Musica Viva

Last updated

Musica Viva, also known as Musica Viva Australia, is a national organisation in Australia dedicated to chamber music.

Contents

History

Music Viva was founded in Sydney in 1945 by Romanian-born Vienna-educated violinist Richard Goldner, who had fled Nazi Germany in 1939. The co-founder was a German-born musicologist, Walter Dullo. At its inception, Richard Goldner's Sydney Musica Viva, as it was then called, was a string ensemble comprising 17 European immigrants, who were excluded from playing in Australian orchestra's by the Musicians' Union of Australia. [1] [2] [3] Funded entirely by Goldner, the name was chosen in honour of Hermann Scherchen, conductor of an orchestra in Vienna named Musica Viva. [4]

The first concert of Sydney Musica Viva was presented at Verbrugghen Hall, Sydney Conservatorium of Music on 8 December 1945. Let down by Sydney's unreliable post-war power supply, the concert took place in darkness save the headlights of several cars parked in the doorway of the auditorium, and lighting provided by a generator in the foyers. [4]

Richard Goldner's Sydney Musica Viva performed 10 concerts in 1946, and 20 in 1947. In 1948, the ensemble toured Melbourne, Adelaide, and New Zealand, and eventually reduced to just five players, including Goldner as violist. They were popular with recent European refugees as well as locals. However, the schedule was exhausting, Goldner's financial resources were drying up, [4] and he was forced to give up playing after injuring his hand in 1952. [1] Musica Viva paused their activities, but re-formed in 1953 [4] or 1954 [1] as a concert agency with the help of Fred Turnovsky and Paul Morawetz, named Musica Viva Society of Australia. Goldner took the role of music director, with the group being guided by Charles Berg and Ken Tribe. [4]

Goldner continued as honorary music director until 1969, and Musica Viva eventually became the largest not-for-profit chamber music organisation in the world. [4]

In 2011, the Academy Award-winning film producer Suzanne Baker published a book titled Beethoven and the Zipper: The Astonishing Story of Musica Viva, which detailed how Richard Goldner had invented and patented a zip fastener for the Australian Army, and used the proceeds to establish Musica Viva Australia. [5]

Governance and people

Since 2019 and as of November 2023 the artistic director is conductor and author Paul Kildea. [6] He succeeded composer Carl Vine, who had been in the role for the previous 20 years. [7]

As of November 2023 the CEO is Anne Frankenberg. [8] She occupied the newly created role of deputy CEO in 2019. [7]

Hywel Sims was appointed Victorian general manager in June 2016. [9]

Chamber music competitions

MICMC

Since 1991, when it was founded by Marco van Pagee, a lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts, [10] the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (MICMC [11] ) has been staged every four years. [9]

In 2016, Musica Viva took over co-management of the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition, together with MRC and the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM). Wilma Smith, previously concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, was appointed artistic director of the competitions, and works alongside the Victorian general manager. [9]

In 2018, the Grand Prize of the MICMC was won by the Berlin-based piano trio, Trio Marvin, [12] [11]

As of 2023, MICMC prizes are, for string quartets: [13]

and for piano trio:

APCMC

The forerunner to the Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition (APCMC [14] ) was the Australian National Chamber Music Competition, [15] first held in 1997 and held every four years alternately with MICMC. [16] In 2001, the Seraphim Trio, an Australian trio co-founded by pianist Anna Goldsworthy, won the trio and audience choice prizes in the competition. [17]

In 2009, the MICMC was complemented by the Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition, with each held at the newly opened Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) [17] [16] alternately on a four-year cycle. Young chamber music ensembles from around the world compete in both competitions. [9] The expansion was initiated under Chamber Music Australia's artistic director Marco van Pagee. [16] APCMC is open to "the best young [aged under 35] piano trios and string quartets from the region". Prizes are in cash as well as including concert engagements. [14] In its inaugural year, Anna Goldworthy, [17] Tokyo String Quartet member Koichiro Harada, and Scottish cellist Alasdair Tait were on the panel of six jurors. [16]

In 2013, APCMC was presented by Chamber Music Australia in association with the MRC. Murdoch University, Arts Victoria, Musica Viva, and ABC Classic FM were all partners, and Dame Elisabeth Murdoch was patron. [14]

