Avi Avital & Erin Helyard Program Guide | September 2022

STORIES TO INSPIRE
BY REMI HARVEY
MUSICA VIVA AUSTRALIA SUPPORTING THE NORTHERN
RIVERS MUSIC COMMUNITY IN A TIME OF NEED
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Lior Attar and the Tinalley String Quartet at Southern Cross University.
Over half of the audience attended thanks to subsidised tickets.
Image courtesy of the Hon Ben Franklin MLC.
Musica Viva Australia was set to present four
concerts and a number of workshops at the
Northern Rivers Conservatorium this year,
an important presenting partner for our
extensive regional touring program. Sadly,
these plans were not realised as intended. The
devastating floods of February and March left
the Conservatorium nearly destroyed, with
two of its three floors completely submerged.
Not a single instrument in the building was
salvageable.
Shocked by the damage and in the spirit
of Musica Viva Australia’s longstanding
friendship with the Conservatorium,
our CEO Hywel Sims reached out to the
Conservatorium’s Executive Director Anita
Bellman: ‘Musica Viva Australia has a deep
and longstanding connection to Lismore
– we’ve been touring to schools and the
Conservatorium there for many years. As soon
as we heard news of the flooding, I contacted
Anita Bellman and asked how we could help.
Anita and I came up with the idea of providing
free seats at concerts and, separately, we also
decided to provide free tours to local schools.
We were determined to continue providing
live music to the region and, thankfully,
we were able to do so. At the first concert,
more than 250 people took advantage of
our free seats initiative – proof that music is
most needed when times are tough. We look
forward to providing more free seats at the
rest of this year’s concerts in Lismore.’
Southern Cross University is generously
providing space for the scheduled concerts
and activities to take place, while artist
fees for concerts and workshops are being
covered by Musica Viva Australia donors.