Musica Viva Australia - Strike A Chord

Music to learn, rehearsals to attend, and practice, practice, practice every day.

The performances you will hear this week are evidence of the hard work put in by the 12 ensembles selected for the Strike A Chord Grand Final. But did someone say it has also been fun?

Part of the ethos of Strike A Chord, says Musica Viva Australia’s Artistic Director of Competitions, Wilma Smith, is that a person’s musical development is not only about hours of private practice. It should also include the friendship and pleasure that comes from playing in a group. The sense of fun that underscores group music-making perhaps explains why Strike A Chord has grown considerably since the first competition was held in 2020, with generous support from Creative Victoria and private donors.

That year, in the depths of the Covid pandemic, 118 groups took part. This time, Strike A Chord attracted entries from 156 groups from across the country, representing 620 school-age musicians. Smith says Strike A Chord highlights the enjoyment that is inherent in playing in bands and ensembles – groups entering the competition must have between three and eight members – which in turn gives young musicians the motivation to continue with their studies.

Strike A Chord Grand Final 2022 Contestants, Credit: James Grant

'The benefit is that it’s lots of fun – and that keeps you playing your instrument,' Smith says.

'My earliest chamber music experience was in a string quartet – I doubt that I would have become a professional musician had I not been playing in an orchestra or a group from when I was in primary school. Right from when I was a beginner, I was playing in a group. That makes it fun – it’s a social activity, just like sport.'

Indeed, the idea for Strike A Chord grew out of Smith’s own experiences as a young musician. Born in Fiji and raised in Auckland, Smith as a young violin student took part in what is now called the New Zealand Community Trust Chamber Music Contest, one of the world’s longest-running events for junior ensembles. The idea for such a competition in Australia came about after Musica Viva Australia assumed responsibility for the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (MICMC) and its offshoot, the Asia Pacific Chamber Music Competition. While MICMC is held every four years and continues to thrive – last year, Melbourne’s Affinity Quartet became the first Australian group to win – the Asia Pacific event was reimagined as a competition for Australian school-age ensembles.

'There hasn’t been a competition like this in Australia before – certainly not a national one – specifically for chamber music,' Smith says. 'It’s a goal that teachers can give their students to work towards – it gives them some extra motivation. That is very much the aim.'

The 12 finalists you will hear at Melbourne Recital Centre this week – the performances also are being livestreamed – represent the best of the young ensembles who entered the competition. They were selected after submitting video recordings of their performances to the first-round judging panel, comprising pianist Alex Raineri and cellist and educator Molly Kadarauch. Groups also were invited to enter the competition’s Novice Section, intended to give encouragement to less experienced musicians. In this way, Smith says, the competition can involve 'grassroots' participation and be genuinely inclusive.

'The finalists are all chosen because they are the best and most capable – and the groups at the top end are fabulous,' she says.

'We also have a specially created novice category for people who have been playing for not very long. You don’t have to be technically advanced to take part – chamber music can happen at every level, from beginner to elite. This competition encompasses all that.'

The place-getters in that category, judged by flautist Eliza Shephard and cellist Jonathan Békés, are the ANU Junior Guitar Ensemble, TAS Junior Piano Trio, and PLC Sydney Harp Trio. When Strike A Chord was first held in 2020 and again in 2021, the performances and judging were conducted entirely online because of Covid restrictions. The first competition at which the musicians performed live, before an audience at Melbourne Recital Centre, was in 2022. Last year, Strike A Chord was postponed for a year because it coincided with the MICMC. So today’s Grand Final is only the second time it has been held in real life.

Strike A Chord would not happen at all without significant contributions from public and private supporters.

From the beginning, the competition has been funded by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, and Musica Viva Australia gratefully acknowledges this investment in opportunities for young musicians. 'It’s a massive undertaking to put the competition together, and we absolutely would not be able to do it without that financial support,' Smith says. Musica Viva Australia also acknowledges the extraordinary contributions from private donors whose visionary support for Strike A Chord has ensured the best possible experience for all participants.

Tom Breen’s transformative, multi-year donations to Musica Viva Australia allowed the organisation to investigate and establish Strike A Chord as a competition for young ensembles. His generosity also provided funds for the music coaching program that is associated with the competition, and for some of the prizes. The late Felicity Teague left a legacy that provided vital resources for Strike A Chord in the initial stages.

Students receiving coaching at Spinifex State College, Mt Isa from Helentherese Good

Musica Viva Australia also thanks Marjorie Nicholas, Michael Katz, Craig Reynolds and Beth Brown for their generous support. 'They are amazing, wonderful people,' Smith says. 'Our donors are very passionate about chamber music and especially about chamber music for the younger generation. It’s very heartening to see that our art form is alive and well in this generation coming up.' The popularity of Strike A Chord suggests there is room to grow, with additional investment. Smith would like to be able to offer live performance at regional and state finals – rather than performance via video – so that the young ensembles have more opportunities to perform, and to hear and meet their peers from other groups.

Smith, who chairs this week’s jury which includes cellist Howard Penny, pianist Vatche Jambazian, percussionist Tim White and violist Caroline Henbest, says that while Strike A Chord aims to cultivate the social and musical pleasures of chamber music, it is unrealistic to expect the young performers to stay with the same groups for long. Many – like the Cousin Quartet, winners of the inaugural competition in 2020 – will stretch their wings as they enter tertiary study, join youth orchestras and form other groups.

'I look at where our alumni from Strike A Chord have gone, and they are everywhere,' Smith says.

'They are represented at all the conservatoriums, at ANAM in Melbourne, WAAPA in Perth, and ANU. They are also at places like the Royal College of Music in London and in The Hague.

'I never stop being amazed at the level achieved by these young musicians.'

To discuss how you can help Musica Viva Australia, please contact Matthew Westwood, Individual Giving Manager, at mwestwood@musicaviva.com.au or on 0416 286 588.