Lucas Parklands: The hidden concert hall attracting music’s finest
Yenna Choi on violin with soprano Alexandra Flood. Seated at the piano are Michael Lerace and Ruby Luck.
Special Feature: Lucas Parklands, Montville
A little west of Montville village is the most unique and intimate music venue on the Sunshine Coast, southeast Queensland and, perhaps, Australia.
The beautiful park-like property typifies the Lucas family’s desire to live in a home where music is infused with the sounds of Australian nature – and to be shared with music lovers.
Lucas Parklands was conceived well before the family arrived in Montville almost 20 years ago and is the culmination of the life-long vision of Ian and Lee Lucas.
The concept was simple: build a family home in a park-like environment with a special concert space where great musicians would visit and play.
Today that dream is a wonderful reality and a source of happiness. It’s the result of unwavering hard work of the dedicated couple, and realized without corporate support, government, or community grants.
The intimate auditorium (180sqmtr) designed by Ian seats 160 guests. Nestled amongst 26 acres and surrounded by national park the performance space is elevated to the level where natural sunlight and the cool hinterland breezes join and filter through the forest canopy, allowing the beautiful music created within and the sounds of the rainforest to infuse, whilst offering music lovers an “up close, or close to the action” immersive experience – a feature not experienced at larger venues.
The venue truly is a ‘tiny giant’ in the world of music – unknown to those not familiar with classical music however hosting esteemed and globally-recognised musicians.
Most who play there consider Lucas Parklands to be amongst the ‘most acoustically brilliant rooms’ for its size in the world.
Throughout the past 19 years, Lucas Parklands has hosted great performers, including Pascal Rogé, the first international artist to present there and Anna Fedorova, considered to be one of the world’s great female pianists.
Australian musicians regularly perform at Lucas Parklands. Maestro Piers Lane, a frequent visitor, and Siberian-born pianist Konstantin Shamray consider the venue their second home, as do many others.
Today international pianists, violinists, cellists and singers request to perform at Lucas Parklands. Guests & visiting artists are simply made to feel welcome, knowing they will experience a quiet, relaxed, secluded home setting, and enjoy an inspiring space to play and, equally importantly, an appreciative audience.
Lucas Parklands presents international concert events that would be deemed fantastic, daring, and enlightened programming at any venue in any major city of the world.
The Lucas Parklands concert season continues July 2 with Piers Lane AO in recital. After interval Piers is joined by guest pianist Ruby Luck to present the Mozart Piano Concerto No.24.
The Brilliant Young series resumes on Sunday, at 2pm, August 23, when Madeleine Xiao and Reuben Tsang present two monumental concerti, the Brahms 2nd and Rachmaninov 2nd piano concertos.
And on Saturday October 3 and Sunday October 4, Piers Lane returns with Melbourne’s Berta Brozgul and friends, to perform a program including the Saint-Saëns, Carnival of the Animals, the Greig Piano Concerto and more.
This beautiful performance centre plays an important niche role in the Sunshine Coast arts sector. By bringing world-class performers to Montville, it means local lovers of classical music have no need to travel to Sydney, Melbourne, or Brisbane.
Lucas Parklands is dedicated to keeping the classical music dream alive.
Visit Lucas Parklands website: www.lucasparklands.com.au. For performance and ticketing enquiries, phone 0409 623 228 or email lucasparklands@bigpond.com
