At just 24, Richard Strauss unleashed Don Juan, a blazing tone poem whose fearless virtuosity still challenges orchestras worldwide. Chief Conductor Umberto Clerici steers its themes as they leap, flirt, and finally sink into uneasy silence – echoing Nikolaus Lenau’s restless hero.

Australian-Ukrainian composer Catherine Likhuta follows with a brand-new commission written expressly for the colours and musicians of Queensland Symphony Orchestra – a concentrated burst of rhythm, brilliance, and lyricism.

Tchaikovsky’s giant, Manfred Symphony, crowns the evening. Inspired by Byron’s brooding hero, this vast score plunges into guilt, delirium, and fleeting redemption, its rich orchestration and sweeping climaxes stretching every section to the limit.

Experience an unforgettable test of virtuosity and vision