Concert Wrap: The New World

Company in Residence with QPAC, the Southern Cross Soloists (SXS) finished their 14th QPAC Concert Series with a trip to the Americas!

The New World concert, on Sunday 22 October, treated the audience to a colourful program, featuring international guest artist, Grammy Award®-winning American guitarist, John Jorgenson.

Caroline Shaw’s Entr'acte performed by a string quartet featuring Alan Smith, Courtenay Cleary, James Wannan and Hyung Suk Bae, brought the close to 800 audience members to the edge of their seats for what was a jaw-dropping showcase of string talent.

Joining the string quartet, the rest of the soloists, in turn, had a chance to perform a showpiece. Ashley Smith's rendition of the groovy clarinet concerto by Artie Shaw received a raucous applause and Dvořák’s nostalgic Going Home theme played by Artistic Director, Tania Frazer, gave the audience a chance to reflect and reminisce.

Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue was crowned the centrepiece of the concert, with SXS Artist in Residence, Konstantin Shamray, conquering the work to Olympian heights.

As part of the SXS Didgeridoo Commissioning Project 2022-2032, (the 6th work in the series), Jorgenson and Williams’s Global Rivers Rising received a thunderous applause on its world premiere performance. The piece transported the audience on a ‘cruise’ around the world, with the overall theme of bodies of water connecting our many cultures together.

SXS closed their 2023 concert series at QPAC with the spicy Fuga I Misteroso by Piazzolla, with a snazzy flair by percussionist, Quinn Ramsay and John Jorgenson.

Check out our social gallery and production pictures below:

Photos by Darren Thomas