Aura Go, piano |
Photo by Anne Moffat
SEASON AT A GLANCE
16TH QPAC CO
Presented by SXS and QPAC
CELEBRATE!
3PM SUNDAY 23 FEBR
PEARLS
3PM SUNDAY 1 JUNE WON 3PM
3RD REC
THE 21st SXS CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL
Presented in association with Shambala Estate
- 2
The New World, October 2023
Photo by Darren Thomas
SXS PATRON
The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO
As we celebrate the 30th Pearl Anniversary of our beloved chamber music ensemble, we reflect on the incredible journey that has brought us here. From our first notes to the countless performances that have touched hearts, each moment has been a testament to the power of music to unite and inspire. Together, we have created a vibrant community that champions artistic expression. We not only honour our rich history but also look toward a bright future. This milestone reminds us of the transformative power of music and our commitment to sharing it with the world.
We take a moment to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support over the years. Your commitment has been instrumental in our journey, allowing us to share the beauty of chamber music with audiences far and wide.
This milestone is not just a reflection of our past but a promise for the future. We look forward to creating more unforgettable moments, exploring new musical horizons, and continuing to nurture the artistry that defines our ensemble.
With your continued support, we aspire to expand our reach, embrace new works, and nurture the next generation of musicians. Together, let’s embark on this exciting journey, creating unforgettable experiences and fostering a love for chamber music that resonates for years to come.
Thank you for being an essential part of our story and a vital part of our musical family. To the next 30 years of artistry and inspiration! To the ultimate harmony we’ve built and the beautiful melodies yet to come.
Join us in celebrating this special year and let us make this anniversary a memorable chapter in our story.
Thank you for your unwavering support!
The Hon. Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO
Margaret Blades & Ashley Smith, Co-Artistic Directors
Photo by Stephen Henry
MESSAGE FROM CO-ARTISTIC DIRECTORS
Margaret Blades & Ashley Smith
On our Pearl Anniversary we celebrate 30 years of joy, creativity and connection.
We find beauty in knowing that our thoughtfully-prepared sounds dissolve as soon as they’re released. We try our hardest to recreate perfect music in our imaginations, yet we know that the music we produce is more beautiful than perfect. It’s imperfect, because it’s human.
The rise of digital connection and artificial intelligence has, paradoxically, threatened human connection and creativity. Overdocumentation, overediting and oversharing has led to distraction and egocentrism. Our restless minds constantly reconstruct the past or anxiously await the future. The power of music is its ability to connect people by drawing our attention to the here and now – the ephemeral moment that is the medium of our artform.
As musicians, we’ve been gifted the opportunity to do something that few people in history have been afforded: to devote our lives to learning the intricacies of an artform and to use that knowledge to serve the world and its people. Our purpose is to rise above the projected digital and artificial future, and to deliver that most rare and necessary of all commodities: empathy.
Performing is our way of practising and sharing empathy. We offer you this season of musical favourites (old and new) so that you may explore with us the nuances of humanity.
Margaret & Ashley
Ashley Smith clarinet, Co-Artistic Director
Described as ‘Incandescent... a masterly display of skill and insight... as an apologist for contemporary music-making, you would search hard to find this young clarinettist equal’ (The Age) - clarinettist Ashley William Smith has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout Australia, USA Europe and Asia. He is a laureate of several of the industry’s most prestigious prizes including the APRA Performance of the Year, the Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship, an ABC Symphony International Young Performer Award, and a Churchill Fellowship He is recognised by the world's leading clarinet manufacturer as a Buffet-Crampon Artist. Ashley is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia where he is the Head of Winds and Contemporary Performance.
As a soloist and director he has performed alongside several international and Australian orchestras. Most notably, his performance of Lachlan Skipworth’s Clarinet Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was awarded the APRA 2015 Performance of the Year Ashley is the clarinettist of the Southern Cross Soloists and performs at internationally leading chamber music festivals with ensembles including the Calder, Dover, and Australian string quartets.
