Curtain Call: Rising Stars

On Friday 26 June, QSO joined together with emerging performers from across Queensland to showcase their talents in Rising Stars.

The concert began with Alice Chance’s Colourburst, whose bright, rhythmic energy quickly captured the audience’s attention with its inventive orchestral interplay.

We were then introduced to Jake Lyle (‘The Phantom’ in The Phantom of the Opera at Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour) and Rebecca Goobanko, who performed Dove sono and Hai già vinta la causa from Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro. Their standout performances captured the contrasting emotions of Countess and Count Almaviva in their arias, highlighting how each character responds differently to the growing strain on their marriage.

Following stirring performances from Lyle and Goobanko, the audience heard Mozart’s Piano Concerto No.23, performed by 2024 Lev Vlassenko Winner Reuben Tsang. Written around the time of The Marriage of Figaro, the concerto features a particularly poignant slow movement, which Tsang delivered with grace, poise and emotional depth alongside the orchestra.

After interval, the audience was met with an electric performance of Holly Harrison’s Fizzin’ Fury, showcasing the ups-and-downs of the mosh pit, where the orchestra became the manual creator of synthesizer and distortion effects in this contemporary piece.

Lyle and Goobanko returned to stage for thrilling performances of Rossini’s Dunque io son from The Barber of Seville and Lehár’s Love Unspoken from The Merry Widow, before the orchestra closed the evening with a delightful play of light and shade in Dvořák’s Scherzo capriccioso.

Overall, an engaging evening that gave audiences the opportunity to experience and support Queensland’s rising talent.

Photos by Sam Muller Media