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Queensland Symphony Orchestra: Maestro 6 – La Mer

Name: Maestro 6 – La Mer
Start: 2026-09-04T19:30:00+10:00
End: 2026-09-04T21:30:00+10:00
Location: QPAC – Concert Hall

4 September @ 7:30 pm - 9:30 pm AEST

Guest conductor Eduardo Strausser explores the sea’s changing moods, from Debussy’s Petite Suite and Ravel’s Une Barque sur l’océan to Paul Stanhope’s Ocean Planet, a meditation on the beauty and fragility of our oceans. The fluid orchestration, vivid colours and restless movement of the titular work, Debussy’s La Mer, parallel the dynamic motion and unconventional perspectives of Japanese art. The composer was fascinated by ukiyo-e woodblock prints and chose Hokusai’s The Great Wave off Kanagawa, which hung in his Paris study, as the original score cover. Australian pianist Stefan Cassomenos rounds out the program with Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No. 2, which – perhaps coincidentally – evokes the rhythm of the sea shanty, What Shall We Do with a Drunken Sailor? in its first movement.

Limelight Editor’s Choice

From gentle tides to stormy swells, this concert captures the ever-shifting moods of the sea.

Opening with a delightful Debussy favourite, Petite Suite, Australian pianist Stefan Cassomenos then brings warmth and wit in Shostakovich’s Piano Concerto No.2, a personal gift to his son that shows his more playful side.

Australian composer Paul Stanhope offers a contemporary response to the sea with Ocean Planet, a powerful reflection on the beauty and fragility of our oceans. We then hear Ravel’s Une Barque sur l’ocean, an ode to the serenity yet stormy unpredictability of the ocean.

At the heart of this concert is Debussy’s La Mer, a vivid portrait of water in motion inspired by Monet’s seascapes and The Great Wave off Kanagawa.

Let the tides of music wash over you in this stunning concert, with guest conductor Eduardo Strausser.