A graduate of Yale University, the University of Western Australia, and a Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music, Ashley was awarded the highest honours as the most outstanding performance graduate of each institution
Margaret Blades violin, Co-Artistic Director
Violinist Margaret Blades has performed as a soloist, chamber musician and orchestral leader nationally and internationally throughout her career. As a soloist, she has performed on several occasions with the Adelaide, WA and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras, the Auckland Philharmonia, Fremantle Chamber Orchestra and Adelaide Chamber Orchestra. She has premiered new works for solo violin and orchestra by esteemed Australian composers Ross Edwards, Richard Mills and James Ledger, and has appeared alongside superstar Nigel Kennedy in Vivaldi Concerto for 2 violins. Highlights of her career include playing Concertmaster for the Australian premiere of Wagner’s Ring Cycle, conducted by Sir Jeffrey Tate, and performing with orchestras including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Sydney Symphony and Australian World Orchestra in some of the worlds most prestigious concert halls including Musikverein (Vienna), Concertgebouw (Amsterdam), Wigmore Hall and Royal Albert Hall (London) She has held the Associate Concertmaster position with both the Adelaide and West Australian Symphony Orchestras.
Since 2017, Margaret has been Guest Leader of the Gold Coast Chamber Orchestra, Ensemble in Residence at Bond University Gold Coast.
Margaret has been on the teaching faculty at the University of WA, Elder Conservatorium of Music (Adelaide), the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music and the WAAPA She has tutored and directed at Australian Youth Orchestra programs and has built up a strong violin pedagogy practice in her private studio
Tim Munro flute, Program Director
Tim Munro is a Brisbane-based, triple-Grammy-winning musician. As flautist, writer, broadcaster, and teacher, he treats audiences as equals, welcoming them into musical worlds with passion, intelligence and humour. He is Associate Professor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia.
Tim was flautist and Co-Artistic Director of Eighth Blackbird from 2006-2015. He toured the US and internationally, premiering more than 100 works, co-curating festivals, playing as a concerto soloist, and winning three Grammy Awards. Eighth Blackbird sought engaging musical experiences that drew audiences close
He was the St Louis Symphony Orchestra’s Creative Partner and flautist with the University of Chicago’s Grossman Ensemble. He has performed with Ensemble Signal, Imani Winds, Wu Man, Ensemble Q, Ensemble Liaison, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and Third Coast Percussion. Tim is committed to large-scale, immersive projects that put listeners at the center of the musical experience. He co-directed Crowd Out Chicago, which drew a choir of 1000 untrained singers from 43 of Chicago’s 50 wards Tim’s playing has been called “captivating,” “bravura” and “charismatic” (The New York Times).
ARTIST ROSTER 2025
flute,ConsultantDCP/ProgramDirector,ChamberFestival
FEATURED ARTISTS
Alexandra Flood
soprano
Performed with: Volksoper(Vienna), Salzburg Festival, Opéra national de Paris, Teatro Réal (Spain), Festival d’Aix-en-Provence, Staatstheater am Gärtnerplatz (Germany), Opera Krakow (Poland), Opera Queensland, Victorian Opera, QSO, ASO, Queensland Ballet, Southern Cross Soloists, Bangalow Chamber Music Festival, amongst others.
Leah Curtis
composer
Brisbane Born, LA-based award-winning composer. Her works have been performed by Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Australian Voices, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Aspen Music Festival Orchestra, Southern Cross Soloists, amongst others.
Nina Korbe
soprano
Performed with: Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, Victorian Opera, Southern Cross Soloists, Bangalow Chamber Music Festival, Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Youth Orchestras.
Joe Chindamo OAM
piano & composer
His works have been performed by Australia’s leading soloists and ensembles including the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Omega Ensemble, Australian String Quartet, Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, MSO, QSO, TSO, amongst others.
Aura Go
piano
Performed with: QSO, MSO, ASO, Tapiola Sinfonietta, Orchestra Victoria, Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, Edinburgh Festival (England), Australian Festival of Chamber Music, Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival, Musica Viva, amongst others.
