About Us
For over 20 years, Townsville’s community orchestra has drawn from the diversity of experience in North Queensland to gather gifted and talented musicians together to play orchestral music for the community. Conductors and players from all over Australia and overseas are keen to work with the orchestra and assist its development. In 2018 the Barrier Reef Orchestra partnered with Principal players from the Queensland Symphony and in 2019 AFCM’s founding Artistic Director, Theodore Kuchar, returned to conduct a special programme.
The Barrier Reef Orchestra is pleased to have the support of Bill Twedell, former Chancellor of James Cook University, who has been the Patron of the orchestra since 2017. Mr Tweddell enjoyed a distinguished career in Australia’s diplomatic service spanning four decades before returning to Townsville. More details can be read in Bill’s biography.
Barrier Reef Orchestra is a product of North Queensland Ensembles Inc.
North Queensland Ensembles Inc. is an Incorporated Association registered in the State of Queensland.
It is also a tax deductible fund listed on the Register of Cultural Organisations under Subdivision 30-B of the Income tax Assessment Act 1997. It is based in Townsville, North Queensland, Australia.
History of the Orchestra
Over a two-year period in the late nineties, Townsville musicians, arts workers and a group of people who had a love for music realised the potential for developing a community-based Orchestra — one that would flourish and become an integral part of the City’s cultural life.
In 2000 to ‘test’ the viability of establishing an Orchestra a weekend workshop was arranged and musicians were invited to participate under the baton of Richard McIntyre, Senior Lecturer at the Canberra School of Music and the result — the Barrier Reef Orchestra was born.
In a typical year the Barrier Reef Orchestra, under the auspices of North Queensland Ensembles Inc, performs three times generally with a guest conductor and occasionally with other performing groups. Smaller ensembles, all utilising players from the Orchestra, regularly give concerts — Orpheus Strings, Pandanus Winds, Kingfisher Trio, Centenary Concert Band and the Barrier Reef Chamber Orchestra.
