Orchestra Brisbane

29/03/2026

Orchestra Brisbane is delighted to announce the appointment of Mr Yoram Levy to the position of Co-Principal Trumpet. With a fantastic career spanning several decades Yoram brings with him an immense and highly impressive wealth of orchestral expertise both from Australia and abroad. Welcome Yoram!

You can read all about Yoram’s achievements here:

Yoram Levy is a distinguished figure in the world of brass and music education. With an illustrious career, Mr. Levy has left an indelible mark on the global stage.
​
In 1982, Maestro Zubin Mehta invited Mr. Levy to join the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra’s trumpet section, where he played until 1990. During this period, he collaborated with renowned conductors, recorded extensively, and toured Europe, the Americas, Asia, and Australia. Mr. Levy's association with the IPO continues, including participation in their Australian tours and recordings in 2023.
​
Since 1990, Mr. Levy has been a leading Australian brass pedagogue, serving as Senior Lecturer in Trumpet at the Queensland Conservatorium. His dedication to music education has nurtured exceptional brass instrumentalists and teachers. Notable mentors in his career include James Thompson, Vincent Cichowicz, and Adolph Herseth.
​
Mr. Levy's versatile talent extends to performances as principal trumpet with the New Zealand Symphony, Sydney Symphony, Queensland Symphony, and the Malaysian Philharmonic. As a soloist, he has graced stages with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Queensland Symphony, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra.
​
A sought-after performer and educator, Mr. Levy retired as Principal Trumpet of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra in 2023, a role he held since 1998. Currently, he imparts his expertise as a trumpet teacher and brass ensemble tutor at the Tasmanian Conservatorium in Hobart.
​
Yoram Levy's impact on the world of brass and music education remains profound, solidifying his legacy as a distinguished trumpeter and mentor.

27/03/2026

Orchestra Brisbane is delighted to welcome Evalyn Legried to the orchestra. Evalyn joins OB after establishing herself as one of Brisbane most sought after orchestral cellists and chamber musicians. Her talents make a very welcome addition to our cello section. You can read more about all of Evalyn’s accomplishments below:

Evalyn Legried is an award-winning cellist and educator, who enjoys spending her time performing
and teaching across a diverse collection of genres. Evalyn is best known for her work surrounding
early music and historically informed Baroque performance, as well as contemporary genres such
as pop, pub-rock, hip-hop, and immersive soundscapes.
Most recently, Evalyn and her band She Wasn’t Born Here were awarded the “2025 Anywhere
Festival Award for Music”. She has also recently performed with Disney, National Geographic, the
Queensland Ballet, Eminem, Vera Blue, The Smith Street Band, Genesis Owusu, and Australian
Hip-Hop trio Bliss n Eso. Evalyn performs regularly as principal and tutti cello with the Queensland
Pops Orchestra, Queensland Festival Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Queensland Baroque
Orchestra, as well as in popular venues across Brisbane with her Bridgerton-Style string shows,
electric string acts, and in her role as orchestral contractor for corporate and private events. Career highlights also include performing the world premiere of “Close Encounters of the Third Kind - in Concert”, the Australian premiere of “Love Actually - in Concert”, appearing as soloist for
Gabriel Jackson’s “To the Field of Stars” with Fusion Vocal Ensemble, as soloist for the 4MBS broadcast of “Benedictus” from Karl Jenkins “Armed Man” with the Brisbane Symphony Orchestra, touring with Darren Coggan’s shows “Remember the Days of Cat Steven”, “Poems, Prayers, and Promises of John Denver” and “Like a Rhinestone Cowboy”, performing with “The Whitlam’s”, Rhonda Burchmore and Rob Mills with the Qld Pops Orchestra, and appearing as soloist for the QCGU production of ‘Elegies for Angels, Punks, and Raging Queens’.
Evalyn lectures regularly with the Cuskelly College of Music, specialising in Advanced String Orchestras and Lower Strings pedagogy. Evalyn also enjoys supporting young musicians through
various engagements as a specialist consultant. In this capacity, Evalyn shares her expertise through adjudication of competitions and eisteddfods, serving on audition panels, and providing specialist guidance to youth and community organisations such as the Qld Youth Orchestras, Brisbane Regional Youth Orchestra, and regional organisations such as the Southern Downs String Ensemble.
Evalyn holds Master's degrees in both Music (Performance w/Distinction, Qld Conservatorium of Music - 2017) and Education (Secondary Music Education, QUT - 2024). Evalyn is a multi-award- winning graduate at both institutions, earning the Griffith Award for Academic Excellence in 2016 &
2017, the QUT Executive Deans’ Commendation for Academic Excellence in 2021 & 2022, the 2021 ASME Qld Award for Outstanding Music Education Graduates, and the winner of the Basil Jones Sonata Prize in 2015. In the field of Music Education, Evalyn has also achieved Levels 1 & 2 of the Australian Kodaly Certificate (Secondary), and is a Certified “Bigger Better Brains”
Educator.
When Evalyn is not behind a cello or buried in a textbook, she enjoys spending time with her husband, son, and Professor Lola (their big, fat, fluffy cat.

