UQ Strings and UQ Singers

UQ Strings

The UQ Strings is an ensemble of selected School of Music string students, directed by Patrick Murphy. The orchestra performs unconducted, each member contributing to the artistic vision of the works. Pulse’s eclectic repertoire ranges from masterworks of the string orchestra and string quartet genre, to transcriptions of Bartok’s Mikrokosmos and works of contemporary and past Australian composers.

Pulse also collaborates frequently with choirs and vocalists, most notably with The Choir of Temple Church in 2017, in performing liturgical repertoire including works of Bruckner, Rutter, C.P.E. Bach, J.S. Bach, and Benjamin Britten.

UQ Singers

The UQ Singers encompass all the emerging artists who focus on classical singing at The University of Queensland School of Music. They are involved in a variety of solo and chorus projects, from full operas to opera scenes and large choral works in conjunction with The University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Major tours to Far North Queensland and the Granite Belt have included working as mentors to young musicians as well as performances for regional audiences. In South-East Queensland, the UQ Singers have worked extensively with local orchestras and performed in many venues from the Botanic Gardens, St John’s Cathedral and in the Upper House of Queensland Parliament.

The Bachelor of Music (Honours) program develops skilled performers in all areas of vocal technique and offers opportunities to perform varied vocal literature. Under the tutelage of Dr Shaun Brown, Sarah Crane, and Gregory Massingham, students develop the full array of tools required by a professional singer for public performances through studio lessons, workshops, recitals, opera excerpts and our ever-broadening concert program. Students achieve a high degree of professional competence and learn appropriate stylistic approaches to the literature of various historical periods. In addition, students participate in workshops and workplace learning opportunities with a diverse field of industry professionals, such as Dane Lam, Narelle French, Johannes Fritzsch, Rosario La Spina, Milijana Nikolic, Bryan Probets, Bradley Daley, Rachelle Durkin, John Antoniou, Joseph Ward OBE, Peter Robinson, and Andrew Collis.

In addition to these performing skills, a new stream of stagecraft has been embedded into their training, and here students explore their acting and communication skills as well as directing their own theatrical scenes. The stagecraft team at present is creating and producing a full production of Mozart’s Die Zauberflöte, where they are involved in all facets of the production; logistics, lighting, ticketing, publicity, front of house, backstage, props, food and beverage, direction, choreography and costuming.