Mission Statement

To create and develop a unique National Festival, to complement the advancement of Australian music.

The Outcome of the Festival

1. To promote Australia's established and emerging composers

2. To encourage music educators to explore the suitability of established and new Australian repertoire available for performance by young musicians

3. To encourage Australian audiences to enjoy a diverse repertoire of Australian music

4. To further highlight and promote Australian performance and composition overseas

Spirit of the Festival for Performers

To encourage performers to develop a sense of repertoire which will allow them to explore a broad diversity of Australian music and express their own artistic voice.

Spirit of the Festival for Composers

To provide an ongoing platform for established and emerging composers to further express their creative voice, with a challenge to produce new works for performance by exciting young musicians of all ages and levels

Background

‘KEYS’, the only event in the world of its kind, is unique in that it highlights and promotes performance and composition of Australian music exclusively.

The inaugural event in 2003 featuring piano works of Australian composers, was held at the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre, Brisbane, together with Queensland regional centres of Toowoomba and Rockhampton.

Held again in 2004 to establish the concept, the expanded event included the performance and composition of Australian vocal music. The 2006 Festival (which is still developing and growing, will offer master classes, recitals, workshops, and competitive and non-competitive performance of, and composition for piano, voice and strings .

Distinguished Australian Composer, Peter Sculthorpe describes it as an event that "promises to unlock the doors to Australian talent".

Such is the impact of this exciting biennial event, that it has been the recipient of National and State of Queensland 2004 & 2005 Classical Music Awards, presented by APRA and the Australian Music Centre for “Most Outstanding Contribution to Australian Music in Education”.