Australian Music Centre redefines the online world of Australian music
Media Release, 1 May 2009
Music lovers, festival programmers, teachers, students, and the creators and performers of original Australian music across the globe now have an indispensable new resource in Australian Music Centre Online at www.australianmusiccentre.com.au.
To be launched at ceremonies across the country over the coming days - including tonight's event at 6pm at the Queensland Conservatorium and on Sunday 3 May at the Australian National Academy of Music in Melbourne - the dynamic new website increases access to the Australian Music Centre's massive and ever-growing collection of works and information about Australian art music - including diverse genres from contemporary classical, improvisatory and jazz to experimental music and sound art.
Coinciding with the launch of the new service, the AMC has also announced a new brand identity designed to reflect the dynamism and diversity of the contemporary Australian music and sound art landscape and signal new opportunities for the sector.
"The launch of AMC Online represents a new era in not only how the Australian Music Centre does its business but in how Australian music artists and their creative output are presented to audiences across Australia and around the world," John Davis, CEO of the AMC said.
Australian Music Centre Online is the result of more than five years of planning, development and work. The site already incorporates over 21,000 works from the Centre's collection - and there are many more to come. Biographies of 530 composers, improvisers and sound artists are included and there are some 30 guided tours of major works and themes in the history of Australian music.
Featured throughout the site at launch are over 2600 audio samples, including 35 integrated links to full length recordings hosted by the ABC's Classic Amp website.
An advanced repertoire finder already includes more than 1200 score samples for teachers, students, orchestras and ensembles to try, with some available for download, and there is an online shop with over 10,000 items including CDs, books and education kits for sale.
Australian Music Centre's well-respected magazine, Resonate, has been incorporated into the site, making nearly 300 news, reviews and feature articles available to all readers free for the first time.
Last but by no means least - Australian Music Centre Online includes a comprehensive national events calendar which already has over 320 listings in it, with links to information about people and works, and a click-through to buy tickets.
Perhaps the most outstanding feature of the site is the use of a unique cataloguing system which cross-references material to provide contextualised information in new ways. Visitors can quickly discover connections between creators, works, influences, products, performances, events, commentary and critical discourse to gain a much richer picture of the Australian music landscape than has been available before.
"The Australian Music Centre is proud to celebrate its 35th anniversary with the delivery of this remarkable new online tool for the promotion of the performance and appreciation of Australian art music," said Barry Conyngham, Chair of the AMC. "It provides a great new resource for the discovery of the diverse and inspirational world of Australian music for newcomers and afficionados alike."
Australian Music Centre Online has been made possible with the generous support of the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australasian Performing Right Association and the assistance of partners, the National Library of Australia and ABC Classic FM. Further development of the site will be enabled by additional investment from the Australian Research Council, the University of Western Sydney and Edith Cowan University.
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Media Contact
John Davis, CEO, mobile 0413 770 769