2024 4MBS Festival of Classics

4MBS FESTIVAL OF CLASSICS
17 to 26 May 2024

20 concerts in 10 days!

Welcome to the 4MBS Festival of Classics, Australia’s largest classical music festival, which provides professional performance opportunities for hundreds of Queensland artists each year.

Highlights of this year’s festival include a ‘CHOPIN MARATHON’ day at UQ, ‘The Three Countertenors’ with Queensland Baroque Orchestra at City Tabernacle Baptist Church, and a ‘Choral Spectacular’ with special guest soprano Mirusia in the magnificent Main Auditorium of Brisbane City Hall.

FREE Brisbane City Council Library Events:

Official Festival Events:

Festival Brochure:

Opening Event

SYMPHONY FANTASTIC
Love, Lust and Madness

EVENT 1 | Fri 17 May 7.30pm | Concert Hall, QPAC
EVENT 2 | Sat 18 May 1.30pm | Concert Hall, QPAC

QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA 
Conducted by UMBERTO CLERICI
With József Lendvay, violin, and ROBERT HOFMANN, narrator

SAINT-SAENS Danse Macabre
RAVEL Tzigane, rapsodie de concert
BERLIOZ Symphonie Fantastique

Death has never sounded more alive than in Saint-Saëns’ Danse Macabre, where a violin charms skeletons from their graves so they can dance until the break of dawn. Then, allow yourself to be lured to the depths of a crazed composer’s mind in Symphonie Fantastique. Our Chief Conductor UMBERTO CLERICI will energise the orchestra with Berlioz’s evocative cocktail of opium and desire and actor ROBERT HOFMANN will set a nightmarish scene. Between these killer works you’ll hear Ravel’s Tzigane, rapsodie de concert, as Hungarian violinist József Lendvay will hold you in the clutches of this spellbinding solo infused with a gypsy spirit.

$95 – $135

CHOPIN MARATHON 

Sat 18 May 11am-5pm
Nickson Room, Zelman Cowen Building, University of Queensland, St Lucia

Mark the 175th Anniversary of the death of Frédéric Chopin with a day of his most beloved piano works. Hear them performed by talented Queensland pianists – JOHN GRANGER FISHER, MARK HOOPER, MITCHELL LEIGH, NATASHA VLASSENKO, and OLEG STEPANOV. Sample individual concerts, or experience all four in one go, in the University of Queensland’s iconic Nickson Room. Parking available on campus. 

Per concert:     Adult $30 | 4MBS Sub/Conc $25 | F/T Student $15
All day pass:    Adult $100 | 4MBS Sub/Conc $80 

Or phone(07) 3847 1717 weekdays 9-5

EVENT 3  | 11am | JOHN GRANGER FISHER
24 Preludes Op.28
Polonaise Op.53 Heroic

EVENT 4  | 12.30pm | MARK HOOPER 
Etude Op.25 No.1
Berceuse Op.57
4 Impromptus – Op.29, 36, 51, 66 
Ballade Op.38 No.2

Lunch Break – light refreshments available for purchase

EVENT 5  | 2.15pm | MITCHELL LEIGH
Waltz in E Flat Op.18
Waltz in A flat Op.34 No.1
Three Waltzes Op.64
Three Waltzes Op.70
Waltz in A flat, B.21 Op. Posth
Scherzo No.4, Op.54 

EVENT 6 3.30pm | OLEG STEPANOV
Three Nocturnes Op.15
Ballade No.1 Op.23 in G minor
NATASHA VLASSENKO
Polonaise in C sharp minor Op.26
Mazurka in E minor Op.41 No.2 
Waltz in A minor Op.34 No.2 
Waltz in E minor

ARS NOVA TO IMPRESSIONISM

ONE EQUAL MUSIC

EVENT 7 | Sat 18 May 7pm | St Brigid’s Church, 78 Musgrave Rd, Red Hill
Immerse yourself in the sublime tapestry of French choral masterpieces. From the intricate harmonies of Ars Nova to the evocative brushstrokes of Impressionism, One Equal Music will transport you to Notre Dame’s arches and Monet’s gardens. Hear music by Dufay, Machaut, Josquin, Ravel, Debussy, and Poulenc. 

