delivered.”

Ensemble Q is soon to take to QPAC’s Digital Stage as well so make sure you subscribe to view. 

If you were at the concert, check out our social gallery below to see if you can spot your photo.