Ray Lin
composer
Brisbane composer and winner of the recently announced 2024 Australian Music Composition Competition. His works have been performed by Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra, and international Australian soloists
Chris Williams
SXS Artist in Residence, didgeridoo & composer
Wakka Wakka Didgeridoo, composer and trumpet player. Performed with: Hong Kong Sinfonietta, Southern Cross Soloists, TSO, QSO, Queensland Pops Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestras, amongst others.
16TH QPAC CONCERT SERIES
Presented by SXS and QPAC
David Silva, flute
Photo by Stephen Henry
THE SOUTHERN CROSS SOLOISTS DELIVERED A DELIGHTFUL DREAMSCAPE BURSTING WITH TECHNICAL SKILL AND AUSTRALIAN FLAIR. IN THE WORDS OF CARL JUNG, IN HIS MEMORIES, DREAMS, REFLECTIONS, “WHAT NATURE LEAVES IMPERFECT, THE ART PERFECTS.”
DR GEMMA REGAN (LIMELIGHT)
David Silva, flute
Photo by Stephen Henry
CELEBRATE!
CONCERT HALL, QPAC
SUNDAY 23 FEBRUARY, 2025 - 3PM
CURTIS/WILLIAMS
World Premiere - DCP work for Didgeridoo and Ensemble
J. STRAUSS II (arr. Schoenberg)
Emperor Waltz K. 437
MOZART
Ah se in ciel, benigne stelle K 538
Un moto di gioia from Le nozze di Figaro K. 579
BEETHOVEN
Septet Op. 20
J. STRAUSS II
Mein Herr Marquis from Die Fledermaus, Op. 363
Voices of Spring, Op. 410
What a swell party this is!
We’re wearing our Sunday best for a Viennese birthday celebration of singing, dancing and laughing. The ‘Waltz King’ is in the building and Mozart is telling his jokes. Even Beethoven and Schoenberg are having a champagne and managing to enjoy themselves.
Hear the joy of well-known classics as though for the first time. SXS friend, Alexandra Flood, returns from the Vienna Volksoper to sparkle in coloratura arias. Hollywood-based Australian composer Leah Curtis celebrates with her second collaborative work, with Williams, for didgeridoo and ensemble.
Dresscode: Vienna style gala concert! Dress in your Sunday best and celebrate with us.
ALEXANDRA FLOOD, so
CHRIS WILLIAMS, didge
SOUTHERN CROSS SOL
Margaret Blades, violin & Co-Artistic Director
Photo by Stephen Henry
PEARLS
CONCERT HALL, QPAC
SUNDAY 1 JUNE, 2025 - 3PM
VON BINGEN
Spiritus Sanctus Vificans
EDWARDS
Maninyas Violin Concerto
II. Chorale
III. Second Maninya
MOZART
Flute Quartet in D major, K.285
BELLINI
Casta Diva from Norma Son vergin vezzosa from I puritani
CHINDAMO/WILLIAMS
World Premiere - DCP work for Didgeridoo and Ensemble
GERSHWIN
Summertime from Porgy and Bess
BERNSTEIN
Somewhere from West Side Story
Music of spirit, peace and belief – these are pearls of the artform that transcend time and speak to the heart.
Hildegarde’s ancient chant and Ross Edwards’ chorale contemplate the spirit as the source and sustenance of life. This meditation is interrupted by the joy of Edwards’ Maninya dance and the exuberance of Mozart. Joe Chindamo collaborates with Williams in a new composition, and displays his skills as an internationally-renowned jazz pianist.
