Teddy Tahu Rhodes and Jayson Gillham Join SXS for Great Legends at QPAC

Brisbane's acclaimed Southern Cross Soloists will present the final concert in their 20th anniversary year, Great Legends at Queensland Performing Arts Centre (QPAC) on Sunday 22 November 2015.

The third concert in a celebratory year which has seen the Soloists collaborate with a record number of international artists, Great Legends will feature renowned operatic bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes, who joins the Soloists for the first time in this special concert dedicated to great composers and legendary characters.

Direct from London, Australian pianist Jayson Gillham, declared as one of the finest pianists of his generation, will also take to the stage with the Soloists as a special guest in this exciting concert.

This not-to-be-missed 2015 finale concert includes a world premiere commission from Hollywood-based Australian composer Joseph Twist based on speeches by great minds of the 21st century including Stephen Hawking and Steve Jobs.

Powerhouse works from Beethoven, Mendelssohn, Schubert, Purcell and Grieg also feature, highlighting the talents of the Soloists and their guests.

Creative Director Southern Cross Soloists Tania Frazer said the ensemble has been thrilled with audience response to the first two concerts in its special 20th Anniversary Concert Series program, Bella España and French Revelations.

"We have been delighted to present a special series of concerts this year featuring more super star guest artists than any of our season programs to date.

"In creating our anniversary program we looked to the past and the future. We wanted to acknowledge the people who have been part of our journey and Brisbane as our city of origin.

"Some of the guest artists in our 2015 season concerts have had long associations with the ensemble and others, such as the wonderful Teddy Tahu Rhodes, we have not worked with before. Teddy and I were both soloists with the Australian Chamber Orchestra and I have been trying for many years to get him to join us as a guest and this year the stars have finally aligned.

"We invite you to join us for Great Legends as we, with our celebrated guest artists, pay tribute to some of the world's most inspiring and talented people in what will be a wonderful finale to our anniversary year," said Ms Frazer.

The Southern Cross Soloists performances are presented in Concert Hall Reverse Mode with the audience seated in close proximity to the performers on the Concert Hall stage. Instead of performing to the main auditorium, the artists face the choir balconies and choir retractable seats. This seating arrangement is known as reverse mode and creates an intimate and relaxed atmosphere.

Established in Brisbane in 1995 and now an internationally successful ensemble, Southern Cross Soloists has helped set the benchmark for Australian chamber music. With a well-deserved reputation for artistic excellence, the Soloists continue to delight audiences with their constantly evolving repertoire and annual programs.

The ensemble enjoys a busy schedule of regional and national performances and is regularly joined by visiting international artists. The ensemble presents the Bangalow Music Festival, held in August each year, and develops Australian youth musical talent through their award-winning Music School regional education program.