Geoff Lyons (Bass, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Mr Speaker, I congratulate you on the work you have undertaken this week in this House.

Recently I was fortunate enough to attend a fantastic event in my electorate of Bass: Symphony under the Stars, performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. This free concert is a great opportunity to hear world-class classical music in the beautiful setting of Launceston's historic City Park. I must say that having a picnic in your local park to the sounds of a live, internationally acclaimed symphony orchestra is quite an experience. I was thrilled to see so many families from the Launceston community enjoying the concert.

In particular, pieces such as Tchaikovsky's Waltz of the Flowers, Claire de Lune and, my personal favourite, the William Tell Overture were very popular with the crowd. I spoke to many audience members who commented on what a lovely evening they were having and how fantastic it was have the award-winning TSO perform a free concert right in the heart of Launceston. I would like to thank the RACT for their sponsorship and making this event possible.

For people who may not get to regularly experience classical music, the Symphony under the Stars performance is certainly an eye-opening event. I can agree with the sentiments of the TSO's chief conductor and artistic director, Marko Letonja, who believes:

The best way to hear the TSO is to hear it live. Classical music is meant for live performance ... and that is where it works its magic best. Anything else is but a mere shadow of the real experience.

Founded in 1948, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra has become Tasmania's flagship performing arts organisation. Resident in Hobart's purpose-built Federation Concert Hall, the TSO has a full complement of 47 musicians. The orchestra contributes significantly to Tasmania's arts and culture and in return enjoys considerable support from the local community. Regular concerts are presented in Hobart and Launceston, and often the TSO will tour other regions of the state.

The TSO also enjoys international recognition and has toured in North and South America, Greece, Israel, South Korea, China, Indonesia and Japan. It is one of Australia's most recorded orchestras and has performed with artists such as Rhonda Burchmore, Kate Ceberano, James Morrison, Natalie Cole and The Whitlams. The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra aims to be a source of pride for all Tasmanians, performing a wide variety of music. Symphony under the Stars is just one event that ensures the TSO and classical music remains available to the broader Tasmanian community. Upcoming performances, such the family concert series, featuring interactive shows, storytelling and movie music, will continue this tradition.

Indeed, I would encourage all Tasmanians to go along and see one of the many TSO concerts that are planned for the 2012 performance season. Launceston, in my electorate of Bass, is lucky enough to host a six-concert series featuring leading conductors and soloists performing symphonies, concertos, tone poems and overtures. Mr Speaker, I invite you, and all members of parliament, to plan a visit to the beautiful city of Launceston in the coming year to take in one of these performances. This series includes Isabelle Faust, one of the most distinguished violinists of her generation, playing Beethoven's Violin Concerto and The Last Night of the Proms, a celebration of all things British, in which the TSO will deliver the grandeur, patriotism and passion of the finale of London's famous Proms concert. It will also showcase multi-award-winning saxophonist and former Young Australian of the Year, Amy Dickson, performing Full Moon Dances, a concerto written especially for her.

The year 2012 is a particularly exciting year for the TSO as they welcome Marko Letonja as their new conductor and artistic director. Marko has conducted the Slovenian Philharmonic Orchestra, the Vienna Symphony, the Munich Philharmonic, the Hamburg Symphony and the Melbourne Symphony, among others. Hailed by critics and audiences throughout Europe, it is tremendous to see Marko bring his unique classical style to the TSO.

If residents or visitors to Tasmania get the chance to see the TSO perform, I would urge them to jump at it. For an orchestra that is so well-known internationally, it remains something of a hidden gem in its own state. Again, I would like to take this opportunity to offer my congratulations to the fantastic Symphony under the Stars. I would also like to sincerely thank the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra for their contribution to the state. They are truly a symbol of the talent and culture that Tasmania has to offer.

House adjourned at 17:02