SXS friend, Nina Korbe, joins us to sing her favourite repertoire. ‘Casta Diva’ is a prayer for peace, ‘Summertime’ and ‘Somewhere’ are lullabies about beliefbelief in a love so powerful it transcends present realities, belief that there is a calm place for love to be free
Nina Korbe, soprano
Photo by Stephen Henry Jewellery courtesy of Swarovski
WONDER
CONCERT HALL, QPAC
SUNDAY 12 OCTOBER, 2025 - 3PM
MENDELSSOHN
Overture to A Midsummer Night’s Dream
LIN/WILLIAMS
World Premiere - DCP work for Didgeridoo and Ensemble
R. SCHUMANN
Märchenerzählungen (Fairytales), Op 132
O’BOYLE AM
Maggie’s Dance (World Premiere)
C. SCHUMANN
Piano Concerto in A minor, Op 7
Felix Mendelssohn’s four simple, yet magical chords (I-V-iv-I) are a portal to a musical wonderland of elves, fairies, lovers, and a donkey. Mendelssohn stood on the conductor’s podium when the 16-year-old wonderchild composer-performer Clara Wieck premiered her own piano concerto. Her concerto would inspire and influence the concerti of her future husband, Robert Schumann, and their friends Franz Liszt and Johannes Brahms. Known for her unremittingly insightful playing, Aura Go joins SXS to perform Clara Schumann’s ravishing concerto, alongside the free-spirited fantasy of Robert Schumann’s fairytale miniatures.
Award-winning emerging Queensland composer, Ray Lin, collaborates with Williams in a new composition for Didgeridoo and Ensemble.
CHRIS WILLIAMS, didgeridoo & composer SOUTHERN CROSS SOLOISTS
AURA GO, piano
David Silva, flute
Photo by Stephen Henry
HOW TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR QPAC CONCERT SERIES
STEP 1 REVIEW OUR DATES
3PM SUN 23 FEBRUARY
3PM SUN 1 JUNE
3PM SUN 12 OCTOBER
CELEBRATE! PEARLS WONDER
STEP 2
CHOOSE YOUR PACKAGE
3 CONCERTS
2 CONCERTS ADULT $235 ADULT $167
CONCESSION $204
CONCESSION $144
UNDER 35'S $102
UNDER 35'S $70
*Please note, QPAC charges a booking fee on top of the ticket price
STEP 3
CONTACT QPAC
QPAC TICKETING
PHONE QPAC.COM.AU 136 246
ONLINE
SPECIAL OFFERS
SXS ANNIVERSARY GIFT
Dress up and celebrate with us! For every 3 Concerts Subscription you purchase, you will receive two complimentary tickets to invite friends to the Vienna style Gala concert, Celebrate! - Sun Feb 23 2025, 3pm.
AllThree-ConcertpackageticketholderswillbeemailedwithapromocodetouseforthefirstconcertInFebruary2025.
FRIENDS AND FAMILY SPECIAL
Enjoy a Sunday afternoon at QPAC with your friends and family. Get a 10% discount on Adult and Concession single tickets for bookings of 6 tickets and more. Call QPAC at 136 246 to redeem this offer.
Southern Cross Soloists celebrate their Pearl Anniversary in 2025. 30 years of virtuosic music-making!
SXS DIDGERIDOO COMISSIONING PROJECT 2022 - 2032
SXS’s Didgeridoo Commissioning Project 2022 2032 (DCP) as la nched from the Q eensland
Highlights from 2024 saw the DCP move to cross artform collaborations in dance and voice. SXS delivered a new commissioned DCP work for the inaugural First Nations ballet in collaboration with Queensland Ballet’s highly successful 2024 BESPOKE Series and superstar soprano Nina Korbe (SXS 2023 Margaret Schindler Vocal Scholar) sang in her Wakka Wakka language during the 15th QPAC Concert Series.
2025 sees the DCP move into recording and publishing with an ABC Classic produced album with the first four commissions of the DCP. Three outstanding Australian composers have been selected to compose three new works with proud Wakka Wakka man, and SXS Didgeridoo Artist in Residence Chris Williams. Professor Kevin Williams provides the important cultural advice and consultancy for the project, and a DCP Executive Advisory Committee led by Chris Williams as Chair and Creative Director, meets to ensure cultural frameworks are met with composers along with First Nations approvals and best practice.
