Liza Gratchev (flute) and Aiden Donnelly (french horn), were among just seven music students from across the Gold Coast selected to participate in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra's Side-by-Side project. The initiative gives emerging musicians the opportunity to perform alongside professional orchestral players in a live concert setting.
To earn their place, students submitted video auditions featuring orchestral excerpts. Successful applicants were then paired with Queensland Symphony Orchestra Principal players for individual mentoring sessions, gaining valuable insight into professional performance techniques and orchestral preparation.
Following the mentoring program, the students joined the full orchestra for rehearsals before performing to a packed audience at HOTA.
Liza Gratchev described the experience:
“I think the event was a really great experience and we were able to learn lots of new musical techniques from our mentors.”
The Side-by-Side project is designed to nurture the next generation of Queensland musicians, providing students with hands-on experience performing at a professional level while learning directly from some of the state’s leading orchestral artists.
Patrick Emery
Instrumental Music Coordinator, Teacher of IB Music and ToK