You Never Know: A Song Cycle

Featuring the music of In Pieces by Joey Contreras

A picture is worth 1,000 words – what about a song? Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In  You Never Know: A Song Cycle, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre… This intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern musical can be.

Contains mature content, adult themes, coarse language, reference to drug use, and minor violence.

You Never Know: A Song Cycle

Featuring the music of In Pieces by Joey Contreras

A picture is worth 1,000 words – what about a song? Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In  You Never Know: A Song Cycle, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre… This intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern musical can be.

Contains mature content, adult themes, coarse language, reference to drug use, and minor violence.

Join us for an evening of film music performed by a 20-piece orchestra in the Ian Hanger Recital Hall, presented live with film, in this inspired collaboration between the QLD Conservatorium and Griffith Film School.

The evening will feature the finalists from our annual Score It competition – an exciting opportunity for school-aged budding composers across Queensland to compose and submit film scores to short animations created by Griffith Film School students. The evening will also feature a live performance of projects by QCGU composition students working collaboratively with their counterparts at GFS.

If you loved the FilmHarmonic concerts in recent years, you’ll certainly enjoy this more bespoke and intimate offering, celebrating the bright future of QLD’s emerging composers and filmmakers.

You Never Know: A Song Cycle

Featuring the music of In Pieces by Joey Contreras

A picture is worth 1,000 words – what about a song? Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In  You Never Know: A Song Cycle, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre… This intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern musical can be.

Contains mature content, adult themes, coarse language, reference to drug use, and minor violence.

The Jazz Department presents a vibrant showcase of student talent, featuring a diverse program of ensembles and performances. Through creativity, collaboration, and individual artistic expression, students explore their musical identities in an engaging evening of outstanding live music.

Kick off the evening with pre-show jazz in the foyer from 6.30 pm, featuring bebop group Conception, before heading into the Con Theatre for Afro-Cuban sounds from Con Alma, jazz from Continuum, vocal performances by Invoices, and large ensemble Big Band favourites,The Con Artists.

First Year jazz ensembles will also be performing in the foyer throughout the interval.

If you are a lover of non-stop jazz in all it’s variations, this is one night of the year you cannot miss.

You Never Know: A Song Cycle

Featuring the music of In Pieces by Joey Contreras

A picture is worth 1,000 words – what about a song? Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In  You Never Know: A Song Cycle, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre… This intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern musical can be.

Contains mature content, adult themes, coarse language, reference to drug use, and minor violence.

You Never Know: A Song Cycle

Featuring the music of In Pieces by Joey Contreras

A picture is worth 1,000 words – what about a song? Can a picture inspire a song or fifteen? In  You Never Know: A Song Cycle, each photo creates a unique song, moments frozen in time; a glimmer of a life unfolding, a glimpse of something happening. A stunning new multimedia musical which explores a groundbreaking new concept in musical theatre… This intricately woven collection of stories told through song re-imagines what the modern musical can be.

Contains mature content, adult themes, coarse language, reference to drug use, and minor violence.

Avid Reader presents the exclusive Brisbane event for Songs for the Firefront by Tim Winton. Tim will be in conversation with Ashley Hay.

Black Square Quartet is joined by saxophonist and clarinetist Martin Kay for an eclectic program bringing together jazz, classical and contemporary music.

Spanning works and arrangements from the early twentieth century to the present day, the program includes Fazıl Say’s Suite for Saxophone and Piano, heard here in an arrangement by Thomas Green for saxophone and string quartet. Erwin Schulhoff’s Six Esquisses de Jazz draws on the popular dances and musical styles of the 1920s, while contemporary Australian composer Robert Davidson is represented by Leaf and River Crossing. Philip Eames’ arrangements of works from Don Byron and Uri Caine’s Bug Music are a celebration of the eccentric and inventive world of early jazz.

The program culminates in Michael Daugherty’s exuberant and absurd Elvis Everywhere for baritone saxophone, string quartet and three Elvis impersonators (on tape), followed by Tchavolo Schmitt’s Swing, arranged by Black Square Quartet’s Michael Patterson.

Playful, virtuosic and stylistically wide-ranging, Some of Our Best Friends Are Jazz Musicians brings Black Square Quartet and Martin Kay together for a celebration of musical curiosity, collaboration, and the unexpected.

American composer Steve Reich, one of the icons of our age, turns 90 on October 3. We celebrate with a staff/student side-by-side concert of works that span 40 years.

The program features music for percussion, saxophones and flute, and culminates in the Australian Premiere of a major work for 20 players, Runner, from 2016.

Karin Schaupp is one of the most outstanding guitarists on the international scene, a formidable pedagogue, and a valued staff member at the Queensland Conservatorium. Karin curates this exciting evening featuring the Riverside Guitar Ensemble, Open Con Guitar Ensemble (conducted by Joel Woods), Colombian singer-songwriter Karen Arango, and The Bronos Kentet.

 
Program: 

1. Allegro non troppo
2. Andante, un poco Adagio

3. Allegro moderato
4. Allegro vivace

The female voice is often something unheard of in the Baroqueperiod – the sister, the tutor, the cousin.

This program spotlights some of the many talented female composers in the baroque period featuring Bach’s Coffee Cantata alongside Baroque sonatas by female composers.

Curated by Caleb James and Peter Morris. 

After selling out in 2025, Symphonic Rock is back.

Symphonic Rock 2026 brings together the full force of the Conservatorium Symphony Orchestra alongside the Pop cohort, Student Songwriters and Composers for one unmissable evening.

Marking the end of the Con’s 2026 season, this promises to be one night to remember.