QPAC

From the gentle flow of a country stream to the sweeping majesty of a mountaintop, this concert celebrates nature as both muse and mirror – a reflection of our deepest emotions, our struggles, and our sense of wonder. Join the Queensland Youth Symphony (QYS) and conductor Simon Hewett for Visions of Nature, an afternoon of two great symphonic journeys that explore humanity’s relationship with the natural world – and the worlds within ourselves. 

Beethoven’s Symphony No. 6, Pastoral, opens the program with scenes of rustic simplicity and serenity. More than a description of the countryside, Beethoven’s Pastoral is a portrait of gratitude – of finding joy and renewal in nature’s presence. From the bubbling brook and cheerful village dance to the storm that clears and restores peace, Beethoven paints not with words but with sound, offering an enduring vision of harmony between humanity and the earth. 

QYS then ascends the vast and awe-inspiring heights of Richard Strauss’ Eine Alpensinfonie (An Alpine Symphony). At first glance, the work depicts a single day’s climb – from sunrise to summit, storm to twilight. But beneath the vivid landscapes lies something far deeper. Composed in 1915, in the shadow of war and following the death of Strauss’ friend Gustav Mahler, the Alpine Symphony becomes both elegy and confession: a requiem for a vanishing world, and a personal credo from a lifelong atheist who found meaning not in divinity, but in human fellowship and endurance. 

As night falls, Strauss’ climbers descend from the peak, their theme returning in the faintest whisper – a quiet expression of gratitude, and perhaps, acceptance. In this final breath, the Alpine Symphony reminds us that even amid the immensity of nature and the darkness of the unknown, solace can be found in companionship, courage, and the shared ascent of life itself.