The Queensland Youth Orchestra (QYO) kicks off its 60th anniversary season with its first concert series for 2026 on March 21.
Visions of the Supernatural will take audiences on a wild ride of emotions with music from romantic-era composers Berlioz and Schubert.
QYO Artistic Director Simon Hewett said young people needed music now more than ever.
“These early romantic-era composers were the first generation of musicians to actually talk about emotions, and mental health, in a very undisguised way,” Mr Hewett said in a statement.
Horn player Thomas Ferreira-Montague, 22, is among the young musicians tackling the musical interpretation of the highs and lows of life.
“Music has always been a creative outlet where I can switch off from everything happening in the world and in my life, and focus on creating something bigger than myself,” Mr Ferreira-Montague said.
Joining him on stage is 20-year-old trumpet player Emma Daniel who said it was liberating to express the feelings of the composer and herself.
“A lot of the pieces we play depict a battle between darkness and hope, which is relevant for us today,” Ms Daniel said.
“Raw human emotion can be complex, confusing, or mysterious – yet all of it can be found in the classical repertoire.”
Tickets are available here.
