Advertisement

General News

7 October, 2025

Young musical genius makes history

PAVING his way as a talented composer and a brilliant young mind, Jon Platz has become the first high school student to ever receive a commission from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO).


Young composer Jon Platz has made history after becoming the first high school student to receive an official commission from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.
Young composer Jon Platz has made history after becoming the first high school student to receive an official commission from the Queensland Symphony Orchestra.

Atherton’s young composing genius has made waves in the orchestral community lately – receiving an honour that is only typically offered to established or emerging professional composers, while he’s still in high school.

Jon received a commission from the QSO, meaning they formally approached him to create brand-new work, which has a guaranteed premiere performance.

“This is a highly significant honour because commissions are typically offered to established or emerging professional composers,” Jon’s father David Platz said.

“For Jon to be commissioned while still in high school is both remarkable and unprecedented.

“He is the first student in the Queensland Symphony Orchestra’s history to receive such an invitation.”

His mother Linda added: “As parents, we are immensely proud of Jon – not just for the recognition he is receiving, but for the dedication and perseverance that have brought him to this point.

“He is extremely excited at the prospect of seeing his music brought to life by a world-class orchestra and he is deeply grateful to those who have supported him in his journey, like local music teachers Rhonda Towner and Lachlan Szery.”

His latest accomplishment follows a recent achievement when Jon’s ensemble piece, Voice of the Land, was performed by the orchestra at their Classics in Cairns concert in September.

The youngster’s journey with the orchestra began three years ago through the Compose Program, which gives secondary students the opportunity to write for the QSO Ensemble.

In this year’s program, guided by composition mentors Craig Allister Young and Timothy Tate, successful applicants were tasked with creating original compositions inspired by the art and storytelling of Arabella Walker.

In early September, Jon’s composition Art of Becoming was premiered in a concert held at the QSO Studio in South Bank, Brisbane.

Jon’s new work for the commission will have its world premiere when the QSO returns to Cairns for their full Symphony Under the Stars concert in 2026.

Advertisement

Most Popular