The young Mexican conductor will lead the Queensland Symphony Orchestra for the next three years.

In an exciting and forward-looking move, the Queensland Symphony Orchestra has today announced the appointment of Mexican conductor Alondra de la Parra as Music Director following a marathon two-year global search. Ms de la Parra will begin a three-year contract in 2017 – coincidentally the orchestra’s 70th anniversary year – and in a turn-up for the books, it is expected that she will spend “significant time” in Brisbane throughout the year.

“It is truly a great honour to be chosen as the first Music Director of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, and a dream come true for me,” said the 34-year-old conductor. “The QSO is an innovative arts company, with a great vibrancy and truly outstanding musicality and I am truly excited to take on this new role and return to Queensland – earlier in the year I had the pleasure of working closely with the QSO musicians and team, performing and creating and I’m looking forward to building on the positive connections that flourished during that time.”

In a substantial list of firsts, this is the first appointment of a Music Director by an Australian...