How We Lit QSO's Hans Zimmer at QPAC

When Queensland Symphony Orchestra performs the music of Hans Zimmer, the lighting has to match the scale of the score. We were honoured to provide the full lighting design and operation for The Art of the Score at QPAC’s Concert Hall.

The Brief

QSO wanted a cinematic visual experience that evolved with each piece — from the brooding tension of The Dark Knight to the sweeping grandeur of Inception and Interstellar. The Concert Hall’s architecture is stunning, but it’s designed for acoustic performance, not rock-and-roll lighting. That meant working within the venue’s rigging constraints while still delivering a visual journey worthy of Zimmer’s catalogue.

The Rig

Eight truss flown in a sweeping chevron formation above the orchestra. Each truss loaded with a mix of LED wash fixtures for broad colour coverage and profile spots for precise beam work. The chevron shape wasn’t just aesthetic — it gave us even light coverage across the full stage depth while keeping sightlines clear for the audience.

Fixtures included our Ayrton Perseo profiles for their tight beam and gobo work, Chauvet Maverick wash fixtures for colour floods, and Astera Titan Tubes for backlight accents. Everything controlled from a grandMA3 desk in the bio box.

Programming for Orchestral Performance

Lighting a symphony orchestra is fundamentally different from lighting a band. There’s no setlist in the traditional sense — movements flow into each other, dynamics shift measure by measure, and the conductor’s interpretation changes every performance.

We programmed cue-by-cue to the score, with our operator following the conductor live. Each piece had its own colour palette and intensity arc — dark blues and ambers for the brooding sections, explosive whites and magentas for the crescendos. The goal was to make the audience feel the music through light, not just hear it.

The Result

234 likes on the reel tells part of the story. The real measure was the audience reaction: people stayed in their seats after the final note, taking in the full visual moment. That’s what good event lighting does: it makes the experience more than the sum of its parts.

See the full project in our portfolio: QSO Art of the Score: Hans Zimmer, one of many shows from our corporate & theatre lighting service.

Watch the full reel or talk to us about lighting your next production.