In 2025, Chris Williams will compose in collaboration with Australian composers: Leah Curtis (QPAC Concert 1), Joe Chindamo OAM (QPAC Concert 2), and Ray Lin (QPAC Concert 3).
In addition, SXS is excited to announce an educational collaboration in 2025 with Queensland Ballet’s Community and Education team. A School Immersion Experience will be held in November for school students to discover the power of chamber music, didgeridoo and movement. This exclusive one-day experience will be held at the Thomas Dixon Centre, the home of Queensland Ballet.
gundirgan, wise woman (Queensland Ballet & SXS)
Photos by David Kelly
Nina Korbe, soprano | Perfumes of the East, June 2024
Proud Koa, Kuku Yalanji, Wakka Wakka Woman
Photo by Darren Thomas
DCP ADVISORY COMMITTEE
CHRIS WILLIAMS
Chair, Creative Director & SXS Didgeridoo Artist in Residence (Wakka Wakka)
TIM MUNRO
SXS DCP Consultant
PROFESSOR KEVIN WILLIAMS
Cultural Advisor & Mentor (Wakka Wakka / Gunggari Elder)
SEÁN O'BOYLE AM
SXS International Ambassador
3RD SUNSET SOIRÉE RECITAL SERIES
Since its inauguration in 2023, the Sunset Soirée Recital Series has proven to be a highlight of the SXS year, providing up close and intimate recitals in Brisbane and regional areas.
In 2025, SXS will present four programs in Brisbane and QLD regional communities:
*MOREDATESANDLOCATIONSTOBEANNOUNCEDIN2025.
JOHNNIES AND MEHMETS
5PM 22 MARCH, Judith Wright Arts Centre (Brisbane)
“There is no difference between the Johnnies and the Mehmets to us where they lie side by side in this country of ours...” (attributed to Mustafa Kemal Ataturk, 1934). In this recital, SXS will delve into music celebrating the bond between Australia and Türkiye, in what will be the 110th anniversary of the fateful landing at Gallipoli. This recital will feature violin, percussion and piano, in a devastating display of virtuosity that will explore Turkish folk music, and include the theatrical “1001 Nights in the Harem” by Fazil Say.
STAYIN’ ALIVE: BEE GEES REIMAGINED
5PM 28 JUNE, Judith Wright Arts Centre (Brisbane)
The boys who grew up on the sunny shores of Redcliffe in the 1950’s, and became worldwide superstars, will have their greatest hits reimagined by SXS in a truly disco inspired recital. You should be dancing, we think!
CELLO FEVER
5PM 27 SEPTEMBER, Judith Wright Arts Centre (Brisbane)
Cello was voted the number 1 most popular instrument in the ABC Classic 100, 2023 You love the cello, so we will give you more cello than you could possibly hope for. Join young superstar Guillaume Wang, and colleagues, as they perform great works arranged for, and written specifically for Cello Ensemble.
POETRY IN MOTION
5PM 22 NOVEMBER, Judith Wright Arts Centre (Brisbane)
Radical in their time, poets Judith Wright and Zora Cross wrote collections dealing with indigenous, environmental and societal subjects. SXS will present works by Australian female composers, interspersed with readings of poems by these two groundbreaking Queensland poets.
Brisbane performances of the SXS Sunset Soirée Recital Series will feature regional artists presented by Flying Arts Alliance. TICKETS AVAILABLE IN 2025!
Guillaume Wang, cello | City of Lights, February 2023
Photo by Darren Thomas
QUEENSLAND STORIES
In 2025 and beyond, Southern Cross Soloists is committed to celebrating QUEENSLAND STORIES. This is a new ongoing curatorial stream for the Company and SXS looks forward to shining a light on Queensland figures of note and the powerful and unique landscapes of our vast State.
