Street Notes

Abstract

<p>'Street Notes' was a two-week outdoor and livestreamed classical music festival in Western Sydney. Six mini concerts of music ranging from the Baroque period to 2021 were presented to the public to invigorate and alter public spaces with sound. The project asked: how can classical music be used to invigorate and alter public spaces emerging from COVID lockdowns in 2020. The curatorship of the project brought together eight emerging composers and performers of classical music. The artists were guided through rehearsal and repertoire choice by the artistic director. This was the first-time unrelated repertoire by women composers, composers-of-colour and new world premieres was performed in an outdoor festival in Western Sydney. The artistic director visited the locations and worked with the performers to choose appropriate repertoire for each location creating bespoke concerts for the public demonstrating a new curatorial methodology. The project blended aspects of and considered formal music performance, busking as well as the nature of fixed and transient audiences of classical music.</p>