Welcome to the BPO!

The Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) is Brisbane’s leading community orchestra. The orchestra brings together up to 200 musicians a year to play a variety of classical orchestral music. 2020 marks the 20th anniversary of the orchestra.

Over 100 members of the incorporated association form the core of the orchestra. Other players perform as casual musicians, but often join as full-time members after their first concert with BPO. The orchestra was founded on principles of musical excellence, communal participation, and organisational professionalism.

Since its creation in 2000, the BPO has become the community orchestra of choice for over 500 musicians. It is eagerly sought as a performance partner for touring choirs, festivals, and internationally acclaimed instrumentalists and vocalists. The BPO performs its own series of symphonic concerts and participates in multiple community and festival events throughout the year, attracting an annual audience of over 5,000 people. Programs vary between concerts featuring the great classical, romantic, and 20th century composers, light concerts including film music, as well as concerts with programs targeted at younger audiences.

The BPO maintains many community partnerships including with QPAC, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Airport Corporation, Queensland Music Festival, Queensland Youth Orchestras, 4MBS Classic FM, and also with other community ensembles. These partnerships provide essential connections in artistic, educational, professional, and social programs and cater to BPO’s increased responsibility to culturally enhance Brisbane localities and bring a diversity of people together to deliver high quality performance events.

Unusually for a community orchestra, entry to the BPO is by audition and the ensemble is the only community orchestra within the city that rotates guest conductors by invitation rather than establishing a permanent Music Director. Uniquely, this allows a variety of the finest local professional conductors to deliver diverse and innovative programming to artistically stimulate members of the orchestra. 

2024 Committee

President: Hayden Burton
Vice-President: Jo Lagerlow
Secretary: Helentherese Good
Treasurer: Eugenie Puskarz Thomas
Committee member: Anthony Rossiter
Committee member: Renee Edson