A public memorial at QPAC’s Concert Hall will honour the Aboriginal composer, who died last week.

The family of Aboriginal composer and actor David Page, who died suddenly last week, have announced that there will be a public memorial held on May 9, at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre Concert Hall in Page’s hometown of Brisbane. The celebration of Page’s life will honour his personal and artistic achievements through film, images and song.

A statement issued by the Page family today said: “We have lost one of our most senior cultural leaders. David was a son, brother, uncle and cousin to the Nunukul and Munaldjali clans. He was a foundation member of Bangarra Dance Theatre alongside his brothers Stephen [now the artistic director of the company] and Russell. David was the musical heartbeat of Bangarra… defining the sound that would fill the theatre and leave audiences reverberating with hauntingly beautiful melodies. David had an innate talent for giving voice to Country and to the land that could awaken emotions deep within.”

In addition to family, friends and members of the artistic and Aboriginal communities, the memorial also welcomes members of the public to attend. QPAC’s Concert Hall has a capacity of 1,500, but if demand exceeds this, the venue will also be accommodating attendees in its public foyers. A private burial ceremony will take place immediately after the memorial.

Banagarra Dance Theatre also announced this afternoon that the premiere season of its latest production, Our Land People Stories, which tours nationally from June 17, will be dedicated to the memory of David Page.

A memorial to the memory of David Page will be held at the QPAC Concert Hall at 11am, May 9.

The Page family have requested that no images of David be published for reasons of cultural sensitivity.