Adult $60 | 4MBS Sub/Conc $50 | 30 and Under $30 

Studio Series | 4MBS KIDS CLASSICS

MR MARK’S CUSHION CONCERTS

MARK HOOPER, piano

EVENT 8 | Sun 19 May 9.30am (45 mins) | 5 and under
EVENT 9 | Sun 19 May 11am (45 mins) | 6 and over

4MBS Performance Studio, 384 Old Cleveland Rd, Coorparoo

Discover the double bass! Pianist Mr Mark and a guest double bassist will introduce children to this gentle giant of the orchestra, playing ‘The Elephant’ from Saint-Saëns’ The Carnival of the Animals and much more!

MARK HOOPER (‘Mr Mark’) has been entertaining and educating children since he was a music student at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and Royal College of Music, London. He has refined and polished the art of introducing children to musical instruments and music, regularly performing concerts for children.

Children must be accompanied by an adult. Please bring cushions to sit on the floor. 

Adult $20 | 4MBS Sub/Con $15 | Children $10

Or call (07) 3847 1717 weekdays 9-5

BACH & ZELENKA

ChoirWorks accompanied by orchestra
Conducted by Dr Debra Shearer-Dirié
With LEANNE KENNEALLY, soprano | ANNE FULTON, alto
SHANNON LEONARD, tenor | LEON WARNOCK, bass

EVENT 10 | Sun 19 May 2.30pm | The Old Museum Concert Hall, 480 Gregory Tce, Bowen Hills
2pm Pre-Concert talk presented by 4MBS Broadcaster James Haywood

Travel back in time and enjoy two 18th century masterpieces – J S Bach’s Trauerode (Lass Fürstin BWV 198) and the Brisbane Premiere of Jan Dismas Zelenka’s Requiem in D (ZWV46). The works are linked as Bach wrote his Cantata after the death of the Electress of Saxony, the Consort of Augustus 1 in 1727 to celebrate her life and Zelenka wrote his Requiem for her husband, Augustus 1, after his death in 1733. Afternoon refreshments included. 

Adult $60 | 4MBS Sub/Con $55 | Students (Uni & High School) $25 | Children 12 & under $5

Or (07) 3257 4089

Howard Ainsworth Memorial Concert

DOUBLE BACH AND BEETHOVEN

ORCHESTRA CORDA SPIRITUS
Conducted by Chen Yang

EVENT 11 | Sun 19 May 3pm | SunPAC Theatre, 470 McCullough Street, Sunnybank

Enjoy two of Bach’s Double Concertos and Beethoven’s Symphony No. 2 at this annual concert in remembrance of 4MBS Broadcasts Manager Howard Ainsworth AM. With ORCHESTRA CORDA SPIRITUS and tremendous special guests, oboist FRANK GIRALDO and violinists JAMES WANNAN and COURTENAY CLEARY.

Adult $35 | 4MBS Sub/Con $30 | F/T Student $15

DUO CONCERTANT

WARWICK ADENEY, violin 
STEPHEN EMMERSON, piano 

EVENT 12 | Mon 20 May 7pm | Ian Hanger Recital Hall, Qld Conservatorium

Commemorating the centenary of Fauré’s death, this program combines his exquisite early violin sonata with later music from his younger French contemporaries Debussy and Ravel.  Also presented will be one of the masterpieces from Stravinsky’s neo-classical period, the Duo Concertant written for the composer himself to perform with the virtuoso violinst Samuel Dushkin.