To date, Southern Cross Soloists has honored and highlighted, through new commissioned works, the celebrated contemporary artist William Robinson, the powerful landscape of Beerwah (Beerwah is the “The Pregnant Mother of the Glass House Mountains” and the narrative is full of love, longing and great tragedy) and honoured the legacy of First Nations educational advocate Aunty Maureen Williams through the inaugural First Nations Queensland Ballet gundirgan, wise woman.
Will see SXS curate Stayin’ Alive - The Bee Gees – Reimagined; Johnnies and Mehmets honouring the close relationship between Queensland and Turkey on what is the 110th anniversary of the fateful Gallipoli landing and Poetry in Motion saluting the works of two of Queensland’s female literary greats, Judith Wright and Zora Cross through our 3rd Sunset Soirée Recital Series.
2025 2024
Williams/Seán O'Boyle AM –gundirgan, wise woman Bespoke Series Queensland Ballet.
Williams/Seán O'Boyle AM –The Wise Woman, Concert Hall QPAC and Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival.
2023 2022
Williams/Seán O'Boyle AM – ‘Beerwah’ The Mother of the Glasshouse Mountains.
Williams/Joe Twist – The Ancient Rainforest, QPAC, Old Government House and HOTA, Home of the Arts.
The Wise Woman | Divine Alchemy, March 2024
Photo by Darren Thomas
THE 21ST SXS CHAMBER MUSIC FESTIVAL AUG 22 - 24
TAMBORINE MOUNTAIN
Presented by Southern Cross Soloists in association with Shambala Estate
After a critically acclaimed inaugural festival (including two standing ovations) during the Mountain Showcase in 2024, SXS returns with a program that will be joyful, inspiring, and entertaining.
The 21st Festival edition will focus very much on bringing the local community together, incorporating local artists, and delivering worldclass performances. It will include five events across three days in August 2025 on Tamborine Mountain, a place of outstanding natural beauty, and will be SXS’s 21st edition of presenting a multi-award nominated chamber music festival. Pencil in the dates for what will undoubtedly be a wonderful winter weekend of virtuosic music, stories and connection on the mountain.
The CBD Trio, The Soloists’ Mountain Showcase, August 2024
Photo by Stephen Henry
Tim Munro is a Brisbane-based, triple-Grammy-winning musician. As flautist, writer, broadcaster, and teacher, he treats audiences as equals, welcoming them into musical worlds with passion, intelligence and humor He is Associate Professor of Music at the Queensland Conservatorium in Brisbane, Australia flute, Festival Program Director
facebook.com/sxsfestival
@sxsfestival
sxsfestival.com
AVAILABLE IN 2025!
Shambala Estate gardens
Photo by Stephen Henry
Tim Munro
EDUCATION
SXS are continuing their commitment to nurturing and mentoring the next generation of classical musicians, and in 2025 we will feature up and coming young artists in several of our program, including the Sunset Soirée Recital Series and the QPAC Concert Series. SXS has a history of discovering new talent who then embark on national and international careers, including violinist Robert Smith (Sydney Symphony Orchestra), violinist Chaeeun Oh (Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra), soprano Nina Korbe (Opera Australia, Opera Queensland, Victorian Opera), mezzo soprano Xenia Puskarz Thomas (Bayerische Staatsoper), and many more.
These young artists gain experience in performance and professional development through these programs, and SXS is thrilled to be a part of their journey. 2025 will see SXS deliver the 12th SXS Next Gen Program and the 10th Margaret Schindler Vocal Scholarship (MSVS).
12th SXS Next Gen Program 2025
10th Margaret Schindler Vocal Scholarship 2025
Margaret Blades, Chaeeun Oh (Next Gen Alumni) & Amalia Hall Divine Alchemy, March 2024 | Photo by Darren Thomas
SXS would like to thank our donors for their generous support of the SXS Next Gen program (Siok Tan) and the Margaret Schindler Vocal Scholarship (Carolyn Mason).
