They do things a little differently at Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Always have done.

Founded in 1987 by musician and educator Elizabeth Morgan, Camerata began as an idealistic ensemble of emerging artists working in a non-hierarchical framework. One of the most obvious point of difference between it and other ensembles was that operated without a conductor.

Brendan Joyce (right) and Camerata – Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Photo © Morgan Roberts

Thirty-five years on and now a professional ensemble, Camerata continues in much the same way. That early idealism is baked into its DNA says Camerata’s current Artistic Director Brendan Joyce as he prepares the ensemble for its next concert, From my Homeland, a program of evocative, all-Australian music.

“The orchestra has always rested on some pretty simple foundations,” Joyce tells Limelight. “Basically, we’re about the joy of playing music and communicating that joy to the audience. And one way we’ve found that helps us experience that joy is by making sure our musicians feel engaged and have a sense of collective ownership of what they’re doing.”

Even though he’s the capital-A Artistic Director, Joyce prefers to think of himself as...