Welcome to the BPO!

The Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO) is Brisbane’s leading community orchestra. The orchestra brings together up to 150 musicians a year to play a variety of classical orchestral music.

Around 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, BPO has been eagerly sought as a performance partner for touring choirs, festivals, and internationally acclaimed instrumentalists and vocalists. The orchestra performs its own series of symphonic concerts and participates in multiple community and festival events throughout the year. 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.

BPO maintains many partnerships, including with Queensland Youth Orchestras, Brisbane City Council, Brisbane Airport, 4MBS Classic FM, Queensland Music Festival, the Queensland Performing Arts Centre, the Brisbane Festival and with other community ensembles. These partnerships provide essential connections in artistic, educational, professional, and social programs and enable BPO 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 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.

2026 Committee

President: Hayden Burton
Vice-President: Eugenie Puskarz Thomas
Secretary: Gabrielle Knight
Treasurer: Anthony Rossiter
Committee members: Matthew Teakle, Dean Tierney and
Benjamin Tomarchio

Orchestral Management

Librarians: Dean Tierney and Paul Garrahy