StirlingHall,cello(24/25NextGen)|PhotobyStephenHenry
30 YEARS & BEYOND
Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) are the shining stars of Australian chamber music Firmly established as one of Australia’s pre-eminent classical music ensembles, SXS delivers programs filled with dazzling virtuosity. Composed of leading virtuosic soloists from Queensland and Australia, SXS provides dynamic, unique, and world-class musical experiences for audiences of all ages. Championing chamber music globally and nationally, SXS, each year, continues to reach new heights. The collaborative nature of the ensemble and its creative direction, ensures a commitment and desire to form long-lasting, diverse cultural partnerships with Australia’s and, the world’s, most notable musicians, and composers.
Pursuit of excellence in the magical art of music making, connecting, and inspiring, a healthy, vibrant community, innovating, and creating new Australian works, is at the heart of SXS; synonymous with delivering quality music in Australia. In 2025, SXS celebrates its 30th pearl anniversary of delivering outstanding excellence in music making. Creative plans for 2025 honour and celebrate our loyal audience who have followed SXS from humble beginnings in 1995 to the thriving arts organisation that will reach new heights in 2025 with the next chapter of planning and executive directorship in place.
SXS will continue to reach new audiences with a broadening scope in its regional programs and is excited to deliver its multi award nominated festival, in a new Queensland home, the 21st SXS Chamber Music Festival 2025, Tamborine Mountain, Scenic Rim. Celebrating Queensland stories and honouring our rich and powerful landscapes curatorially, SXS will continue its focus on the employment of Queensland artists and arts workers along with accessibility and affordability to quality art music performances.
Passionate exponents for commissioning new Australian music and renowned for fostering creative partnerships with leading international soloists and composers, SXS has commissioned, to date, over 140 World Premiere new works. 2025 is no different, with the continuation of the highly innovative and successful SXS Didgeridoo Commissioning Project - 2022 – 2032, creating a canon of 30 new Australian works for Didgeridoo and ensemble This year will feature three outstanding Australian composers who will work with SXS’s First Nations Didgeridoo Artist in Residence forming a highlight of the 16th QPAC Concert Series 2025. This unique and important cultural 10-year legacy project will continue each year until 2032 in time for the Brisbane Olympics. 2025 will also see the release of the first recordings by ABC Classic of selected DCP commissioned works.
SXS are dedicated educators and mentors of the rising stars of chamber music. Through its flagship Educational Programs: the 12th SXS Next Gen Artists Program and 10th Margaret Schindler Vocal Scholarship, SXS nurtures some of Queensland’s most in-demand young musicians today, providing much needed professional development and performance opportunities with virtuosic musicians.
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Marg O'Donnell AO, Chair of the Board
Peter Collins, Finance Director
Laura Sweeney
Michael Barnes
Richard Monaei
Andrew Arthur
EXECUTIVE TEAM
Ashley Smith, Co-Artistic Director
Margaret Blades, Co-Artistic Director
Tim Munro, Program Director and DCP Consultant
Maxine Williamson, General Manager
Nikhil Deo, Producer
Camilo Lopez, Marketing Manager
Catherine Charrington, Accounts Manager
Seán O'Boyle AM, SXS International Ambassador
The New World, October 2023 | Photo by Darren Thomas
7:30PM SATURDAY 10TH OF MAY, 2024 - STUDIO 1, OLD MUSEUM BUILDING
SOUTHERN CROSS SOLOISTS AND VOXALIS OPERA ARE PROUD TO PARTNER FOR A ONE-NIGHT-ONLY PERFORMANCE OF MAHLER’S RÜCKERT-LIEDER REIMAGINED FOR STRING QUARTET AND VOICE, ALONGSIDE CHAMBER AND VOCAL WORKS BY ARVO PÄRT.
TICKETS ON SALE!
30 YEARS OF MUSIC EXCELLENCE
LETS CELEBRATE TOGETHER
SUPPORTSXSIN2025
We are so grateful to our many donors and sponsors who support Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) and who make it possible for us to present world class chamber music to our audiences. In the cusp of our 30th Pearl anniversary in 2025, we need your invaluable support to celebrate this incredible milestone and continue the ongoing legacy of SXS, in our journey to engage, inspire and uplift through our live performance art form.
