Australia's premier creative music ensemble

 
 
 

About us

Learn more about the Australian Art Orchestra and what we do.

AusArt Day

2025

 

AusArt Day, on Thursday 23 October, is Australia’s first giving day for the arts.

Join Australian Art Orchestra in elevating the essential and impactful work that is achieved by the arts every day.

Australian Art Orchestra and TarraWarra Museum of Art have partnered in creating a Composer in Residency where a composer will live at the residence at TarraWarra for three weeks, accessing the artwork collection, and composing new Australian music to be premiered at the Eva & Marc Besan Centre by Australian Art Orchestra.

This is your opportunity to contribute to securing the funding for this $10,000 commission.

Your generous donation will directly contribute to developing the canon of contemporary Australian cultural assets, and, support the career of emerging Australian creative musicians.

Your gift to the commission facilitates cross-pollination of artist practise, bringing visual arts and music ever closer, which strengthens the foundations and community of our artistic nation.m

JOIN AAO's MAILING LIST TO STAY INFORMED

Adam Manning

and AAO

perform at

New Annual and MIJF

The Australian Art Orchestra will feature at the 2025 New Annual Festival and Melbourne International Jazz Festival with First Nations Artist in Residence Adam Manning’s work First Rhythms.

Reimagining the ancient resonance of clapsticks through a contemporary lens, First Rhythms brings together traditional percussive elements, modern instrumentation, improvisation, and multimodal visual art. At the heart of the work is an Indigenous understanding that everything is alive and carries a pulse—the heartbeat of Country

First Rhythms will feature the dynamic interplay of some of Australia’s top improvising musicians, creating an experience that’s as technically masterful as it is culturally resonant. The work offers deep insight into the ongoing relevance and application of First Nations knowledge systems in contemporary art forms, demonstrating how rhythm can act as a bridge between ancestral memory and present-day creative practice.

First Rhythms will be presented at Harold Lobb Concert Hall in Newcastle on Thursday 2 October at 7:30pm and Melbourne Recital Centre on Sunday 19 October at 7pm.

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