The definitive and long-overdue history of one of Australia's finest music schools, painstakingly compiled from extensive written and oral memoirs, state archives, regional libraries, and promotional and media artifacts from concert programmes and press cuttings to photographs and recordings. The Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University began its journey through history as one of Queensland's major cultural institutions in 1957. This book by one of its former directors, Peter Roennfeldt, elegantly and comprehensively weaves the intertwining narratives of people and events to produce a tapestry that captures the highlights, as well as the distinctive character of a diverse community of musicians spanning more than half a century. This telling of the story of ""the Con"" and its many supporters and partner organisations is an essential reference for all alumni as well as past, current and future musicians and music lovers. This book is also a significant contribution to Australia's cultural history.

Author Biography

Professor Peter Roennfeldt is passionate about Queensland's musical heritage. His research into aspects of this vast topic commenced while studying at the University of Queensland, Australia in the late 1970s, and during the past decade he has published and lectured widely on the subject. Since the mid-1980s, Peter Roennfeldt's major professional focus has been the Queensland Conservatorium. He is well known as a lecturer, keyboard performer and choral conductor, both within this institution and the wider community. A highlight of his seven year tenure as Conservatorium Director was its 50th anniversary in 2007, which also provided the impetus for this publication.