A Proposal

The Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields is a strong, healthy, highly regarded festival of classical music which has grown in strength and reputation in its 21        years.

Each January, the festival presents 10 days of classical music – 25 one hour recitals in the heritage buildings of the Ballarat and central highlands goldfields – with some festival meals and other events.

The Organs of the Ballarat Goldfields Inc. is a not-for-profit organisation staffed by volunteers, with the resulting informality and friendliness, which invites and receives local support and a sense of community ownership.

It was established by Sergio de Pieri, well known in Australia from his years here as recitalist,  teacher and founder of festivals. Sergio continues to return each year from Italy to direct the festival.

It was the generosity of some of Australia’s finest musicians which laid the foundation of this festival and continue give recitals here, musicians including Genevieve Lacey, the Ensemble Gombert, Dr Gary Ekkel with Newman Choir, Melbourne’s finest baroque instrumentalists, the Flinders Quartet, Gloriana, Douglas Lawrence and Ormond Choir, Christopher Wrench, John O’Donnell and many more. The festival has held over 530 recitals since January 1996. It has  premiered new works, given musicians the freedom opportunity to create recital programs inspired by the beauty and acoustics of the heritage buildings in this region and by the enthusiastic audiences who are responsive to this creativity.

We have a beautiful, successful festival with audiences totaling between 5,500 and 6,700 each year. From our very beginning we have been determined not to exploit musicians and will pay $115,000 in fees alone this January. Our overall costs will be approximately $230,000.

Our festival has no State or Federal Funding for our January 2017 festival. We already have a large number of bookings and some donations from local businesses and donors. Also, the City of Ballarat has granted $20,000, recognising the benefits the festival brings to the community.

To survive and grow, the festival must present each January a new and exciting program which must be experienced as the festival’s best.

We have reached a point where the very success of the festival endangers its future. We have the support of many brilliant, creative musicians who have consistently attracted large audiences but we cannot keep to a high standard without support.

We would appreciate advice, assistance and especially financial support which we do acknowledge in the program, at recitals.

Comments from musicians

We have received many many letters of support from musicians over the years, the most recent being from Dr Gary Ekkel who wrote{ Oer the twenty one years of its existence, the festival has been an innovator … presenting ground breaking recitals including medieval sung play performed  at teh crack of dawn, a Venetian ‘marriage to the Sae’ on Lake Wendouree, St Matthew Passion using the space of the cathedral to represent the spaces in Jerusalem. He received requests from international musicians to be part of his festival recital this year.

Mark Shiell writes that the festival has an outstanding record for supporting young musicians.

Baroque violinist Simone Slattery writes that the festival is a highlight of her musical year.

Genevieve Lacey’s first performance in our festival, as a Conservatorium student is unforgettable and she has written letters of support and encouragement.

History:

The OBG festival was founded and is directed by Sergio de Pieri, former professor of organ and Composition at the Benedetto Marcello Conservatorium in Venice and former organist there, at Basilica dei Frari, who visited Australia in 1995. In the 1970’s, Sergio had been the founder of the very successful Melbourne International Organ and Harpsichord Festival when in this country as chief organ teacher at the University of Melbourne Conservatorium and organist at St Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne.

Inspired by the beauty, heritage and excellent acoustics of the many bluestone churches scattered through the Ballarat goldfields and by the presence in some of these building of mechanical action pipe organs built by George Fincham in the late 19^th century, Sergio de Pieri decided to create a festival of classical music in this region. Each January, over ten days, the festival would wend its way throughout the beautiful little towns in the region, holding twenty four one hour recitals.

Audiences would enjoy the opportunity to the opportunity to explore of the goldfield heritage including the charming outlying towns with their beautiful buildings established during the gold rush period.

This would be a friendly festival with picnics under the trees in country church yards, with a festival breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Word of the festival spread quickly and even in the early years, audience numbers were large. We very soon needed to provide extra seating and schedule repeat performances.

From its earliest years, the festival has had the support of many of Australia’s finest musicians and international musicians, all of whom have wanted to return.

The Aims of the Festival:

1. To give people in regional Victoria the opportunity to hear live performances of classical music.To increase audience for classical music.
2. To create a highly regarded classical music festival which presents recitals performed by some of Australia’s finest musicians and by acclaimed international musicians.
3. To provide performance opportunities for musicians including young professional musicians to be part of a highly regarded classical music festival.
4. To celebrate the history and heritage of the central highlands goldfields region.

The festival consistently meets these aims. The holding of first rate performances of classical music in country towns brings new, enthusiastic, returning audiences to music. Every year, each of the 24 recitals attracts large audiences. The opening recital and closing recitals have had  audiences of 680 – 700.  During the weekdays, audience numbers are between 200 and 300 during the day and often more in the evening.

The very reasonable ticket prices have been an important factor in bringing new audiences to classical music.  The festival pass, day passes and weekend passes are very popular and encourage people to experience more music. To continue to reach a wide audiences, we are very loathe to increase ticket prices.

Now in its 22nd  year, the OBG festival  has already held well over 500 recitals, each of them different and exciting, each to large, enthusiastic audiences.  New works have been commissioned. Premier performances have been held,  including the first performance of Elena Kats-Chernin’s Reinventions which was performed in the festival by Genevieve Lacey and the Flinders Quartet.

Major works have been presented, St Matthew’s Passion, the B Minor Mass, the Monteverdi Vespers, Mozart Concerti and Requiem, Haydn’s Creation.

International performers have included the Interpreti veneziani,  a Saxophone quartet from Germany , Italian trios, The Apollo Ensemble from the Netherlands, and international soloists from Poland, the Czech republic, Belgium, Austria, the USA, Canada, Japan, Italy, France, Sweden, England and Denmark. Dr Barbara Baird from Oregon, Prof. Florian Pagitch,   and many Australian musicians with international reputations including  Genevieve Lacey, John O’Donnell, Anthony Halliday, the Streeton and the Seraphim Trios.

Choirs have included Newman Choir,  Ornond Choir,Scholar Cantorum, Ensemble Gombert, e21, Gloriana and the Australian Children’s Choir.

The festival has become a significant event in Australia’s music calendar, well known and highly regarded by musicians and audiences alike.

In January 2017, we will see the launch of Fire a new professional Melbourne Chamber Orchestra formed by conductor Mark Shiell.

Each year, interesting and innovative proposals are submitted for recitals from medieval to contemporary music , especially music of the renaissance and baroque.

All are invited to supper in St Patrick’s Hall

We believe that the twenty second festival will be one of the best in our 22 year history.

Judy.Houston, assistant director 5333 1195/ 0401 826 466 c/o Box 157 Ballarat North 3353

judithmhouston@optusnet.com.au

orgfest@hotmail.com  www.ballarat.com/organs