Not many festival directors get to sing at their own launch but then not many have been chart toppers like Deborah Conway.

The talented singer-songwriter and Artistic Director of the Queensland Music festival (QMF) took to the stage at the event launch on 12 May, to 'sing' the new program for the 2009 Festival.

Ms Conway performed with Kevin Carmody and partnered with Catherine Stirling on the clavichord to give the audience at the Judith Wright Centre of Contemporary Arts a hint of what we can expect from this year's festival.

The show wrapped up with an intriguing presentation of contemporary soundscapes by legends of Brisbane music, The Saints' guitarist Ed Keupper and Johnny Wilsteed.

QMF 2009 consists of 44 events in 20 regions over 17 days from 17 July to 2 August. The festival has a reputation for involving locals in telling their own story through music and song and this year is no different with major regional events in Charleville (The Road We're On); Cooktown (Laid in Earth); Mt Isa (The Big Weekend) and Thursday Island (Hidden Republic). There are also major events in Brisbane such as Dirty Apple, the much-anticipated youth opera from Opera Queensland which is part of Queensland's 150th birthday celebrations, Presidentsland and Loud in the Valley.

< Back to Arts Update

We welcome feedback and contributions to Arts Update. Please contact the editor, Colleen Turner on (07) 3225 8841 or email artsupdate@arts.qld.gov.au