Megan Washington Heads Up Queensland Music Festival Line-Up

Held for just over two weeks, the Queensland Music Festival has announced the impressive list of big-name musicians that the state will be hosting in 26 cities, headed by Aussie songstress Megan Washington, Grammy-winning US double bassist Edgar Meyer, jazz legend James Morrison and Romanian jazz virtuoso Marian Petrescu.

In a series of events running in metro and regional places, Washington will collaborate with Morrison and Petrescu for a night of sparkling jazz on 31 July at the QPAC Concert Hall, while Meyer will take to the Queensland Conservatorium to play his Concerto for Double Bass and Orchestra with the Camerata of St John's, Queensland's Chamber Orchestra.

Meyer, Morrison and the Queensland Symphony Orchestra will also premiere Finnish composer Max Savikangas' Double Concerto for Trumpet, Double Bass and Symphony Orchestra in a world first.

The festivities will also include Keys To The City, a selection of pianos scattered around Brisbane city, inviting music-lovers and musicians alike to come and play the pianos at their leisure, and a slew of other events designed to celebrate music, "with a vision to transform lives through unforgettable musical experiences". 

Morrison, who is not only performing but also serving as QMF's Artistic Director, says, "We will fly artists to the furthest flung regions of Cape York, see one of the world’s most remote symphony orchestras perform in Mount Isa, and bring together hundreds of Logan locals in a musical celebration of their multicultural city.
 
“The geographic scale and musical legacies created by QMF’s monumental regional projects make the festival unique in Australia, and possibly the world.”

The festival is an initiative by Queensland Government and will kick off on Friday, 17 July and run until Sunday, 2 August. 

To check out the plethora of events held for QMF, head to their website or theGuide.