SXS is listed on the Australian Government’s Register of Cultural Organisations and has full Deductible Gift Recipient (DGR) status. All donations over $2 are tax deductible.
BSB: 064102 ACCOUNT: 10327484
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OPTION 3 CHEQUE PAYABLE TO
SOUTHERN CROSS SOLOISTS MUSIC LTD
MAILED TO: PO BOX 849, INDOOROOPILLY CENTRE QLD 4068
HAVE QUESTIONS?
Contact us via:
E: manager@southernxsoloists com
ALLOCATE YOUR DONATION (OPTIONAL)
You may choose to allocate your donation to any of the company’s programs, which include:
Sponsor an Instrument Chair in 2025
16th QPAC Concert Series 2025
21st SXS Chamber Music Festival (Tamborine Mountain)
3rd Sunset Soirée Recital Series
SXS Didgeridoo Commissioning Project 2025
SXS Next Gen Artist Program 2025
SXS Margaret Schindler Vocal Scholarship 2025 General Fund
City of Lights, February 2023
Photo by Darren Thomas
OUR SUPPORTERS
Southern Cross Soloists acknowledge and thank these organisations and individuals for their generous support through funding programs, donations, ticket purchases, and in-kind support:
INTRUMENT CHAIR DONORS
Ian and Cass George (violin), Peter Collins (oboe), Marg O’Donnell AO (oboe), Philip Dubois and Leanda Elliot (viola), Jenny Blake (clarinet), Shirley Leuthner (flute), Susan and Paul Garside (piano).
DIDGERIDOO ARTIST IN RESIDENCE DONORS
Kay Feeney, Michelle May QC.
SXS NEXTGEN ARTISTS PROGRAM DONOR
Siok Tan.
MARGARET SCHINDLER VOCAL SCHOLARSHIP DONOR
Carolyn Mason.
PLATINUM + ($10,000 +)
Ian and Cass George, Shirley Leuthner, Sean O’Boyle AM, Philip Dubois and Leanda Elliot, Jenny Blake.
PLATINUM ($5,000 +)
Philip Bacon Galleries.
DIAMOND ($2,500 - $4,999)
Marg O’Donnell AO, Peter Collins, Kay Feeney, Carolyn Mason, Siok Tan, Susan and Paul Garside.
GOLD ($1,000 - $2,499)
Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, Paul Reynolds, Michael Barnes, Robin Harvey, Joe and Rose Hoffmann, Lynne and Graeme Cannell, Michelle May QC, Stephen Henry Photography, Williams Rivers.
SILVER ($500 - $999)
Lynette Parsons, Erin McKenna, Dr Carolyn Behm, Laura Sweeney.
BRONZE ($250 - $499)
Geoffrey Beames, Graeme Hall.
FRIENDS (UP TO $249)
Cathy McMurchy, Eddy Garcia Grant, Cath Charrington, Ashley Tardy, Prof Kevin Williams, Destiny Aranovitch, Frances Bonner, Pamela O’Connor, Alice Jones, Richard Whittington, Yvonne and Stephen Henry, Anne and Des Power, Ian Walker, Barrie O’Connor, Craig Estwick, Jan Pane, Val Philip, Graeme Hall, Beth Kehn, Suzannah Conway, Ken Pattemore, Shirley Kning.
Besides recognition, Platinum + and Platinum receive two double passes to our signature chamber music festival Diamond and above receive double pass tickets for our QPAC Concert Series.
OUR PARTNERS
Southern Cross Soloists acknowledge and thank these organisations and individuals for their generous support through donations, ticket purchases, and in-kind support :
PRINCIPAL PARTNERS
The Queensland Government, through Arts Queensland, supports:
16th QPAC Concert Series
3rd Sunset Soirée Recital Series
12th SXS Next Gen Program
SXS Didgeridoo Commissioning Project 2022 - 2032
VENUE PARTNERS
MEDIA PARTNER
CORPORATE PARTNERS
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