The orchestra re-imagined

The authors of this paper are completing an Australian Research Council (ARC) Linkage Grant investigating sustainable models for the 21st Century Orchestra. This research was conducted in collaboration with Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the Brisbane Festival, The Queensland Orchestra and the management team of the Ten Tenors. This is predicated on widely held concerns that orchestral audiences are ageing and declining, which is impacting on the economic viability of orchestral performance. By addressing the challenges of repertoire, entertainment competition, technology, and audience relationships, new models of artistic and economic sustainability are described. The findings of this cross-disciplinary research (music and business) have the potential to inform Australian tertiary music culture and curriculum, amongst others. This is particularly relevant in the area of string players and their relationships to i) other musicians ii) the repertoire and iii) performance practices. More broadly it looks at the inclusion of digital music and images into traditional musical forms, and the changing skill-sets needed for a 21st century music academic.