Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

November is Australian Music Month on ABC radio. ABC Classic FM is celebrating Australia's composers and creative musicians with lots of Australian music, old and new, along with interviews and commentary.

On Saturday 30 November, we'll put to air listener requests - you'll have the chance to tell us about a favourite Australian piece and why it's important to you. Requests open on Friday 8 November via an online form, and guest presenters will be joining our regular Saturday team in studio.

We'll be diving into the archives to present a long weekend of Australian composer portraits (Friday 15 - Sunday 17 November - on digital radio and online): programs created over the past twenty years or so, presented by Charles Southwood, Graham Abbott and Julian Day.

The month's broadcasts include 15 premieres from across the stylistic spectrum, beginning in Evenings on Friday 1 November with the world premiere of James Ledger's new Violin Concerto featuring violinist Margaret Blades and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, and ending in New Music Up Late on Saturday 30 with the Australian premiere of a new radiophonic work, Song Busline, by expatriate composer Thomas Meadowcroft.

Along the way there'll be new concert music from the likes of Brenton Broadstock, Kate Moore and John Peterson. As well as favourites and classics, including three classic Australian operas and a series of portrait concerts of the music of Raymond Hanson, Paul Stanhope, Liza Lim, Wilfred Lehmann and Elena Kats-Chernin, performed by musicians of the Australian National Academy of Music.

We'll also be publishing guest blog articles from representatives of major music organisations and leading musicians, to stimulate debate on the role of Australian content in our classical music culture.

Australian Music Month broadcast schedule

Friday 1 November
8.00pm EVENINGS: West Australian Symphony Orchestra/ Otto Tausk; Margaret Blades, violin.
Includes: James Ledger - Violin Concerto (world premiere)
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Off The Record revisited: in-depth interview and playlist program with composer Mary Finsterer (first aired 17 November 2012).

Saturday 2 November
1.00pm SATURDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT: Adelaide Symphony Orchestra/Rory Macdonald; Julia Grenfell, piccolo.
Includes Paul Stanhope - Piccolo Concerto
7.00pm AT HOME: Showcasing Australia's finest composers and performers for an hour every Saturday evening.
8.00pm EVENINGS: Queensland Symphony Orchestra/Johannes Fritzsch; Julian Bliss, clarinet; James Morrison, trumpet.
Includes Matthew Dewey - Double Concerto - Ecstatic Visions (world premiere)
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE (LIVE): Synergy - 'Percussion on the Radio'
Kate Moore - Sarabande (world premiere); Kevin Mansell - Calm Yourself, restless mind (world premiere); James Humberstone - Campanella (world premiere); Julian Day - Disco Demolition Night (what you do to me) (world premiere); Marcus Whale - Puff

Sunday 3 November
12.00pm MUSIC MAKERS: Strangers in Paradise #1: A Tale of Two Cities - ABC Music-making in 1930s regional Australia. This episode focuses on Grafton and Kalgoorlie, two regional centres that hosted more concerts in the first years of the ABC's existence than the rest of the Australian country towns combined.
7.00pm SUNDAY OPERA: Isaac Nathan - Don John of Austria (arranged by Sir Charles Mackerras). Performed by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and guest soloists Cheryl Baker, Steve Davislim, Grant Doyle, Sally-Anne Russell, Paul Whelan, conducted by Alexander Briger (ABC Classics).

Monday 4 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour throughout November
8.00pm EVENINGS: Southern Cross Soloists; Brock Imison, contraforte
Includes: Paul Dean - Amid A Crowd of Stars (world premiere)

Tuesday 5 November
1.00pm AFTERNOONS: Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra/ Andrew Grams; Slava Grigoryan, guitar.
Includes Nigel Westlake - Antarctica: Suite
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.30pm EVENINGS: ANAM Australian Voices series - Raymond Hanson
Musicians of the Australian National Academy. Raymond Hanson - Piano Quintet, Op 17; Piano Sonata, Op 12; Dedication; also an interview with pianist Michael Kieran Harvey about Hanson.