Strike A Chord

In 2020, the "Strike A Chord" competition was established, a national chamber music competition for Australian school students. [18] In addition to prizes, the winners are given opportunities for development with Monash University, the Flinders Quartet, and the Sutherland Trio. [19] The finalists' concert is broadcast by the ABC. [20] The third edition was held in 2022. [21]

Programs and events

Past

Rising Stars (2012)

In 2012, Musica Viva ran a program called Rising Stars – an initiative that provides purposeful performance-based and practical training opportunities for three emerging Australian chamber ensembles each year. The Rising Stars of 2012 were the Enigma Quartet, Sydney Camerata Quartet, and Streeton Trio. [22]

Ongoing

Musica Viva in Schools

Musica Viva runs a large music education program across Australia called Musica Viva in Schools. Talented and experienced musicians travel to all states and territories, including regional and remote areas, "to perform interactive, musically, and culturally diverse performances". The program includes teacher development and online resources. [23]

In 2014, The Guardian named Musica Viva in Schools' Interactive Whiteboard as one of the ten global R&D projects that were changing arts and culture. [24]

In 2016 Musica Viva announced the inaugural artistic director of education, Michael Sollis. [25]

FutureMakers

In 2015, a program called FutureMakers was launched. This is a two-year program in which young musicians participate in intensive sessions with leading artists, directors, and consultants from a range of industries and sectors. [26] As of 2015 Genevieve Lacey was artistic director of Musica Viva's FutureMakers program. [27]

Related Research Articles

Carl Edward Vine, is an Australian composer of contemporary classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Simon Pullman</span> Polish violinist and conductor (1890 - 1942)

Simon Pullman was a Polish violinist, conductor, music teacher and founder and director of the Pullman Ensemble and Orchestra, and a seminal figure in the evolution of chamber music performance.

Richard John Mills is an Australian conductor and composer. He is currently the artistic director of Victorian Opera, and formerly artistic director of the West Australian Opera and artistic consultant with Orchestra Victoria. He was commissioned by the Victoria State Opera to write his opera Summer of the Seventeenth Doll (1996) and by Opera Australia to write the opera Batavia (2001).

The Zephyr Quartet is a string quartet based in Adelaide, South Australia. Founded in 1999, they have been recognised with awards and have collaborated with international musicians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Piers Lane</span> Australian pianist (born 1958)

Piers Lane is an Australian classical pianist.

Peter Wentworth Bucknell is a filmmaker, author and classical violist residing in Barcelona.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Anna Goldsworthy</span> Australian writer, teacher and classical pianist

Anna Louise Goldsworthy is an Australian classical pianist, writer, academic, playwright, and librettist, known for her 2009 memoir Piano Lessons. She has held several academic positions, and as of 2023 is director of the Elder Conservatorium at the University of Adelaide. She is a founder member of the Seraphim Trio, which has toured Australia and the world since 1995.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Melbourne Recital Centre</span> A contemporary public building for music performances.

Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC) is a venue and organisation for live music in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The organisation programs and presents more than 500 concerts and events a year across diverse range of musical genres including classical and chamber music, contemporary, pop, folk, rock, electronica, indie, jazz, cabaret and world music. Opened in 2009, the centre is Melbourne's second largest auditorium for classical music.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denis Brott</span> Canadian cellist, music teacher and conductor

Denis Brott, SMOM is a Canadian cellist, music teacher, conductor, and founder and artistic director of the Montreal Chamber Music Festival.

Ernest Victor Llewellyn CBE was an Australian violinist, concertmaster, violist, conductor and musical administrator. He was the founding director of the Canberra School of Music and is commemorated by Llewellyn Hall, the concert venue at the School.

Ian Munro is an Australian pianist, composer, and music educator. His career has taken him to many countries in Europe, Asia, North America, and Australasia.

Richard Goldner was a Romanian-born, Viennese-trained Australian violist, pedagogue and inventor. He founded Musica Viva Australia in 1945, which became the world's largest entrepreneurial chamber music organisation. The Goldner String Quartet was named in his memory.

The Goldner String Quartet is an Australian string quartet formed in 1995 in honour of Richard Goldner, the founder of Musica Viva Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Paul Dean (clarinetist)</span> Australian clarinetist, composer, conductor

Paul Dean is an Australian clarinetist, composer and conductor

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mary Finsterer</span> Australian composer and academic

Mary Finsterer is an Australian composer and academic.

