City Symphony
Hear the hidden stories and sounds of Brisbane
–
: Phone ✓ Headphones ✓ Time for an adventure
#Start your audio adventure now
City Symphony streams you a personal cinematic soundtrack while you stroll through Brisbane’s iconic streets and landmarks, revealing a world of audio based on your location.
As you walk around the CBD you’ll hear music and stories by some of Brisbane’s best contemporary artists such as Kate Miller-Heidke, Hope D, David Hudson, Anisa Nandaula, Kathleen Jennings and many more. Explore Brisbane in a whole new way!
Check out the rest of World Science Festival Brisbane's Curiocity Brisbane program for more fun as the city around you is transformed into a world of discovery.
#Download the App Now
Plan your route
There's 9 iconic pathways and sites to explore. So where do you start? We've put together a few suggested routes for you.
Escape for a morning nature walk in the City Botanic Gardens, listen to the best contemporary beats in Queen Street Mall, or dash off for a life-changing story during your lunch break.
Book a guided tour
Explore the full City Symphony experience in your own time via the mobile app.
If guided tours are more your style, join one of our free sessions at 9:30am every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from 24 June to 10 July. Bookings open now!
#Explore the sites
The Meeting Place
Queens Street Mall
An iconic meeting and fashion precinct, Queen Street Mall is a gathering place for generations of young people from all walks of life. As you walk through the mall, hear the beats of Brisbane’s best contemporary artists.
Many Cultures of Brisbane
Reddacliff Place
A nexus point for the city, locate hidden voices alongside new music performed by a unique collective of artists, brought together in search of connection and the common language of music.
A River of Voices
King George Square
The civic heart of Brisbane, King George Square has been the centre of public life for decades. Brisbane gathers here to celebrate, protest, mourn and remember.
Bright Skies
Bunya Walk
As you make your way along the winding path, you will be greeted by ancient, lush bunya trees and the melodic calls of birds native to the region. EVE KLEIN'S evocative piece is inspired by a myriad of unsent love letters discovered at a post office.
12 Observations Along George Street
George Street
Start your journey at any point along the pathway between Kurilpa Bridge and Alice Street for a symphonic experience along George Street, hearing poetry when you arrive at any of the 12 numbered points.
Our Lost World
City Botanic Gardens
Resonating from the heart of the City Botanic Gardens is a mystical composition by KATE MILLER-HEIDKE and KEIR NUTTALL nestled amongst messages sent back to Earth from a dystopian future.
Rahim's Story
Albert Street
Greeted by traditional, melodious Middle Eastern music, start at either end of Albert St to meet Rahim Mohammadi, a young refugee from Afghanistan who arrived in Australia in 2006.
New Place of Protest
Queens Gardens
For generations, this park has become a central rallying point for activists seeking to navigate a world in crisis. As you wander around Queens Gardens, EVE KLEIN's urgent musical composition, 'I See', threads together the words from Brisbane's burgeoning youth.
A Call to Maiwar
Goodwill Bridge
Take a slow and steady pace as you cross the bridge to reveal a meditative soundscape alongside voices offering messages, prayers and secrets to the unwavering natural force that connects Brisbane - the river Maiwar.
FAQs
Got questions? Check out our frequently asked questions.
#Hear the hidden music world of Brisbane
We have worked with hundreds of community members and artists to make a music world from Brisbane's 65,000+ years of human society.
Dr Eve Klein, Textile Audio
Dr Eve Klein
Dr Eve Klein is an award-winning composer, mezzo soprano, sound artist and academic. She designs large-scale, immersive art music experiences, exploring themes including the intersection of the body, technology, mass datasets and social justice.
Dr Klein’s music has been described as: “contemporary music at its most relevant – simultaneously inward and outward focused in addressing the challenge of its existence and its capacity to produce something great”.
Featured at international festivals and venues, Dr Klein pushes the boundaries of genre to find new ways of immersing contemporary audiences in art music forms. She holds a PhD in Music and Sound and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Queensland, currently leading a VR/AR music creation research cluster where she is guiding postgraduate composers on the creation of virtual reality and augmented reality concert works and operas.
Ravi Glasser-Vora
Ravi Glasser-Vora is an electrical engineer, creative coder and videographer specialising in artificial intelligence and interactive media artwork.
In collaboration with Dr Eve Klein he has made critically acclaimed installation and performance works for festivals including MONA FOMA, Brisbane Festival, Underbelly Arts and VIVID Sydney.
Ravi has previously worked for companies including Cochlear, Fox and the University of New England. He holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) from the University of New South Wales and is currently studying maths and statistics at the University of Queensland.
#Join our Call to Maiwar
#We want your story
We’re seeking voices from across this vibrant city to be included in the future of this immersive audio project. We want you to offer a message, prayer or secret to the unwavering natural force that connects this city - the river Maiwar.
Your message will be completely anonymous, hidden among a sea of voices, so feel free to share something personal and meaningful.
Take a listen to the teaser
You might have a few questions at this stage. We get it – it's an intricate project! So, to help you understand what we’re looking for, and how we’ll be using your submissions, take a listen to this short teaser to get some inspiration.
#Submit your story below
Use the form below to submit your recording to be included in the upcoming City Symphony app.
- Your message must begin with the name “Maiwar…”
- You are invited to share something meaningful to you, as the message will be shared anonymously.
If you have trouble submitting with this form, feel free to record a voice memo on your phone and email the file to us as an attachment at citysymphony@qmf.org.au
If you have any questions, please email us at citysymphony@qmf.org.au
#Supported by
City Symphony is presented by QMF in partnership with Textile Audio and supported by the Australian Government through the Restart Investment to Sustain and Expand (RISE) Fund, and the Australia Council for the Arts, its arts funding and advisory body. Textile Audio is supported by the Queensland Government through Arts Queensland.