‘Have unwavering belief’: Brisbane Music Festival founder encourages 40 Under 40 nominations
After helping reshape Brisbane’s contemporary music scene, 40 Under 40 finalist Alex Raineri is encouraging emerging Queensland leaders to embrace opportunities for recognition and growth.
For nearly a decade, Alex Raineri has been building something Brisbane’s cultural scene didn’t previously have – a large-scale platform dedicated to new Australian classical music and boundary-pushing artistic collaboration.
As artistic director and producer of Brisbane Music Festival, Raineri has transformed the event from an ambitious idea launched in 2018 into a nationally recognised festival employing artists, commissioning original works and creating opportunities across the live performance sector.
“I founded the festival in 2018 and it has presented massive seasons annually ever since,” he says. “I’m really proud that the festival has commissioned more than 10 hours of new Australian music, most of which has now been released on commercial albums.”
That work earned Raineri recognition as a finalist in InDaily Queensland’s 40 Under 40 Awards in 2025 – a program that celebrates emerging leaders, entrepreneurs and changemakers making an impact across business, community and the arts.
But the nomination itself came as a surprise.
“My friend, the incredible violinist and entrepreneur Dr Courtenay Cleary, was a winner in 2024,” Raineri says. “She thoughtfully nominated me for last year’s awards.”
Today, with nominations open for this year’s program, Raineri is encouraging other Queenslanders under 40 to recognise the value of their own work and put themselves forward.
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“Have unwavering belief in the impact of your work, even if it sometimes feels like your monumental efforts are only a drop in the ocean,” he says.
It’s advice shaped by years spent growing Brisbane Music Festival into a major creative organisation operating within a highly competitive and often under-resourced sector.
“Through Brisbane Music Festival, I run a live-events business that provides employment for many of Australia’s artists and arts workers,” Raineri says.
“The festival also commissions a significant amount of new musical works, and foregrounds contemporary music and collaborations that push the envelope of artistic norms.
“In short, the festival fills an otherwise mostly unoccupied space in Brisbane’s cultural landscape for new art music and classical music.”
While audiences experience the festival through performances and artistic programming, behind the scenes the organisation functions much like any entrepreneurial venture – balancing budgets, building partnerships, securing funding and managing large-scale productions.
That combination of creativity, leadership and commercial acumen is increasingly reflected in the calibre of Queensland’s 40 Under 40 finalists, who come from industries spanning technology, hospitality, finance, health, construction, media and social enterprise.
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For many alumni, the recognition becomes more than a professional milestone. It can elevate visibility, strengthen networks and help organisations grow beyond their existing reach.
Raineri says the impact was immediate for Brisbane Music Festival.
“The visibility and kudos of winning a prestigious award such as the 40 Under 40 has assisted in catapulting the Brisbane Music Festival to further heights in terms of our scope and reach,” he says.
Recognition of arts leadership within a business-focused awards program also highlights the evolving definition of entrepreneurship in Queensland. Increasingly, founders and leaders are being recognised not only for financial success, but for cultural contribution, innovation and long-term community impact.
Brisbane Music Festival’s continued expansion reflects that broader shift.
Since launching in 2018, the festival has developed a reputation for championing contemporary Australian music and presenting collaborations that challenge traditional expectations of classical performance. Alongside concerts and commissions, the organisation has also helped create sustainable opportunities for artists and arts workers navigating a rapidly changing creative economy.
Raineri believes programs like 40 Under 40 help shine a light on those efforts – particularly for leaders working outside traditional corporate industries.
“For these reasons and more, I felt confident in the strength of the festival’s chances of being recognised in these awards,” he says.
As nominations open for this year’s InDaily Queensland 40 Under 40 Awards, Raineri hopes more emerging leaders will embrace the opportunity to showcase their work, whether they are building businesses, launching creative ventures or leading change within their communities.
For many, he says, the hardest step is simply recognising that their work matters.
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