Our story began on 8 December 1945 with a concert of Beethoven and Mozart at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. In the 75 years since, the people of Musica Viva – our artists and collaborators, audiences and donors, volunteers and committees, board and staff – have created a fertile landscape of music right across Australia. We started as a chamber music organisation focused on just one ensemble,
but we soon expanded beyond Sydney to become one of the world’s largest presenters of chamber music. We showcase the finest local and international chamber music artists to audiences all around Australia, in our most prestigious concert halls and our smallest school halls, in capital cities, regional centres and remote communities. We are proud of our history of uncovering new talent, developing the early careers of some of our best musicians and promoting our most acclaimed ensembles here and overseas. We continue to nurture the careers of young musicians, and in 2020, Strike A Chord, our inaugural National Chamber Music Championship, will give high school students from all over Australia the opportunity to experience the joy of making chamber music. Through the support of many donors, we have commissioned hundreds of new compositions from Australian composers, and we play a leading role in supporting female composers through our Hildegard Project. We have been bringing live music to schools for nearly 40 years, and whole generations of Australian children have experienced our programs. We continue to delight and inspire close to 300,000 students each year, and we support their teachers with vital training and professional development.
