Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address
The Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address was established in 1999 by the New Music Network, in honour of one of Australia’s great international composers. In the spirit of Glanville-Hicks, an outstanding advocate of Australian music delivers the address each year, challenging the status quo and raising issues of importance in new music.
Since its founding, the Address has developed into a landmark event in the Australian new music scene. The Australian Music Centre took on the important custodianship of the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address in 2018.Speakers over the years have included leading Australian composers, performing artists, educators and artistic directors. The Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address is the single most important national forum for contemporary music discourse.
2025 Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address
The annual Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address was delivered by Marshall McGuire, AMC Board Chair, on Monday 12 October 2025 in Sydney (Gadigal).
Delivered by harpist and Australian Music Centre Chair Marshall McGuire, this year’s Address reflected on the “ties that bind” across generations of Australian musicians. Marshall shared his early connection with Peggy Glanville-Hicks’ music, while celebrating collaboration, creative risk-taking, and regional engagement in Australia’s music landscape.
Looking to the future, this year's Address called for renewed support for tertiary music education, greater inclusion of Australian composers, and a bold commitment to diversity in programming. “Our major performing arts companies should proudly ensure their seasons look and sound like Australia,” he said.
About the speaker
Marshall McGuire is one of Australia’s most original and adventurous harpists, renowned for reshaping the boundaries of the instrument. With a fearless curiosity and a deep love for both classical tradition and contemporary innovation, he has built a career that challenges the conventional image of the harp—commissioning over 100 new works and collaborating with composers around the world to redefine what the harp can be.
Marshall has long been an integral part of Australia’s new music scene, especially through his long-standing association with the ELISION ensemble. His work has been recognised with numerous accolades, including fellowships from the State Library of Victoria, the Churchill Trust, and the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Trust.
In addition to his performing career, Marshall has held influential leadership roles in Australia’s music scene. He was Director of Programming at Melbourne Recital Centre from 2015 to 2025, and is currently Chair of the Australian Music Centre.
Peggy Glanville-Hicks Addresses to date
1999 James Murdoch
2000 Barry Conyngham
2001 Liza Lim
2002 Roland Peelman
2003 John Davis
2004 Julian Burnside
2005 Richard Mills
2006 Daryl Buckley
2007 Jon Rose
2008 Sandy Evans
2009 Robyn Archer
2010 Simone Young
2011 Lyndon Terracini
2012 Michael Kieran Harvey
2013 Genevieve Lacey
2014 Warren Burt
2015 Richard Gill
2016 Nicole Canham
2017 Kim Williams
2018 Cat Hope
2019 Deborah Cheetham
2020 Madeleine Flynn and Tim Humphrey
2020 Sunny Kim
2021 Sia Ahmad, Zela Margossian, Bree van Reyk
2022 William Barton, Dr Anita Collins
2023 Elena Kats-Chernin
2024 Nat Bartsch
Past Addresses
2021 Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address
A panel event featuring three artists: Zela Margossian, Sia Ahmad and Bree van Reyk
2018 Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address
'All Music for Everyone: Working Towards Gender Equality and Empowerment in Australian Music Culture'
By Cat Hope
2017 Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address
'I wonder as I wander
(The Digital Paradox: Paradise or Purgatory)'
By Kim Williams