FAURE – Violin Sonata no 1, Opus 15 (1876)                             
DEBUSSY – Two preludes (arr. for violin and piano)   
The Girl with the Flaxen Hair and Minstrels (1911)
RAVEL – Sonata for violin and piano (1927)                             
STRAVINSKY – Duo Concertant for violin and piano (1932)               

Tickets $30 | F/T Student $10

Or phone QTIX on 136 246 

Redland Performing Arts Centre and 4MBS Classic FM present

BAROQUE TO BROADWAY

JUDIT MOLNAR, soprano | ADAM LOPEZ, countertenor/tenor
With JOHN WOODS, piano | Special guest violinist COURTENAY CLEARY

EVENT 13 | Tue 21 May 2pm | Redland Performing Arts Centre, 2/16 Middle St, Cleveland

Celebrate the legacy of Western classical music from the opulent Baroque era to Broadway classics, with Hungarian soprano JUDIT MOLNAR and Guinness-World-Record-holder Brisbane countertenor/tenor ADAM LOPEZ. Hear beloved solos and duets by Handel, Vivaldi, Offenbach, Lehár, Herbert, Rodgers and Hammerstein, Bernstein and more! 

Adult $35 |4MBS Sub $30
4MBS Subscriber code*: sub4mbs
*On RPAC website, click ‘Promo code’ to enter the above 4MBS Subscriber code and unlock the discounted price. 

CLASSIC JAZZ

AUSTRALIAN ARMY BAND BRISBANE 

EVENT 14 | Tue 21 May 7pm | SunPAC Theatre, 470 McCullough St, Sunnybank

The Australian Army Band Brisbane presents an engaging program of new and old jazz favourites! Hear Basie Straight Ahead, American Patrol, A New Look, Nature Boy, Skylark, In the Mood, Love for Sale, Straighten Up and Fly Right, Fly Me To The Moon, Cherokee, A Foggy Day, Anything Goes and Tissues Aren’t For Cats.

The Band is based on a traditional big-band instrumentation of saxophones, trumpets, trombones and rhythm section, complemented by exciting vocalists.

Adult $35 | 4MBS Sub/Con $30 | F/T Student $15

Studio Series

THE LATER ROMANTICS

ENHARMONIE CHAMBER ENSEMBLE
ALLAN HALL, cello | LEE NORRELL, flute | TERTIA HOGAN, piano With BERNARD WHEATON, tenor

EVENT 15 | Wed 22 May 7pm | 4MBS Performance Studio, 384 Old Cleveland Rd, Coorparoo, Brisbane

Classical music’s Romantic Era is generally agreed to have ended with the arrival of the 20th century, but the Romantic compositional style has endured. Enjoy four lyrical trios from some of the later Romantics, each composed in the first 20 years of the 20th century: Terzettino by Théodore Dubois, Five Impressions of a Holiday by Eugene Goossens, Bagatelle With Nosegay in Hand by Josef Suk, and Pastorale and Caprice by Amy Beach. We will also be joined by our favourite tenor Bernard Wheaton,  who will sing Maxim’s from The Merry Widow by Franz Lehár, Automne by Gabriel Fauré, Aufenthalt by Franz Schubert and other works.

Adult $30 | 4MBS Sub/Conc $25 | F/T Student $25 | Child $10

Or phone (07) 3847 1717 weekdays 9-5 

SERENADE

CAMERATA – QUEENSLAND’S CHAMBER ORCHESTRA
KARIN SCHAUPP, guitar

EVENT 16 | Wed 22 May 7.30pm | Concert Hall, QPAC

Featuring Australian guitar virtuoso, Karin Schaupp, this performance showcases two exquisite pieces of music for guitar and strings.

Mendelssohn’s Songs Without Words, usually for solo piano, will be performed here in a delightful new arrangement for guitar and strings. You’ll hear some of Mendelssohn’s most favourite tunes in this lyrical music, imbued with feeling – music in its most pure and simple form.

Carl Vine’s Endless refers to the ‘Endless Knot’ in Tibetan Buddhism that sees life and death as interconnected, in this case taking the sadness of a mother’s loss and creating out of it an atmosphere of hope. You’ll hear reflective melodies and hints of salsa dancing in tribute to Jennifer Bates whom the work was commissioned to commemorate.

