ANBOC 2026

The Australian Music Centre (AMC) is the national service organisation dedicated to the promotion and support of art music in Australia. At the heart of our mission is a commitment to the representation, advocacy, promotion and support of Australian creators and their music. 
In 2025 the Australian Music Centre celebrated its 50th year and a key part of the celebrations was an opportunity for reflection and renewal. It is vital that we give recognition to the teaching and performance of Australian art music from the past as well as acknowledge new initiatives practiced in curricula and co-curricular programs of today.
The focus of this workshop/discussion is to demonstrate ways that educators can include more Australian music within their programs.   It will include repertoire that celebrates our cultural diversity as well as acknowledging a deep commitment to promoting a wide range of compositional approaches within the orchestral context.
Consider the question: how are you embedding Australian culture and, importantly, Australian ‘art music’ into your ensembles?   My role as Music Education Specialist is to help facilitate this process with a degree of ease, so that educators, performers, conductors, and students can access the music that is right for their purpose.
In this orchestral reading workshop, there will be information shared on how to source repertoire for your ensemble as well as the opportunity for delegates to play through orchestral works on offer at the AMC alongside a live orchestra. In addition, strategies will be discussed on how to include more Australian music in our co-curricular ensembles. 
The purpose of this discussion is for educators to connect and understand the services and resources that are provided at the AMC as well as give a deeper insight into the cultural significance of the Australian Music Centre.

To bring a new piece of orchestral music to life is very exciting, but how does this happen? And can a school or community orchestra conductor play as important a role in the creation of new Australian repertoire in the same way as do conductors of world leading professional orchestras? The short answer is YES!
It can start as an idea from either the composer or conductor- or both. It is this partnership - although extremely unique - which can create a special composition that can become an invaluable part of the orchestral canon. 
From the first conversation to the commissioning and creation process- and then to the rehearsal period. This kind of collaboration can occur at every level of ensemble from school groups through to professional orchestras. It is a process that fosters a rich musical relationship and can be an unforgettable experience for your ensemble.
This Open Rehearsal with a live orchestra will feature the rehearsal techniques for one of the most recent orchestral works by Dr Catherine Likhuta and trace the journey from its inception to a performance. In the session there will be practical solutions to performance practice in an orchestral setting and how to manage the expectations of the composer within the practicalities and context of the rehearsal and concert. The purpose of this presentation is to offer guidelines on how to bring to life a new Australian work with particular attention to the relationship between composer and conductor.
This process of collaboration not only creates a good musical foundation for the future but, importantly, will help to establish a culture that will champion the cause of Australian composers of today and in years to come.