St Lucia campus hosts UQ/ABC International Fair

St Lucia campus hosts UQ/ABC International Fair

Music from around the world will be a highlight of a free International Fair on Sunday October 11, jointly staged by the University of Queensland and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and featuring the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

More than 20,000 people are expected to attend the UQ/ABC International Fair, to be held from noon to about 7pm in the Great Court of the St Lucia campus.

The event will begin with a performance by the 80-piece University Symphony Orchestra, include international craft and cuisine, items by folk artists of many cultures, and the Queensland University Regiment.

The grand finale for the event will be a spectacular Symphony at Sunset concert by the Queensland Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by a light show designed by Woodford Folk Festival fire artist Neil Cameron.

The sandstone-cloistered Great Court will be transformed with candelit sculptures and fairy lights to enhance the visual enjoyment of the diverse musical program running continuously on a purpose-built covered stage and hosted by ABC identities.

University co-ordinator of the event Dr Nadja Alexander of the Law School said families were encouraged to bring their blankets and enjoy the music.

Internationally-acclaimed conductor Maestro Werner Andreas Albert will conduct the 71-piece Queensland Symphony Orchestra during the sunset concert at 6.15pm.

The concert will include the world premiere of Dance Gundah, a contemporary piece for didgeridoo and orchestra written by head of the University's School of Music Dr Philip Bracanin with indigenous artist Michael Watson as soloist. There will also be popular selections of music from Russia, Finland, England, Italy and France selected by Maestro Albert, Dr Bracanin and QSO general manager Rodney Jacobson.

Maestro Albert, who is an adjunct professor in the University's School of Music, has been chief conductor of the North West German Philharmonic Orchestra, the Gulbenkien Orchestra, the Nuremberg Symphony Orchestra and, closer to home, the Queensland Symphony and Philharmonic Orchestras.

One of Europe's busiest conductors, he has enjoyed great success with tours of the United States, Australia, South America, Russia and most European countries.

Dr Alexander said people attending the International Fair could tempt their tastebuds with cuisine from many nations at food and craft stalls including African, Middle Eastern, Vietnamese, Dutch, German, Greek, Cajun, Indian, British, Australian native and Australian vegetarian, seafood and Russian.

The day's activities would also include Middle Eastern dancers, Brazilian drummers, street theatre and roving entertainers, and face painting.

The University Bookshop, Wordsmiths Cafe, Student Union coffee shop, and the Art History, Anthropology, Classics, Geology and Physics Museums would open to the public. The Geology Museum will hold a competition with a book prize for people to guess the country of origin of items from its international collection of minerals and gems.

People attending the International Fair are invited to come early, and participate in a separate event, the Walk for the Cure. The walk, conducted by the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation, will take place at the St Lucia campus at 10.30am.

Media: For further information, contact Dr Alexander (telephone 33652219).