Wednesday 6 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
8.00pm EVENINGS: Syzygy Ensemble - Portrait Concert - Brenton Broadstock
Brenton Broadstock - My Feet want to Dance; I touched your glistening tears; ...and no birds sing; Clear Flame Within; Under Capricorn Suite; Celebration - Chamber Symphony

Thursday 7 November
1.00pm AFTERNOONS: Flinders Quartet with Dmitry Onishchenko, piano
Includes: Ian Munro - Divertissement sur le nom d'Erik Satie
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.30pm EVENINGS: West Australian Symphony Orchestra; Paul Daniel, conductor; Giovanni Pasini, viola.
Includes: Roger Smalley - Close to the Edge; Jared Yapp - The Ecstatic (world premiere)

Friday 8 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Off The Record revisited: In-depth interview and playlist program with composer Robert Davidson (first aired 26 August 2006)

Saturday 9 November
7.00pm AT HOME: Showcasing Australia's finest composers and performers for an hour.
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Con Koukias - The Barbarians (opera world premiere)
Nicholas Dinopoulos, baritone; Athanasia Houndalas, narrator; Grace Ovens, soprano; Ayrton Rose, alto; Festival ensemble. Recorded at MONA FOMA 2012

Sunday 10 November
12.00pm MUSIC MAKERS: Strangers in Paradise #2: The War Years - This episode focuses on changes to the nature and location of ABC regional concert-making as a result of the mobilisation of the army.
7.00pm SUNDAY OPERA: Triple Bill. Includes:
Peggy Glanville Hicks - The Transposed Heads, performed by the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and guest soloists Gerald English, Michael Leighton Jones, Genty Stevens, Maggie King, Raymond Long, conducted by David Measham (ABC Classics)
Margaret Sutherland - The Young Kabbarli - performed by members of the Adelaide Symphony orchestra and soloists Genty Stevens, Dean Patterson, John McKenzie, conducted by Patrick Thomas (recorded in 1973 at Flinders University)

Monday 11 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.00pm EVENINGS: MSO Chamber; Derek Guille, narrator
Ross Edwards - Dance Mantra; Bruce Smeaton - works for brass; Peter Sculthorpe - Anthem for Australia; Elena Kats-Chernin - Mater; Nigel Westlake - The Glass Soldier: Suite (arr. for brass)

Tuesday 12 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.30pm EVENINGS: West Australian Symphony Orchestra; Paul Daniel, conductor; Christopher Dragon, conductor; Thomas Gould, electric violin
Includes Lachlan Skipworth - Afterglow

Wednesday 13 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
8.00pm EVENINGS: Adelaide Chamber Singers/ Carl Crossin and Sydney Chamber Choir/ Paul Stanhope
Includes Paul Stanhope - Lament for St Cecilia; Clare Maclean - Et Misericordia; Joseph Twist - How Shall We Sing in a Strange Land

Thursday 14 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.30pm EVENINGS: ANAM Australian Voices series - Paul Stanhope
Musicians of the Australian National Academy
Paul Stanhope: Snap; Dawn Lament; Agnus Dei (after the fire); Quartet No. 2

Friday 15 November
9.00am ABC Extra: Australian composer portraits
Launch of ABC Digital Radio 3-day continuous broadcast of Australian composer portrait programs from ABC Classic FM's archives
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Off The Record revisited. In-depth interview and playlist program with composer Cat Hope (first broadcast 10 October 2009)

Saturday 16 November
ABC Extra: Australian Composer Portraits continued
Second day of ABC Digital Radio 3-day continuous broadcast of Australian composer portrait programs from ABC Classic FM's archives
9.00am KEYS TO MUSIC: The Piano Trio, part 3 - 'After 1900'
Makes reference to Australian piano trios and includes extracts of trios by Miriam Hyde, Dulcie Holland, Ross Edwards, Paul Stanhope and Matthew Hindson.
1.00pm SATURDAY AFTERNOON CONCERT: Melbourne Chamber Orchestra; William Hennessy, violin/director; Benjamin Martin, piano. Includes Benjamin Martin Trinitas (world premiere)
7.00pm AT HOME: Raymond Hanson centenary edition
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Scott McIntyre - Fire on the Snow (opera world premiere). Jamie Allen, tenor; Nick Caddick, bass; Phil Joughin, baritone; Michael Lampard, baritone; Benjamin Martin, tenor; Gary Wain, conductor. Presented by the Tasmanian Conservatorium.

