Program for 2026
18th April. An interactive session led by Simon Buchanan together with selected professional musicians discussing and illustrating the challenges of performing Wagner’s music from within the orchestra.
Playing Wagner – tales from the coal face!
Q & A followed by live performances, featuring QSO Musicians
Glenn Christensen – Associate Concertmaster
David Mitchell – Associate Principal Bassoon
Phoebe Russell – Principal Double Bass
Thomas Allely – Principal Tuba
Queensland Symphony Orchestra performed in the highly successful Opera Australia production of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, staged in Brisbane in 2023. In a discussion led by Society member Simon Buchanan, four principal musicians of the orchestra share their perspectives on scaling the ‘Mount Everest’ of opera and orchestral works.
What challenges do they face as instrumentalists tackling such monumental repertoire, and what makes it such an exceptional experience?
Following a brief Q@A, each musician will perform some of their favourite excerpts that demonstrate both beauty and challenge.
3:00 pm Performance Studio, Radio 4MBS Classic FM, 384 Old Cleveland Road, Coorparoo. Door Fee: $20 for Wagner Society members and $25 for guests. Please transfer payment to Bank of Queensland, BSB 124021, Account No. 22612919. Quote your surname and month. Please advise our Secretary Alpha Yap at alphayap60@gmail.com of the transfer and the names of any guests. The meeting will be followed by afternoon tea.
Bayreuth Festival Orchestra in rehearsal.
16th May. “Wagner Day” at 4MBS as part of their Festival of Classics. 11am-4pm 4MBS Performance Studio, 384 Old Cleveland Road, Coorparoo. Attendance Fees are $20. Please transfer payment to Bank of Queensland, BSB 124021, Account No. 22612919. Quote your surname and month. Please advise the Secretary at alphayap60@gmail.com of the transfer and the names of any guests.
23rd May. A public recital as part of the 4MBS Festival of Classics by our Patron the acclaimed Wagnerian Heldentenor Bradley Daley at St Mary’s Church, Kangaroo Point, followed by drinks and nibbles on the lawn to celebrate Wagner’s birthday (the day before).
20th June. A talk with Patrick Nolan, CEO and Artistic Director of Opera Queensland.
18th July. Talk by Peter Bassett entitled ‘Enlightenment through Suffering and Love’, with specific reference to Götterdämmerung.
15th August. A lecture/recital on ‘Liszt and Wagner’ presented by Alpha Yap together with virtuoso pianist John Granger Fisher.
19th September. An illustrated talk by Stephen Emmerson on ‘Hagen’s Watch’ – the Dark Side in Götterdämmerung.
17th October. Cinema screening of an Act of a Wagner opera (details to be confirmed).
14th November. Our AGM followed by a talk by Robert Feldman on “Wagner’s influence on the modern movie soundtrack with specific focus on the works of Erich Wolfgang Korngold”.