Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

The Australian Music Centre has today revealed the details of the 2021 Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address which will be presented as a live-stream panel discussion featuring three musically diverse panellists: ethno-jazz pianist and composer Zela Margossian, unconventional, tradition-challenging composer and percussionist Bree van Reyk, and singer, composer and improviser Sia Ahmad. The conversation will be streamed live for free consumption at 1:30pm AEDT on Thursday 4 November via Zoom Events.

The panel discussion will be moderated by ABC's Vanessa Hughes, and the session will be Auslan interpreted.

Chosen for their musical breadth and depth, their leadership, courageousness and interesting career paths, the panel will explore the diversity of our Australian music community, how we connect with each other, and how we can support each other's creative output, building capacity for a more sustainable future.

The Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address is an annual forum for ideas relating to the creation and performance of Australian music. Named after the Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks, it has been igniting debate and highlighting crucial issues since its establishment in 1999. [Article continues after the image.]

"In the past, the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address has been delivered by some incredible creators and inspirational leaders in the music community. This year we are excited to be approaching things a little differently with the panel discussion," explains Australian Music Centre CEO, Catherine Haridy. "In a world that has been irrevocably shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic, Australian music and artistic practice has evolved and changed to address its environment. I'm most excited about hearing our esteemed panellists' inspirational stories, their perseverance and ability to build their capacity for creativity through an unusually challenging period of time."

Sia Ahmad (appearing solo as Shoeb Ahmad) released her new album Facade on Provenance Collective in early October. "What an honour to be part of this year's Address and to share that honour with two other wonderful femme-identifying artists. I'm really excited to be able to speak about the notion of creative community and how important it is for us in these unpredictable and trying times (be it because of a pandemic or in a world with less funding for the arts). Diversity is what keeps creativity thriving and evolving, seeing/hearing different lived experiences re-evaluating the history already there, and thinking about new ideas is so exciting and so relevant to having a rich future ahead of us."

Zela Margossian agrees: "Diversity is an essential part in any community and is a great binding force in the creative sphere of the arts. Specifically, in the music sphere, diversity brings about unique relationships through music. Exchanging ideas and learning from one another's cultural heritage and musical traditions bring about distinct collaborations and interesting projects. Contribution creates connection and connection creates a network of support which is essential during uncertain times such as the one we are experiencing right now." Zela Margossian released a new single, Forecast, in October and has her second Zela Margossian Quintet album set for release on 25 February on Ropeadope Label.

"Sustainability and diversity are hugely important considerations for all humans," explains Bree van Reyk, "As artists, it's been a very difficult period in terms of financial and career prospects/downfalls and I've found myself questioning what it means for me to be making music in this era. I've been thinking a lot about not just sustainability but nourishment, and how I can develop my practice as an artist to not just survive or 'get by' amongst the busyness, but to actively foster nourishment, generosity and slowness as artistic acts." The AMC-represented artist's recent projects include her opera The Invisible Bird, premiered in 2020 as part of Sydney Chamber Opera's 'Breaking Glass' project.

Proud to have joined the Australian Music Centre (AMC) this year, Cath Haridy offers her insight on what is ahead for the AMC, saying, "We are committed to diversity, representation and equity. This is a theme which will permeate across all areas of our service. There's also a continued emphasis on advocacy, continued support of the music education sector and capacity-building opportunities for our artists while supporting and connecting the community."

> The Peggy Glanville-Hicks 2021 panel discussion will go live on Zoom Events at 1:30pm AEDT on Thursday 4 November. The event is free and you will need to log on your Zoom desktop or mobile application to register and participate - more instructions here.

> More information about the three artists and their latest work, as well as the history of the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address, on the AMC website​.

[Updated 22 October - moderator, Auslan interpretation.]