Brisbane Music Festival, Part 2

Brisbane Music Festival, Part 2. From Rachmaninoff to Radiohead, this festival has something for everyone.

Curated by Alex Raineri and praised for its “diverse programming” (Limelight), the annual Brisbane Music Festival (BMF) is currently in its sixth year of operation. It has swiftly established itself as one of the most vibrant happenings within Australia’s cultural calendar.

Celebrating eclectic approaches to programming, the BMF is a cross-cultivation of musical offerings from the old and familiar to the vibrant and new. Primarily a classical music festival, the BMF frequently ventures into realms of jazz, pop, and experimental music. There is a significant focus on new Australian music, and incredible Australian performers.

The 2023 BMF features - 34 Events | 40 Creatives | 9 World Premieres | 7 Australian Premieres.

Part 2 features 17 events...

'Festival Gala #3' (4th Dec) - three short theatrical/operatic works in a thrilling triple-bill featuring leading vocal performers Ali McGregor, Katie Stenzel, Jon Maskell, and Jason Barry-Smith.

'Schubert's Last Sonata' (5th Dec) - Melbourne pianist Laurence Matheson plays Schubert's mighty and profoundly beautiful 'Sonata in Bb', alongside works by Chopin and Fanny Mendelssohn.

'Lights Down Low #2' (5th Dec) - Morton Feldman's frosty, temporal vortex 'For Bunita Marcus', performed by pianist Alex Raineri.

'Angelus' (6th Dec) - four captivating contemporary works, including a world premiere by Rafael Karlen.

'Mahler 4' (7th Dec) - Mahler's epic Fourth Symphony in a special arrangement for two pianos and voice.

'Declassified' (8th Dec) - Finnish pianist Adam Herd with an eclectic array of arresting music.

'Poulenc Tribute #2' (9th Dec) - a tribute to the great French composer, celebrating his charming and whimsical oeuvre.

'Hellish Cellist' (9th Dec) - Daniel Shearer's new, devilish take on Bach's famous 'Cello Suite in G major', reimagined through a Dante-esque lens. A journey through the inferno, via JS Bach and the solo cello.

'Notes for Tomorrow' (9th Dec) - indie folk duo Blue Stockings perform David Leisner's captivating song cycle for voice and guitar, also including works for piano and violin.

'The Firebird ' (9th Dec) - Alex Raineri plays Rachmaninoff's mighty 'Piano Sonata No. 2', Stravinvsky's explosively colourful 'Firebird Suite', and others.

'Courtenay Cleary in Recital' (9th Dec) - Award-winning violinist Courtenay Cleary takes to the stage with a scintillating program for solo violin, including music by JS Bach and Prokofiev.

'Both Sides Now' (9th Dec) - cabaret sensation Ali McGregor promises to enchant in this gorgeous program of songs by Joni Mitchell, Bjork, Nirvana, Judy Garland, and more.

'Romance by the Book' (10th Dec) - soprano Katie Stenzel leads the audience through a textbook romance via the medium of song - including opera, art song, cabaret, jazz, and music theatre.

'Concord' (10th Dec) - Charles Ives' monumentally complex and charismatically chaotic 'Concord Sonata', performed by Alex Raineri, including a world premiere by Lyle Chan.

'Ten of Swords' (10th Dec) - indie folk duo Blue Stockings with a set of original songs. Also featuring clarinet/piano duo Dario Scalabrini and Francis Atkins playing music by Verdi, Schumann and Kats-Chernin.

'Jingle Fingers' (10th Dec) - virtuoso pianists Adam Herd and Alex Raineri come together to play music by Amy Beach, Poulenc and CHRISTMAS CAROLS!!!

'Exit Music' (10th Dec) - Radiohead, reimagined - headlined by star of the stage Irena Lysiuk, with Katherine Philp (cello) and keyboardists James Dobinson and Alex Raineri.