Robert Pikler OBE was a Hungarian-Australian violinist, violist and teacher.

The Limelight Awards were an annual celebration of the performances, recordings and music personalities in Australian classical music. Sponsored by the monthly classical arts magazine Limelight, they were the only publicly voted awards of their kind in Australia. In 2012 the awards attracted more than 4,500 votes.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Australian classical music</span> Genre of music of Australia

Australian classical music has developed from early years in the Australian colonies, until today. Today, each state has an orchestra and there are many major venues where classical music is performed.

Genevieve Lacey is an Australian musician and recorder virtuoso, working as a performer, creator, curator and cultural leader. The practice of listening is central to her works, which are created collaboratively with artists from around the world. Lacey plays handmade recorders made by Joanne Saunders and Fred Morgan. In her collection, she also has instruments by David Coomber, Monika Musch, Michael Grinter, Paul Whinray and Herbert Paetzold.

The Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO) is a professional Australian classical music ensemble based in Melbourne, Victoria.

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Viennese refugee Richard Goldner and Musica Viva Australia". ART and ARCHITECTURE, mainly. 29 November 2014. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  2. Atkinson, Ann; Knight, Lindsay; McPhee, Margaret (29 April 1996). The Dictionary of Performing Arts in Australia. Allen & Unwin. ISBN   9781863738989 via Google Books.
  3. "German Australia". Archived from the original on 17 April 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2009.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Baker, Suzanne (2014). Fox, Karen (ed.). "Richard Goldner". Australian Dictionary of Biography . Research edited by Karen Fox. Retrieved 12 November 2023. This article was published in hardcopy in Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 19, (ANU Press), 2021
  5. Meacham, Steve (26 April 2011). "Author plays score of life found in music". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2022.
  6. "Artistic Director". Musica Viva Australia. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  7. 1 2 Nguyen, Justine (3 June 2019). "Paul Kildea is Musica Viva's new Artistic Director". Limelight . Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  8. "Chief Executive Officer". Musica Viva Australia. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  9. 1 2 3 4 "New future for top music competitions". Premier of Victoria . 29 July 2016. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  10. Goldsworthy, Anna (15 June 2009). "Creating our own star chamber". The Age (Interview). Interviewed by Usher, Robin. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  11. 1 2 McPherson, Angus (9 July 2018). "Trio Marvin wins the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition". Limelight . Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  12. "BREAKING: Trio Marvin awarded Grand Prize at Melbourne International Chamber Music Comp". The Violin Channel. 8 July 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2023.
  13. "Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition". Musica Viva Australia. Archived from the original on 13 November 2023. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  14. 1 2 3 "Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition: 8-14 July 2013: Competition overview" (PDF). 2013 via Chinese Embassy.
  15. "About The Seraphim Trio". Sydney Mozart Society. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  16. 1 2 3 4 Usher, Robin (8 September 2008). "Thriving chamber music scene makes an international pitch". The Age . Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  17. 1 2 3 Goldsworthy, Anna (15 June 2009). "Creating our own star chamber". The Age (Interview). Interviewed by Usher, Robin. Retrieved 14 November 2023.
  18. "Strike A Chord 2022". Musica Viva Australia. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  19. Bryant, Lily (9 September 2022). "Winners of Musica Viva's 2022 Strike a Chord announced". Limelight. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  20. "Musica Viva: Strike a Chord Grand Final". ABC Listen . 23 September 2022. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  21. The Violin Channel (30 August 2022). "Musica Viva Australia's "Strike a Chord" Competition Announces Winners". World's Leading Classical Music Platform. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  22. "Rising Stars". Musica Viva Australia Blog. 26 November 2013. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  23. "Musica Viva in Schools". Musica Viva Australia. Retrieved 14 June 2023.
  24. Quinn, Emma; Balopoulou, Athina (20 June 2014). "Ten global R&D projects that are changing arts and culture". The Guardian . Retrieved 30 March 2022.
  25. "Musica Viva in Schools – Musica Viva appoints new Artistic Director of Education". educationhq.com.
  26. "FutureMakers". Musica Viva Australia. Retrieved 13 November 2023.
  27. Dakshayani Shankar (23 July 2015). "Musica Viva launch new artist development initiative". Limelight .