What is online for the start of May

Hello !

It has been quite a warping month since our last classikON What's ON. Events being cancelled but online programs launching. We're sharing how you can connect with musicians and hear the music you enjoy... until you can hear it again live. Musicians are finding it incredibly inspiring and motivating connecting to audiences online, so reach out to them and let them know you're listening.

Plus we are starting a series sharing what our team and Ambassadors have been up to.

"Now, more than ever, music can play an important part in our lives. It is our solace, our comfort. It brings us joy and it lifts our spirits. It is our exhilarating inspiration. Music unites us and keeps us connected. And at a certain moment, we will again be together, bringing joy back into lives through the magic of music, and the thought that this will, when it’s finally safe, again come to be; is what can help to sustain us all during this period." Dr Nicholas Milton (Artistic Director and Chief Conductor, Willoughby Symphony Orchestra)

Selby&Friends have recorded their Tour 2 program "Let's Get Personal" (with a few changes) for you to listen to and watch online.

To enjoy this performance of Mozart, Beethoven and Dvořák performed by Kathryn Selby (Piano), Umberto Clerici (Cello) and Andrew Haveron (Violin), you can purchase tickets here by selecting a concert location you would have visited. They will send you an email with a link to login, create a password and watch the performance and extras.

The recording of the concert is being finalised and will be available from this evening.

Watch an introduction to it here.

We believe our Ambassadors are voices for the audience, people who love to listen to music and go to many concerts; they have a range of knowledge and history with music. We have musicians and people who can't read music. For some music is their life and others it is an escape from their life.

Our Ambassadors have penned how they are spending their time, what they're feeling; and when things open up, what they're are looking forward to. We will be sharing these Ambassador thoughts in our news section on classikON.

We kick off the series with our self confessed choir nerd and avid concert-goer Pepe.

Pepe wrote about how she is missing performing and seeing live performance, plus her excitement about the Bel a cappella Choral Competition Prize. Three Australian composers will win $1500 for original a cappella choral works for up to 8 voice parts and Bel will perform them next year.

She is excited about this, not only for the opportunity for composers, but also one of the things she is missing is a long awaited trip to France, to tour and sing with the Byrd Consort. But, hopefully in 2021, she will be able to sing the winners works overseas with Bel a cappella.
Read all of Pepe's thoughts in classikON news.

Jennifer Eriksson created The Marais Project (a celebration of music for the viola da gamba inspired by Marin Marais ) and Elysian Fields (Elysian Fields is one of the world’s few electric viola da gamba ensembles).

She has been busy with two digital projects. Developing an online version of her Musica Viva in Schools show, Da Vinci’s Apprentice (background story here). And, doing post production work on Elysian Fields’ Fika CD.

Connect // Website // Marais Project Facebook // Elysian Fields Facebook // Marais Project Youtube //

While classikON has appeared quiet for a month, there has been activity behind the scenes, adjusting to the news for classikON and in our own lives. I've enjoyed Melbourne Digital Concert Hall and I'm looking forward to the Selby & Friends concert this weekend.

The types of concerts we established for, are likely to be the first to have restrictions lifted - musicians performing in unique spaces to local audiences - and we want to be ready to support them when they are allowed to recommence.

As the temperature drops, I'm excited I'll be able to watch fabulous music online with a warming fire nearby. I hope May is starting better than April for you.