Dvořák’s radiant and joyous Serenade for Strings will be sprinkled throughout the program, interspersing the moments of solace with inspiration from this sunny, sparkling serenade.

$69-$99*

*Transaction fees apply. Discounts available for concession, seniors, students, families, 35 & under & children (excludes Premium reserve).

THE THREE COUNTERTENORS

HARTLEY NEWNHAM | ADAM LOPEZ | TOBIAS MERZ
With QUEENSLAND BAROQUE
JOHN FOSTER, Artistic Director

EVENT 18 | Sat 25 May 1pm | City Tabernacle Baptist Church, 163 Wickham Terrace, Spring Hill

A sumptuous concert of Baroque delights for the sublime countertenor voices of HARTLEY NEWNHAM, ADAM LOPEZ, and TOBIAS MERZ,accompanied by the superb QUEENSLAND BAROQUE ORCHESTRA. Swoon to music by Purcell, Vivaldi, Handel, J.S. Bach and more, in the heritage-listed City Tabernacle Baptist Church. 

Adult $45 | 4MBS Sub/Con $40

BEETHOVEN: 
By Special Arrangement

String quartet led by WARWICK ADENEY
With pianist JOHN GRANGER FISHER

EVENT 19 | Sat 25 May 3pm | Grand Hall, Masonic Memorial Centre, 311 Ann St, Brisbane City

Back by popular demand – the music of Beethoven, specially arranged! 

Last year’s Festival audience said they loved the arrangements of Beethoven’s highlights, as featured in the 2023 theatrical performance of ‘I Shall Hear In Heaven’. This year, the music itself will be the star, with the brilliant Festival String Quartet and pianist in the majestic Grand Hall of the Masonic Memorial Centre. 

Featuring Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, Archduke Trio, Symphony No.5, and more!

Adult $45 | 4MBS Sub/Conc $40 | F/T Student $25

MODERN MASTERPIECES

QUEENSLAND YOUTH SYMPHONY
Conducted by SIMON HEWETT

EVENT 20 | Sat 25 May 7pm | Concert Hall, QPAC

See the next generation of music stars take to the stage in this exciting performance of modern masterpieces.

MAZZOLI, MISSY – Dark With Excessive Bright – featuring ALYSSA DEACON, double bass
VINE, CARL – Symphony No.3
ABE, KEIKO – Prism Rhapsody – featuring JENNIFER LIN, marimba
DEAN, PAUL – Symphony No.2 (World Premiere)

Adult $47 | 4MBS Sub/Con $40 | F/T Student $18

CHORAL SPECTACULAR

THE QUEENSLAND CHOIR | BRISBANE CHORALE
BRISBANE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA
With guest soloist MIRUSIA, soprano
Conducted by EMILY COX, KEVIN POWER
Compered by JONATHON WELCH AM

EVENT 21 | Sun 26 May 3pm | Main Auditorium, City Hall, Brisbane City

Be thrilled by the combined forces of two major choirs and symphony orchestra in the grand Brisbane City Hall. Hear choral masterpieces performed by THE QUEENSLAND CHOIR and BRISBANE CHORALE, with the BRISBANE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA and special guest soprano MIRUSIA.  The magnificent program will include wonderful choruses from Verdi, Mozart, Bach, Gounod, Handel and more, including the luxuriant Nun’s Chorus, the Soldiers’ Chorus and of course the Hallelujah Chorus.

Balcony: Premium $65 | A Reserve Adult $60 | A Reserve 4MBS Sub/Conc $55 | A Reserve F/T Student $25
Stalls: Premium $60 | A Reserve Adult $55 | A Reserve 4MBS Sub/Conc $50 | A Reserve F/T Student $20
B Reserve Adult $50 | B Reserve 4MBS Sub/Conc $45 | B Reserve F/T Student $15

Or phone (07) 3847 1717 weekdays 9-5 

On average, the Festival features 20-30 concerts in  10-15 venues, predominantly in Brisbane but throughout south-east Queensland. The Festival also extends to the airwaves, where we broadcast featured music programs surrounding that year’s theme.

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