Colin Harper (conductor)


Colin Harper AM MBE is a Scottish Australian conductor and the founder of the Queensland Pops Orchestra.
Harper was born in Fort George in Scotland. He joined the Army when he was 14 and later became the bandmaster of Gordon Highlander regiment. He moved to Australia in 1972 and became the music director of the Fifth Military District band in Perth. 1981 saw him move to Brisbane where in 1984 he founded the Queensland Pops Orchestra who put on series of The Best of British and Scotland the Brave concerts. Harper died in January 2004 after a battle with cancer.
The 2000 ABC Classics album release of highlights of one of his Scotland the Brave concerts was nominated for the 2001 ARIA Award for Best Cast or Show Album.