26/03/2026

BREAKING NEWS!!! Orchestra Brisbane is thrilled to announce the appointment of its inaugural Principal Trombonist, Mr Christopher Thompson. Christopher is widely recognized as an extremely accomplished trombonist and musician with over 20 years of professional experience performing throughout Queensland and Australia. His career has led to performances with such leading ensembles as the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, the Auckland Philharmonia, the Southern Cross Symphony among numerous others. Christopher Thompson is at home playing in many styles/genres of music having performed in numerous musical theatre productions, in chamber music as the founder of the Queensland Trombone Quartet, and he has been very active as a leading performer in the brass band movement in Australia. Orchestra Brisbane sincerely welcomes Christopher to the orchestra, and we look forward to the years ahead, as he leads the OB lower brass section. Congratulations Chris!!!

16/03/2026

BREAKING NEWS!!!
Orchestra Brisbane is very excited to announce the appointment of our inaugural Principal Flautist, Monika Koerner. Monika brings with her a wealth of experience from her time performing in both Europe and through Australia. We are all delighted to welcome Monika to OB and we are sure she will continue to inspire audiences and her colleagues alike for years to come.
You can read more about Monika here:

Monika Koerner - ‘Principal Flute’
Critically acclaimed by The Age as 'a player of insight, proficiency and personality’, Monika performs regularly as principal flute with Camerata - Queensland’s Chamber Orchestra. Monika has also been guest artist with Ensemble Q, Southern Cross Soloists and QSO Chamber Players as well as guest principal and tutti with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Deeply passionate about chamber music Monika is founder and Artistic Director of Ensemble Trivium, a chamber music collective of Brisbane’s leading musicians.
Monika was born in Salzburg/Austria and holds a MA from the University for Music and Performing Arts in Vienna having studied with Prof. Wolfgang Schulz (former principal flute, Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra) and in masterclasses with Auréle Nicolet, Peter-Lukas Graf, Robert Dick and Emily Beynon. In Vienna she has performed with the Radio Symphony Orchestra Vienna and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra amongst others and in Australia with the Melbourne and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, Australian Philharmonic Orchestra, QSO, Australian Session Orchestra, The Metropolitan Orchestra and Southern Cross Symphony. She has toured all over Europe, Taiwan and nationally in Australia and has performed at many festivals such as Wien modern, Carinthischer Sommer, Brisbane Baroque, Brisbane Festival, Brisbane Music Festival and Orange Chamber Music Festival.

08/03/2026

08/03/2026

Orchestra Brisbane auditions Day 2. are done and dusted! Thanks again you to our esteemed panel for overseeing two full days of auditions.
Thanks again to Phil Davis, Richard Madden, Monika Koerner, Matthew Farrell, John Foster and Kirsty Poole. Thanks also to the dozens and dozens of talented musicians who auditioned for ‘OB’. There’s a very bright future ahead for Orchestra Brisbane!!!

07/03/2026

Orchestra Brisbane ‘live auditions’ Day 1. are underway. Many thanks to our Concert Master, Margaret Blades, Cellist, Matthew Farrell and Music Director, John Foster for their expertise on the panel today. Well done to everyone auditioning, we have already heard several outstanding applicants! We are already looking forward to Day 2. of auditions!

24/02/2026

On behalf of Orchestra Brisbane we would all like to wish our General Manager, Matthew Farrell a very happy birthday!

Matthew Farrell, in addition to being the General Manager of Orchestra Brisbane, has held executive roles in major performing arts companies and is a professional musician who has held principal cello positions with the Queensland Philharmonic and Queensland Symphony Orchestras. Solo performances have included concerto appearances with various Australian orchestras including world premieres of concerti by Kent Farbach and Moya Henderson.

His recent roles have included CEO of SunPAC (Sunnybank Performing Arts Centre), CEO role part time with the national Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition. He was Director, Orchestra Management at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra for 12 years with responsibility for production, musicians and commercial projects.

Matthew has a long history of involvement with music and arts development including participation on several State and Federal inquiries and taskforces. Matthew was Board Chair of 4MBS FM for 11 years and has been an active member of the 4MBS Board since 2006. He also has co-directed the 4MBS Festival of Classics.

01/02/2026

Some fantastic news for Orchestra Brisbane with the appointment of our inaugural Concertmaster.

29/01/2026

There’s only 2 days left to send us your ‘Expression of Interest’ for Orchestra Brisbane. Queensland’s brand new professional orchestra. Email: [email protected]

23/01/2026

There’s still 1 week left to send us your ‘expression of interest’ in Brisbane’s newest professional orchestra!
Email us at: [email protected]