Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Australian Chamber Orchestra partnership combines musical and educational excellence

Creative partnerships have the unique power to spark innovation and push boundaries, blending diverse ideas, skills, and perspectives into something entirely new. The best partnerships are greater than the sum of their parts, as collaborators bring fresh insights and complementary strengths to the table. One such partnership between two powerhouse music institutions, the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music at the University of Melbourne and the Australian Chamber Orchestra (ACO), has recently re-inked a seven-year extension to their original 2020 agreement. The partnership renewal will launch in 2025, the same year that the ACO will celebrate its milestone 50^th anniversary.

Professor Richard Kurth, Director of the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, who was there when the original partnership was established, is thrilled that the Conservatorium’s students will continue to benefit from the ACO’s musical expertise and virtuosity.

“When I first met with the team at the ACO, I was immediately impressed, and that’s continued to be the case,” says Richard. “The thing about the ACO that is so remarkable is how dynamic they are in terms of their performing energy and accuracy.  The way they program their concerts is always interesting, and even a bit risky. They try things that other performing organisations maybe wouldn’t have the guts to do.”

The original partnership was championed by Martyn Myer, chair of the ACO board, former Deputy Chancellor of the University of Melbourne and generous supporter of both the Conservatorium and the Victorian College of Arts. It is also supported by the Sidney Myer University Trust.

“Martyn was really a driving force in bringing the two parties togetherinto a collaboration,a partnership,” explains Associate Professor Curt Thompson, Head of Strings at the Conservatorium.

“We are excited that not only has the partnership has been renewed, but it’s also been strengthened. The ACO have always been great colleagues, and they are really enthusiastic about working with our students.”

The partnership with the ACO provides immense benefit for current bachelor, honours, masters and doctoral students at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music. The students are invited to participate in two intensive ensemble training and side-by-side experiences with the elite ACO musicians each year, as well as masterclasses and professional development workshops.

“The main focus of the intensives is performance. They work as an entire string ensemble together, playing side by side with members of the orchestra,” explains Richard.

“The students will also usually work with Richard Tognetti, the Artistic Director of the ACO and lead violinist. In that session, the students are entirely playing on their own, but they are responding to an artistic mentor who is an international leader, which is very exciting for them. The students grow a lot throughout the intensives.”

Current Master of Music (Orchestral Performance) student Phoebe Fan attended an intensive at the ACO’s venue, ACO On The Pier, in Sydney’s Walsh Bay in 2024.

“Despite the short timeframe of two or three days, the ACO intensives are always full of a variety of experiences, each of which offers something different,” explains Phoebe.

“When playing side-by-side with the ACO musicians, we had the chance to not only see how they rehearse from the outside, as listeners, but to experience it all personally. We could challenge ourselves to match their playing and blend into their sound as closely as possible, to move when and how they did, and to keep trying to find the right balance between following and leading.”

“It was also just really exciting, albeit a little intimidating, to play amongst them, and feel how they moved and reacted with each other and with us, and to be a part of that,” continues Phoebe

The partnership not only benefits current students, but can also lead to some exciting graduate outcomes for those nearing the end of their studies. Conservatorium graduate and cellist Eliza Sdraulig participated in ACO’s Emerging Artist program, an initiative that connects young musicians at the beginning of their professional careers with the ACO, offering a program of immersive learning, personalised mentorship, and opportunities to perform alongside seasoned professionals.

“My time as an Emerging Artist with the Australian Chamber Orchestra was a pivotal moment in my musical development as a cellist. My mentors always encouraged and respected my individual musicianship while pushing me to explore new and different ways of approaching and understanding music,” says Eliza.

“The partnership is a wonderful opportunity for Melbourne Conservatorium of Music students to be able to work alongside these ACO musicians. As a graduate of the Conservatorium now working professionally, I believe there is no more important time in your musical development as your early adult life. Working alongside the musicians of the ACO during this pivotal stage and beyond has made me a more curious, adventurous and open-minded musician.”

Working alongside the musicians of the ACO has made me a more curious, adventurous and open-minded musician

The mentorship from the ACO members also helps current students to acquire the skills and knowledge they will need for life as a professional musician.

“There are so many things that we can pick up on: how to communicate (both verbally and musically), ways to form musical interpretation and technically achieve that, and how to listen, react, lead, and rehearse,” lists Phoebe.

“Almost all of these are useful to everyday life, but definitely apply to solo, chamber, and orchestral playing in some way. By being more aware of these things and applying them to our practice, rehearsals, and performances, we can improve so much more effectively and grow much faster into better musicians.”

“Performing in an ensemble is a little bit like being in a shoal of fish, where everything must react in synchronicity. So, the skills that the students get from working alongside the ACO musicians are skills that will not only help them in their professional careers, but in their lives more generally,” echoes Curt.

Another exciting opportunity that has emerged from the partnership is the Conservatorium’s participation in co-commissioning a new work alongside the ACO and a consortium of international string chamber ensembles.

“The work is being completed now in the ACO. I think it will premiere in the second half of the 2025 season, and we'll likely work on it with them, which will be a really great experience for our students,” explains Richard.

“The opportunity to see how the ACO creates a new work and learn from them is something that may only happen every four or five years, so it’s very exciting. We are the only educational institution involved in the commissioning process for this work, so it is a unique educational experience for our students.”

As an institution dedicated to providing educational opportunities for musicians of varying ages and backgrounds, the ACO will also be launching their acclaimed ACO Foundations program in Victoria. The Foundations program was created to ensure that students from low socio-economic status schools have access to high-quality music education. The program provides students in years 1-3 with a violin or cello, along with weekly lessons from a specialist instrumental teacher, daily group practice sessions with their classroom teacher, and opportunities to participate in ensembles and performances.

“The ACO are currently in the process of selecting the school they will work with. Here at the Conservatorium, we are assisting them with some advisory elements, and our students will be involved in different ways once it evolves,” explains Richard.

“There'll be opportunities for our students to interact and contribute to the Foundations program. And it allows both the University and the ACO to contribute to music education in places where it wouldn't otherwise happen.”

Learn more the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and Australian Chamber Orchestra on their websites.