Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s season will also champion women conductors and new music.

Two of the world’s most charismatic performers will join the Queensland Symphony Orchestra next year, it was revealed today in the QSO’s 2016 season announcement. Piano superstar Lang Lang will headline the orchestra’s Mid-Season Gala and violin virtuoso Maxim Vengerov, who will be touring Australia with Musica Viva this November, will return to Australia for the second year in a row to join QSO for its Tchaikovsky Gala. In 2015 QSO was the first major Australian orchestra to appoint a resident soloist, and soloists-in-residence both past and present, violinist Shlomo Mintz and pianist Nikolai Demidenko respectively, will also perform with the orchestra in 2016. Newly appointed resident Demidenko, who has shared a long association with the QSO, will headline a Beethoven piano concerto cycle, which will see all five concertos performed over two evenings in May and October. The Australian Voices have also bee appointed as the QSO’s ensemble-in-residence, and will feature in four main stage performances with the orchestra next year.

QSO’s 2016’s season will also see a focus on women conductors, with appearances...