Peggy Glanville-Hicks

The Australian Music Centre has revealed the details of the 2021 annual Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address which will be presented as a livestream panel discussion featuring three musically diverse panellists, ethno-jazz pianist and composer Zela Margossian, unconventional, tradition-challenging composer and percussionist Bree van Reyk and singer, composer and improviser Sia Ahmad. The conversation will be available to be streamed live for free consumption at 1:30pm AEDT on Thursday November 4.

Chosen for their musical breadth and depth, their leadership, courageousness and interesting career paths, the revered panel will explore the diversity of our Australian music community, how we connect with each other, and how we can support each other's creative output, building capacity for a more sustainable future.

"In the past, the Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address has been delivered by some incredible creators and inspirational leaders in the music community. This year we are excited to be approaching things a little differently with the panel discussion," explains Australian Music Centre CEO, Catherine Haridy. "In a world that has been irrevocably shaken by the Covid19 pandemic, Australian music and artistic practice has evolved and changed to address its environment. I'm most excited about hearing our esteemed panellists' inspirational stories, their perseverance and their ability to build their capacity for creativity through an unusually challenging period of time." 

The Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address is an annual forum for ideas relating to the creation and performance of Australian music. Named after the Australian composer Peggy Glanville-Hicks, it has been igniting debate and highlighting crucial issues since its establishment in 1999.

Sia Ahmad (artist name, Shoeb Ahmad) who released her new album Facade on Provenance Collective on Friday, enthuses, "What an honour to be part of this year's Address and to share that honour with two other wonderful femme-identifying artists. I'm really excited to be able to speak about the notion of creative community and how important it is for us in these unpredictable and trying times (be it because of a pandemic or in a world with less funding for the arts). Diversity is what keeps creativity thriving and evolving, seeing/hearing different lived experiences re-evaluating the history already there, and thinking about new ideas is so exciting and so relevant to having a rich future ahead of us."

Zela Margossian who released new single Forecast on October 1 and has her second Zela Margossian Quintet album set for release on February 25 on Ropeadope, muses, "Diversity is an essential part in any community and is a great binding force in the creative sphere of the arts. Specifically, in the music sphere, diversity brings about unique relationships through music. Exchanging ideas and learning from one another's cultural heritage and musical traditions bring about distinct collaborations and interesting projects. Contribution creates connection and connection creates a network of support which is essential during uncertain times such as the one we are experiencing right now."

"Sustainability and diversity are hugely important considerations for all humans," explains Bree van Reyk whose opera The Invisible Bird, premiered in 2020 as part of Sydney Chamber Opera's 'Breaking Glass' project. "As artists, it's been a very difficult period in terms of financial and career prospects/downfalls and I've found myself questioning what it means for me to be making music in this era. I've been thinking a lot about not just sustainability but nourishment, and how I can develop my practice as an artist to not just survive or 'get by' amongst the busyness, but to actively foster nourishment, generosity and slowness as artistic acts."

Proud to have joined the Australian Music Centre (AMC) this year, Haridy's energy and drive to lead the business is unmistakable, equipped with an impressive career of experience, she offers insight on what's ahead for the AMC, saying, "We are committed to diversity, representation and equity. This is a theme which will permeate across all areas of our service. There's also a continued emphasis on advocacy, continued support of the music education sector and capacity-building opportunities for our artists while supporting and connecting the community."

The Peggy Glanville-Hicks 2021 panel discussion will go live here at 1:30pm AEDT on Thursday November 4