Programming for Regional NSW
Music in the Regions programs at Nundle Memorial Hall with locally picked daffodils in a blue jug.
When I approach artists about a Music in the Regions tour, I sometimes get asked about programming and if there are any requirements for our regional audiences. The short answer is simply “no!”. I know first-hand that regional audiences are curious and supportive, and I personally had no interest in leading an organisation that stuck to ‘greatest hits for the bush’. One thread that is very important to me is the work of Australian composers, and I was very pleased to crunch the numbers that approximately 40% of our repertoire in 2023 was by one of 16 Australian composers.
One of the most interesting Australian pieces we sent on the road in 2023 was Tristan Coelho’s “As the Dust Settles”, performed by Duo Blockstix. This is a picturesque but challenging work, full of extended techniques, performed on a pair of instruments that are already relatively unfamiliar to the classical music audience (recorder and percussion). I know some of our audiences found it pretty tough going; however, I also very fondly remember eavesdropping on one audience member saying: “I didn’t like it very much, but it’s good that it was done here”. Challenging work doesn’t just belong in the cities!
I asked Alicia Crossley how she approached putting together the Duo Blockstix tour program and she said, “…we had a lot of fun putting together our Music in the Regions program. Our combination of recorder and percussion is quite unique, and we wanted audiences to see the array of instruments we play, and that our music spans 800 years.”
Another unusual combination we toured this year was Duo Histoire, with saxophone and guitar. I asked Nick Russoniello how he approached his Music in the Regions program: “…we wanted to take our personal stories and the story of our duo on the road. Murilo grew up in Sao Paulo, so the choice of the Brazilian repertoire spoke to his history. I wanted to speak through my own compositions, so we included my solo work 'The New South’.”
Of course, there is also room at Music in the Regions for the great classics. Earlier this year, Inventi Ensemble toured Beethoven’s Seventh Symphony in their chamber version for 7 players that really allowed the textures and clarity of the original to shine. I asked Ben Opie and Melissa Doecke how they considered their program and they said: “…we love storytelling, and we choose the music we play based on how we can share these rich musical tales. We’ve noticed that picking music this way helps spark conversations with audiences all over the country.”
Sparking conversation is perhaps the best way to sum up our approach to programming at Music in the Regions. One of the great joys of regional touring is the intimate audience experience compared to performing in the cities: what we value most in a concert is that it leads to vibrant conversations between audience and artist.