In a powerful collaboration between Access Arts and Queensland Youth Orchestras (QYO), artist Chantal Simpson took to the stage alongside the full Queensland Youth Orchestra 3, in a performance that will be remembered long after the final, beautifully suspended note played by Dylan and the orchestra. Such a rare moment this is — when movement, music, and meaning align so seamlessly on stage.

 

Chantal, a long-standing member of the Access Arts Theatre and Dance Ensemble, performed a stirring solo choreographed in response to Hope: For Orchestra — a work composed during the height of the COVID pandemic. With Dylan Jae Huang leading as first violinist, the orchestral score echoed the collective feelings of uncertainty, loss, and resilience that artists around the world experienced during that time.

 

Chantal’s performance translated this emotional landscape into movement with both vulnerability and strength, weaving through the music with grace and power. Her connection with the orchestra — and particularly with Dylan — created a captivating dialogue between sound and body