Sunday 17 November
ABC Extra: Australian Composer Portraits continued
Final day of ABC Digital Radio 3-day continuous broadcast of Australian composer portrait programs from ABC Classic FM's archives.
12.00pm MUSIC MAKERS: Strangers in Paradise #3: The Post-War ABC expands into regional Australia - Focusing on the rise of subscription series in many regional centres and tours to these centres by high-profile international artists.

Monday 18 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
8.00pm EVENINGS: Queensland Symphony Orchestra/ Benjamin Northey
Includes: Mark Isaacs - Symphony No 1 (world premiere)

Tuesday 19 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.30pm EVENINGS: ANAM Australian Voices series - Liza Lim
Musicians of the Australian National Academy; Marshall McGuire, director
Liza Lim - Wild Winged One ; The Heart's Ear; Ming Qi (Bright Vessels); The Seasons (after Cy Twombly): 'Autumn'; Shimmer Songs

Wednesday 20 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
7.00pm EVENINGS (LIVE): Australian Chamber Orchestra; Martin Frost, clarinet; Satu Vänskä, violin/leader.
Includes Brenton Broadstock - Never Truly Lost (world premiere)

Thursday 21 November
1.00pm AFTERNOONS: Australia Ensemble
Includes John Peterson - Double Entendre (world premiere)
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour
9.30pm EVENINGS: ANAM Australian Voices series - Wilfred Lehmann
Musicians of the Australian National Academy; Paul Dean, director; Wilfred Lehmann, violin.
Wilfred Lehmann - Celebration Mystique; Suite; Theme & Variations for Clarinet Quintet; and his arrangements of Brahms's Hungarian Dance No 5 and Bach's Sarabande

Friday 22 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour throughout November
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Off The Record re-visited - In-depth interview and playlist program with composer Chris Dench. (first aired 10 November 2012)

Saturday 23 November
7.00pm EVENINGS (LIVE): Huntington Festival
Includes: Carl Vine - The Tree of Man, with Andrew Goodwin, tenor; Sophie Rowell, violin; Elizabeth Sellars, violin; Sally Boud, viola; Irina Morozova, viola; Andrew Meisel, double-bass

Sunday 24 November
10.00am YOUR REQUESTS: Australian Music Month special including Carl Vine - Piano Concerto No.1; Alfred Hill - Joy of Life Symphony
12.00pm MUSIC MAKERS: Strangers in Paradise #4: The Midnight Special: The great orchestral train journeys - personal stories of the challenges of regional touring on long-haul rail journeys.

Monday 25 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour

Tuesday 26 November
9.30pm EVENINGS: ANAM Australian Voices series - Elena Kats-Chernin
Musicians of the Australian National Academy.
Elena Kats-Chernin - Blue Silence; Wild Swans: Suite; Russian Rag; Ballade (2012); Velvet Revolution

Wednesday 27 November
6.30pm DRIVE: An all-Australian half-hour

Thursday 28 November
1.00pm AFTERNOONS: Sydney Symphony Orchestra/Nicholas Carter
Includes James Ledger - The madness and death of King Ludwig
9.30pm EVENINGS: ANAM Australian Voices series - Gerard Brophy
Musicians of the Australian National Academy of Music.
Features Gerard Brophy's Sheer Nylon Dances; charM; The Room of the Saints; Kalighat Votives; gloVe

Friday29 November
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Off The Record revisited: In-depth interview and playlist program with composer Ross Bolleter (first aired 3rd May 2008)

Saturday 30 November
10.00am - 5.00pm Australian Favourites - music and memories from listeners, presented by Marian Arnold and Mairi Nicolson with studio guests. Curated by the Australian Music Unit.
7.00pm AT HOME: Australian Favourites continued, with Julian Day.
10.30pm NEW MUSIC UP LATE: Thomas Meadowcroft - Song Buslines (Australian premiere) of a new radiophonic work commissioned by German Radio. Plus more 'Australian Favourites'.