Throughout Brisbane Festival, more than 50 students from the Conservatorium will be performing for festivalgoers, showcasing a mix of pop, jazz and classical right through do electronic dance music.
The Conservatorium Theatre will also be home to a series of soaring performances from renowned Australian musicians and international guests.
The ANZ Festival Garden pop-up, featuring food, wine, installations and live music acts will be right outside the Conservatorium with almost 20 performances by current students, which are all free to attend and perfect to take the whole family to.
Senior Lecturer and Head of Pop Music at the Conservatorium Caleb James has curated the suite of student performances across the festival and said there is simply no substitute for the experience of live performances.
“Live music is incredibly important,” he said.
“Music has become ridiculously convenient to access, and while we can still become immersed in music through speakers at home or by putting on our headphones, there is something very primal and powerful about having an audience and performer sharing the same space and the connection they experience through that music.
“They don’t even have to talk to each other, but there is communication there."
“It’s a completely different kind of interaction.”
The selected acts have all been born out of collaboration within the University, with students from the jazz, pop, classical and music production courses combining their skills to develop hybrid genre performances catering to a broad audience.
Pop Music student Jamie Lamont is performing with her three band members, playing some of their original songs as well as some covers.
“Brisbane Festival is such a great opportunity for emerging artists like us to be heard and seen and we’re so excited to be part of it,” she said.
“I’m an R&B artist and I feel it’s a genre that’s really developing and growing in popularity at the moment.
“It’s an easy listen for a very broad audience, but by throwing in a few covers we really get the audience out of their shells and bringing the energy and enthusiasm.
“We feel it and we feed off it and it is just such an honour to play live and be in that space.”
As Brisbane Festival continues to celebrate the city's rich cultural landscape, the involvement of the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University ensures the next generation of musicians is not only participating but thriving.
The combination of high-profile performances, professional development, and collaborative creativity positions these students to make a lasting impact on Brisbane's vibrant music scene and beyond.
