Australian Composers Orchestral Forum provides emerging composers the opportunity to work with a professional symphony orchestra
COMPOSERS_CONNECTING_COMMUNITY
Update No. 142, 2006
Rachelle Elliott, executive officer of Orchestras Australia (OA), discusses OA's involvement in a new initiative of the Music Board of the Australia Council, Composers_Connecting_Community. OA, along with Dandenong Ranges Youth Music Council and Youth Orchestras Australia have been granted funds to each host a composer residency or commission new works for youth and community-based music organisations.
Orchestras around the country embrace the wealth of Australian works available which is evidenced through the increasing number of Australian works being included in concert repertoire and the number of new works being commissioned. The highest profile activities are those involving works composed by established composers, performed often by professional orchestras. However, in all areas of the orchestral scene commissions are being given to composers of varying levels of experience to write new works for orchestras with varied skills, ages and range of instruments.
Feedback from members of Orchestras Australia (OA) over the last few years indicates that many more orchestras would like the opportunity to perform new Australian works, but often they are restricted by:
• access to new works suitable for their orchestra’s makeup and skill level
• insufficient funding to source and perform new works
• limited knowledge about the works available if they are not listed with the Australian Music Centre
As a service-based membership organisation, OA is attempting to address some of the restrictions to member orchestras so that more groups, especially those which are self-funded, have the opportunity to play and perform new music.
One of the initiatives taken to address access to suitable new works is a project titled Composers_ Connecting_ Community which is funded by two Australia Council new work grants (the Annual New Work Grant and Composers_Connecting_Community Grant) received by OA. Both grants involve the commissioning of two new Australian works for use by youth and community orchestras.
OA has commissioned emerging Melbourne composer Katy Abbott to write one symphony orchestra and one string orchestral work, and Sydney composer Matthew Hindson to write two works for symphony orchestras.
During this project, participating orchestras in SA, VIC, NSW, & QLD will have the opportunity to work with either Abbott or Hindson as they create a new work. For many players and conductors, this will be the first time they will meet and work with a living composer. To date the project has focused on Abbott’s commission, and the response to her – especially by the youth orchestras – is great. This reflects the understanding she has of her craft and of how to work with people to help them feel involved in the compositional process. Abbott said recently:
This project interests me a great deal. The fun of composing for such ensembles lies in tailoring musical ideas and the orchestration to each group. The art is composing a new piece that is playable for youth and non-professional groups, yet extends and excites the performers. The collaboration so far with conductors has been very encouraging and I am looking forward to presenting them with the new works later in the year. I have really enjoyed meeting the musicians who we have worked with and look forward to hearing their performances of the commissioned pieces.
The interactions both Abbott and Hindson have with the OA orchestras will be documented as we hope to learn more about the process of composers working with players and conductors. The Australian Music Centre, with funds to document the Composers_ Connecting_ Community projects, will publish final reports from participating organisations in the Sounds Australian journal as well as publishing additional documentation online.
Orchestras Australia is looking forward to the world premiere performance of these commissioned works on Saturday 19 August, 2006 in Melbourne with orchestras from NSW, SA & VIC along with the composers.
