During 1999 it provided the orchestras for the Australian Tour of the English National Ballet's arena production of Swan Lake and in 1996 organised the Perth Orchestra for the arena production of Aida in that city. It was in 1994 that the Orchestra was engaged by the Freemasons Hospital in Melbourne to present 'The Beatles Revisited' in both Melbourne and Sydney as a fund-raiser for their Cancer Clinic.

In 1991 the Orchestra toured with Rudolf Nureyev on his last Australian Tour and in 1989 the Orchestra was engaged to perform at the Centenary of Freemasonry in Victoria Concert. During 1987 the Orchestra was involved in the three-month tour of the Bolshoi Ballet in Australia and New Zealand and accompanied them again in 1992.

In 1980 the Orchestra presented its first 'An Evening in Vienna' series at the Hobart Wrest Point Casino and in the following year commenced its Country Tour programmes which eventually took the Orchestra all over Australia and to two seasons at the Jakarta Hilton.

These tours covered over 150 different country centres throughout Australia, averaged thirty performances a year over a six-year period and reached an audience in excess of 160,000.  All tours were generally sponsored by Rotary and/or Apex Clubs.

Programmes included 'An Evening in Vienna', 'The Best of Broadway', 'The Great Light Classics', 'An Evening of Comedy with Gilbert & Sullivan', and Handel's oratorio 'The Messiah'.  During this period, the Orchestra accompanied the initial 'Carols in the Domain' (Sydney), accompanied Abel Gance's 1927 silent movie classic Napoleon in both Melbourne and Sydney, and for three consecutive years was engaged by the Regent Hotels (Melbourne & Sydney) to perform a traditional Viennese New Year's Eve Ball.

In 1975, the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra formed the nucleus for the inaugural concert season of the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, at 'Summer In The City' concerts in January/February of that year (Concertmaster Ladislav Jasek) and during March that year performed for Rick Wakeman's Australian tour of Journey To The Centre Of The Earth.

Since then it has accompanied most of the international ballet and opera companies which have toured Australia and New Zealand, including the Stuttgart Ballet, the Bolshoi Ballet (three seasons), the Perm Ballet, the Dance Theatre of Harlem, the London Festival Ballet (two seasons), the Stars of World Ballet (two seasons), the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company and the Berlin Komischen Oper Ballet.

From 1977 till 1979 the Orchestra presented a series of Johann Strauss concerts for the Melbourne Moomba Festival in both Melbourne and Sydney (the Melbourne Town Hall and Sydney Town Hall).

The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra presented its inaugural concert season on 5th September 1973 in St Hilda's College, University of Melbourne, conducted by its founder Paul Coppens.  Over the next two years it presented a series of concerts each year as well as accompany a number of choral, opera and ballet companies.

In 1975, during an interstate ballet tour with Ballet Victoria featuring Barishnikov & Makarova, it presented its first interstate concert tour, with concerts in Melbourne, Adelaide and Sydney.  It featured soloists Jiri Tancibudek (Oboe), Anne Care (Bassoon), Concertmaster Ladislav Jasek and cellist John Kennedy in Haydn's Sinfonia Concertante in Bb.  During the next decade, although it presented a number of concerts under its own name, its activities became more and more part of the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, until 1989, when Rantos Collegium Inc. was given the rights to trade as the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.

Under the direction of Spiros Rantos, the orchestra rapidly gained a high reputation for its concert seasons in Melbourne as well as in country Victoria.  It regularly accompanied the Victoria State Opera seasons in country areas and was frequently featured at the Melbourne International Festival as well as festivals in Italy, Greece, Korea and Japan..

In December 2011 he completed and performed the Christmas pantomime 'Aladdin' (words by David Crewe) for the Maleny Players, and for the same company (and lyricist) in the previous year wrote and performed the pantomime 'Cinderella: The Sequel'. In 2010 he completed the musical comedy 'Up The Tiber Without A Toga' with playwright John Cundill, which was performed at the Caloundra Events Centre in October 2010.

Concert Of The Century was held at the Townsville Civic Centre 11-13 August 2006, it celebrated 100 years of The Townsville Choral and Orchestral Society which has, during the past 53 years, produced 74 musicals. The Townsville Council presented the concert in recognition of their work and contribution to the City. The concert highlighted excerpts from their shows. As Conductor for this event, Paul Coppens arranged and orchestrated the entire musical programme.

Over the past few years Paul Coppens has completed a number of his own works (‘Capriccio’ 2004) and was consultant to many musical projects involving the well-known Greek violinist Spiros Rantos. These projects culminated in a number of musical events in Australia and overseas of which the highlight was the concert in the Brisbane Town Hall (October 2004) for which he wrote a number of compositions as well as arrangements featuring the Tibetan musician Tenzin Choegyal.

Born in Brabant (The Netherlands), he emigrated with his family to Australia in 1955 and, after part time music studies and private tuition, he left Australia in 1970 for Europe, graduating in Conducting in 1972 at the Graz Music University, Austria. In 1973 he returned to Australia and founded the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, the nucleus of the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, which he founded in 1975. He has since conducted this Orchestra in more than 350 concerts in almost 150 cities throughout Australia (mainly in co-operation with Rotary Clubs). Between 1974 and 1999 he was Music Director/Assistant Conductor/Administrator of Orchestras with the Edgley organisation, working with many of the international ballet and opera companies which have visited Australia and New Zealand. As Conductor he has worked with many choirs and his experience in music theatre includes productions of opera, operetta and musical comedy.

