Symphony Under the Stars

Music lovers are in for treat at this year's Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers with Symphony Under the Stars, performed by the full Queensland Symphony Orchestra in Queens Park on Friday, October 4, 2024.

Celebrating the Carnival of Flower's 75th anniversary, this will be the first time the full 84-piece orchestra has performed an outdoor concert in the Garden City. Under the baton of Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici, this special performance will feature music from George Gershwin, Debussy and Mussorgsky.

Opening this unmissable music event is George Gershwin’s famous, An American in Paris. Popular around the globe, this piece masterfully blends classical music with jazz, capturing the spirit and vibrancy of Paris in the 1920s.

Special guest soloist saxophonist Nick Russoniello, will join Maestro Clerici and the orchestra for Claude Debussy's Rhapsody for Alto Saxophone and Orchestra. The piece stands out in the classical saxophone repertoire, offering a rare and beautifully crafted work that highlights the instrument's lyrical potential while capturing the evocative atmosphere for which Debussy is famed.

Closing this world-class concert is Modest Mussorgsky’s Pictures at an Exhibition (arr. Ravel). This suite of ten piano pieces, later orchestrated by Maurice Ravel, musically depicts a walk through an art gallery, with each movement representing a different artwork. It's famous for its vivid imagery, ranging from the grandeur of The Great Gate of Kiev to the eerie atmosphere of The Hut on Hen's Legs (Baba Yaga); capturing a wide range of moods.

Set in the iconic Queens Park Amphitheatre, this floral-inspired Symphony Under the Stars promises to be an outdoor concert for the ages in Toowoomba.

Toowoomba Carnival of Flowers is a valued partner of Must Do Brisbane.com