Resonate Magazine | Australian Music Centre

Dear friends,

As we close out 2025 - our 50th anniversary year - I find myself reflecting on just how much we have to celebrate together.

This year has been one of connection. From Berlin to Sydney, from orchestral recording sessions at Trackdown Studios to a sold-out room of 120 colleagues at Surrounding Sound Level Up Day, we've come together as a community in ways that have felt particularly meaningful.

We've had the privilege of hearing your stories - through video interviews with composers, former staff and Board members who have shaped this organisation across five decades. Your voices, your music, and your commitment to this art form are what make the AMC matter.

We stood together on issues that affect your livelihoods. When the Productivity Commission proposed changes that threatened creators' rights in the age of AI, our community spoke with clarity and conviction. That the government listened is testament to the power of our collective voice.

The Art Music Awards, co-presented with our wonderful partners APRA AMCOS, was a highlight of our 50th anniversary celebrations. A sold-out City Recital Hall came together to honour the extraordinary achievements of our community, including this year's Richard Gill Award for Distinguished Services to Australian Music recipients, Jon Rose and Hollis Taylor. It was a night that truly captured the breadth and brilliance of Australian art music.

We were equally moved by Marshall McGuire's Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address - a characteristically thoughtful reflection delivered in a spirit of optimism and practical ambition. Marshall challenged us to think about how we grow the art music sector over the next quarter century, urging generosity, the celebration of each other's successes, and the nurturing of relationships beyond the capital cities. It was a timely call to action as we look to our next fifty years.

Through Momentum PLUS, generously supported by Music Australia, we brought 12 new orchestral works to life in the studio. For many composers, a professional recording is transformative - it's what allows music to travel, to be heard by programmers and audiences, and to live beyond a single performance. We're so grateful to Music Australia for making this possible.

We were also thrilled to present our inaugural Surrounding Sound Level Up Day, generously supported by Sound NSW - creating space for our community to learn, connect, and grow together.

Our commitment to you

At the heart of what we do is supporting artists. This year we welcomed 46 new represented artists into the AMC family, and extended invitations to over 250 art music creators to apply for representation - because we believe in casting the net wide and nurturing talent at every stage.

We're proud that over $55,000 in royalties flowed back to composers this year. Your music is being performed, hired, and heard - and we're committed to ensuring you share in that success. It's one of the most tangible ways we can demonstrate that your work has value and reach.

Looking ahead

As we step into 2026, we're not slowing down. We'll be embarking on a new strategic plan - one that will be shaped by your insights and aspirations for what the AMC can be. We're continuing to evolve how we serve you, with a new website on the horizon and fresh thinking about how we connect, communicate, and champion your work.

Our international relationships continue to grow, with opportunities to carry Australian art music to new stages and audiences. And we remain committed to advocating fiercely for your rights as creators in a rapidly changing landscape.

Fifty years is a remarkable milestone, but it's also a launchpad. The best of the AMC is still ahead of us - and we're building it together.

To our artists and members: thank you. For your trust, your creativity, and your continued belief in what we do together. The AMC exists because of you, and for you.

Here's to the next chapter.

With warmth and gratitude,

Catherine Haridy