He was Music Director and Conductor for the Rudolf Nureyev 1991 Australian Tour and the Stars of the Bolshoi Ballet 1992 Australian Tour, during which he conducted the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra, the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra.   He conducted the Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra for two seasons at the Jakarta Hilton and in 1992 was invited to Russia to conduct the Moscow Philharmonic and Yalta Symphony Orchestras.

Compositions
In the last two years he wrote music for two pantomimes, Aladdin And His Wonderful Lamp and Cinderella: The Sequel. The words were by David Crewe who also directed the productions at the Maleny Community Centre in December of both years, with the composer conducting. In October 2010 he conducted his first musical comedy Up The Tiber Without A Toga with a libretto by John Cundill, at the Caloundra Events Centre. It was supported by the Maleny Rotary Club and raised money for their international projects.

He has written three ballet scores for string quartet and percussion, Three Greek Dances for Orchestra, Childrens Suite for Children's Choir, Tenor and Orchestra, a film score Malcolm for Orchestra, a Children's Opera Pinocchio, Rialto Towers for Orchestra or Military Band, Symphonic Variations for Orchestra, a number of other works and many orchestrations.

Together with Christos Ioannides he collaborated on the Greek Oratorio Free & Besieged and is continually working on the orchestral song cycles The Songs of a Sentimental Bloke and The Moods of Ginger Mick by the Australian poet C.J.Dennis. He has written Five Choral Pieces (using traditional Flemish and Dutch songs) and his first String Quartet no.1 and continues to work on a collection of choral works entitled Mijn Brabant.

'ALADDIN And His Wonderful Lamp' a Pantomime in Two acts(2011) Composer, Music Director and Conductor for the Maleny Players (David Crewe words and direction). Performed at the Maleny Community Centre December 2011
'CINDERELLA: The Sequel' a Pantomime in Two acts(2010) Composer, Music Director and Conductor for the Maleny Players (David Crewe words and direction). Performed at the Maleny Community Centre December 2010
'UP THE TIBER WITHOUT A TOGA' a Musical Comedy in Two acts(2010) Composer, Music Director and Conductor for the Maleny Rotary Club (libretto by John Cundill). Performed at the Caloundra Events Centre October 2010
Arena production 'AIDA' (1996 - 1997) The responsibilities as Music Director for this two-year project to four cities included casting of soloists, guest conductors, auditioning minor roles, sourcing and selecting local orchestras, choirs, brass bands, trumpet groups, repetiteurs and chorus masters. It also involved heading a team of Chorus masters train the amateur chorus, rewriting the brass band parts to allow for two brass bands,  giving the trumpet groups the orchestral trumpet calls at the beginning of Act 2 scene 2 and work together with the Sound Designer in achieving the best possible balance of the reinforced sound in each venue.
Melbourne production of Pinocchio(1986) For this children's opera he was the Composer, Music Director and Conductor.
Melbourne season of 'Cox & Box'/'HMS Pinafore'(1977) As Chorus Master and Conductor of this production, tasks also included the auditioning of musicians and singers respectively for the orchestra and chorus, and the preparation of most of the music rehearsals.

PRODUCTIONS 1974 - 1999
Generally for ballet productions Musical Direction was provided by the touring companies themselves but most projects required the services of an Associate or Assistant Conductor. Productions which took place in large entertainment venues required working with the Sound Engineer in fine-tuning the reinforced sound.

Projects included the English National Ballet's arena production of 'Swan Lake' (1999); The Bolshoi Ballet; Rudolf Nureyev with various companies including London Festival Ballet, Stars Of World Ballet and his last Australian tour in 1991(three tours); Barishnikov & Makarova tour with Ballet Victoria. See also the detailed list Service Orchestra - Ballet.

MALCOLM (1986)
Paul Coppens was Composer, Music Director and Conductor for this project. The score was written for orchestra and digitally recorded. It was not used for the film as by the time the music was being recorded, the film had been sold to a distributer who was happy with the sound track already in place. See Malcolm

Still Lifes (1982)
A short art film on dance by Lisa Roberts, which was written for String Trio and Harp. See Fantasy.

ANZAC International Military Tattoo Sydney 2006
As Music Director and Arranger for this project, responsibilities were mainly concerned with the musical details of the opening and closing segments of the production, the sourcing and rehearsing of the 200-voice choir, and the fine-tuning of the reinforced sound, with the Sound Engineer. See more details in Orchestrations.

ANZAC Military Tattoo Sydney 1999
As Coordinating Music Director and Composer for this project, responsibilities were mainly concerned with the musical details of the opening and closing segments of the production, the sourcing and rehearsing of the 150-voice choir, and the fine-tuning of the reinforced sound, with the Sound Engineer. See more details in Orchestrations.

Buderim Male Choir (3 concerts in 2011)
Concert Of The Century - Townsville (Aug 11-13,2006 - Townsville Civic Centre)
For this project he was the conductor and orchestrator (orchestrated the entire programme).
An Australian Night At The Proms (Oct 2001 - Sydney Super Dome)
For this project he was Music Director, conductor and arranger. See the Proms page.

Melbourne Chamber Orchestra Concerts/Tours (1973-1995)
Between 1973 and 1977 he directed a series of annual concerts, including its first interstate tour in 1975. During the early 1980's he toured the MCO in Victorian and New South Wales country towns with Handel's oratorio 'The Messiah' and in 1995 conducted one of its subscription concerts (under the direction of Spiros Rantos), which featured guitarist Slava Grigoryan.
Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra Concerts/Tours (1973-1986)
Between 1973 and 1986 he directed over 200 concerts throughout Australia, designing the programmes and writing all the material where necessary. See Orchestrations.

Laser Fantasia (Nov 1979 - Melbourne Festival Hall)
For this project he was Music Director, conductor and arranger.

Melbourne University Choral Society (3 concerts in 1974)