Orchestral Visions: Rituals of the Street

The University of Queensland Symphony Orchestra presents a dynamic afternoon of orchestral colour and rhythmic vitality as part of the UQ School of Music’s UQ Arts program. 

Conducted by internationally renowned clarinettist, composer and conductor Paul Dean, this program explores music shaped by public life moving from the elegance of the Classical salon to the pulse of dance halls, city streets and village squares.

At the heart of the concert is one of the School’s most prestigious honours: the annual Concerto Prize. Awarded to the top student performer following a highly competitive audition process, the prize offers the rare opportunity to appear as soloist with full symphony orchestra.

In 2026, Annabelle Freeman takes centre stage in Clarinet Concerto in A major, K. 622 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Radiant, lyrical and profoundly expressive, this masterwork demands both technical brilliance and poetic refinement. The orchestra then steps fully into the spotlight with repertoire that travels across continents and cultures. El Salón México by Aaron Copland evokes the vibrant dance halls of Mexico in a kaleidoscopic celebration of folk melody and rhythmic energy. Urban electricity surges through Symphonic Dances from West Side Story by Leonard Bernstein, capturing the tension, passion and explosive movement of New York’s streets in music of irresistible drive.

The program concludes in Spain with selections from Suites No. 1 and 2 of The Three-Cornered Hat by Manuel de Falla with music infused with flamenco fire, earthy humour and dazzling orchestral colour.

Rituals of the Street celebrates the rhythms that gather communities, the dances that define cultures, and the exceptional artistry of UQ’s leading young performers.