By Jim Fagan
Noosa Chorale’s “Mr Music” Adrian King is celebrating his 10th anniversary year as the choir’s conductor and music director and those who know him say he is a man of spectacular musical reach with so much energy he seems to run rather than walk.
Since he took over from Leonard Spira in 2007 he has led the choir in more than 30 major concerts and performances – from timeless classical works to Grand Opera, light opera, trad jazz and, along the way, Aussie songs on Anzac Day and carols in Hastings Street.
Musicians who work with him say he has also brought a new vibrancy to music in Noosa.
One of them is Janet Brewer, a regular performer on the Coast with Pacific Chambers Players’ and also Noosa Chorale accompanist.
She says Adrian’s impressive work with the Chorale, the Sunshine Coast Choral Society and the Sunshine Coast Symphony Orchestra has introduced new audiences to music like the Mozart, Haydn and Schubert Viennese Masters concerts the Chorale is giving this month at The J.
Music has always been in Adrian’s life. He received his musical training at the Guildhall School of Music in London, specialising in singing, conducting, piano and French horn and is a licentiate of the Trinity College of Music.
A highlight of his career was conducting a combined schools’ choir and the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
He came to Australia with wife Helen in 2006 to be with family and, as he told Noosa Today: “Since then I have been constantly impressed by the diversity and quality of the musical groups on the Coast — orchestras, small instrumental ensembles, ladies vocal groups, male voice choirs, barber shop, youth choirs, youth orchestras, choral groups and choirs specialising in the classical and not so classical genre.
“I have been fortunate in the last nine years to be involved musically with some extremely talented musicians and very fine singers. The quality of music on the Coast is outstanding.”
Noosa Chorale will perform Viennese Masters of the Classical Era at The J Noosa on Friday 26 May at 7pm, Saturday 27 May at 2pm. Tickets $39 (concession $35, groups 10 plus). Book online www.thej.com.au or 5429 6560.
