The competition has just got stronger with ASPIRE International Youth Music Festival announcing it has secured Conductor John Curro AM MBE as Festival Patron.
Securing Curro is an honour for the ASPIRE Music Festival team who acknowledge that having highly recognised industry representation has been instrumental to the event’s successful development and in securing ongoing high calibre support.
In high demand as a conductor and tutor for professional and youth orchestras and festivals, Curro is the Founder and Director of Music for Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO), conducting the Queensland Youth Symphony since its inception in 1966. A guest conductor at the Tasmanian Conservatorium and Brisbane Philharmonic, in 2008 he conducted the Queensland Youth Symphony during its 11th international tour with critically acclaimed concerts in Germany, France and Italy.
Throughout his distinguished career, Curro has conducted many of Australia’s professional orchestras as well as opera and ballet seasons in Australia. His guest conducting appearance list is lengthy and includes the London Virtuosi, the Shanghai Philharmonic Orchestra, the Australian and Bavarian Youth Orchestra, the Bangkok Symphony Orchestra, and Principal Guest Conductor with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra.
Mr Curro is a Member of the Order of Australia and Member of the British Empire. He has received Honorary Doctorates from the University of Queensland and Griffith University, Rotary International’s Paul Harris Fellow Award, the Australian Music Centre (Qld) Award, the Don Banks Music Award, the Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award, the Orchestras Australia Lifetime Achievement Award and the Queensland Premier’s Millennium Award for Excellence in the Arts.