Reception for the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company

QPAC Chair, Professor Peter Coaldrake; fellow QPAC representatives; distinguished guests; ladies and gentlemen.

Good afternoon and buon pomeriggio!

Kaye and I are delighted to welcome you to Government House for a special celebration of the Teatro alla Scala Ballet Company and its extraordinary Brisbane season.

It has only taken 240 years to welcome the company to our country, and we are so very happy you have finally made it!

We are proud to welcome Ballet Director, Maestro Frederic Olivieri; General Director, Ms Maria Di Freda; and Italian Consul for Queensland and the Northern Territory, Dr Ludovico Camussi, who are with us today.

I also extend a very warm welcome to the dancers who have graced the stage at QPAC this season, including the stellar guest artists who have joined the company on this tour.

Now, it is no secret that our Brisbane audiences are great lovers of ballet.

It was little surprise so many embraced the chance this month to enjoy the company’s performances of Rudolf Nureyev’s Don Quixote, as well as the hauntingly beautiful Giselle, which Kaye and I had the pleasure of seeing on Friday evening.

The performance was breathtaking, sublime!

Watching the performance, I was reminded that ballet is more than just an exquisite art form – it is testament to the discipline and athleticism of its performers, the emotional intensity of its music, and the passionate commitment of its teachers and advocates.

The Teatro all Scala Ballet Company is acclaimed throughout the world.

Without doubt its past is a long and glorious one, and now Brisbane can claim to have played its own small part in that history.

I would like to acknowledge the QPAC International Series for bringing the world’s best performance companies exclusively to QPAC to perform only here in Queensland.

The series is fast creating a legacy of artistic cultural exchange and connection between local audiences and artists with those from overseas.

Teatro alla Scala ballet is the sixth company to mark its Australian debut as part of the QPAC International Series, which also curates a number of engagement and educational events in the lead up to each season.

This is a remarkable opportunity for Queenslanders to connect with prestigious performance companies from around the world, and we continue to embrace such opportunities with open arms.

I thank each of you for travelling so far to share your extraordinary gifts with us all, and I wish you all a most enjoyable evening.

Thank you.