Saturday 13 & Sunday 14 April – AUSTA Q Mini-Conference

Registration is open!

AUSTA Q’s Mini-Conference has discounted registration during the early bird period. Register before 20th March and save. All registrations must close 10th April.
https://www.trybooking.com/CPFVL

AUSTA Q is very excited to be presenting Ed Le Brocq as the keynote speaker at the AUSTA Q Mini-Conference 2024.

Ed Le Brocq is a musical adventurer, teacher, writer, broadcaster and transgender man. He was born on the White Cliffs of Dover and began playing music when he was six years old. He studied viola in Manchester, Berlin and London, and played professionally in the UK and Hong Kong. After a decade of performances throughout Asia, including for the Hong Kong Handover in 1997, Ed decided on a new path, literally, and travelled by bicycle from England to Hong Kong, with only a violin for company. The journey took him a year and went through Europe, Iran, Pakistan, India and China. The trip was eventually chronicled in Cadence, Ed’s first book and a national bestseller.

After immigrating to Australia in 2003, and after a character-building year scrubbing dishes in St Kilda, Ed eventually began broadcasting with ABC Classic FM. He spent many years hosting the cult hit breakfast programme and doing things like cycling to the source of the Ganges in his spare time.

After more than a decade in the ABC studios, Ed decided he needed to get out and about again and applied for a job teaching cello to street children and orphans at the Afghanistan National Institute of Music in Kabul. Eddie’s second book Danger Music is about this turbulent, life-changing year, where he survived the threat of bombs, kidnappings, beginner string players and hormone-charged teenagers. It was during this year that Ed finally accepted the man within and began his transition from female to male. Emma became Ed just before his fiftieth birthday. Better late than never.

Ed’s fifth book Sound Bites – Following the Bendy Path of Classical Music from Ancient Times to Today was released in August 2023.

Schedule is available on the event page as well as here:

SATURDAY 14 & SUNDAY 15 SEPTEMBER – AUSTA Q Professional Weekend

Registration is now open!
https://www.trybooking.com/CROZB

Rob McWilliams
Ph.D., M.Mus., B.Mus.Ed.
Conducting Intensive Weekend

Whether you are an early career or highly experienced ensemble director, this workshop aims to build and strengthen your perspective on the craft of conducting and the art of ensemble direction. No ensemble director can afford to miss this invaluable event.

AUSTA Q Reading Day Register Here

AUSTA Q’s hugely popular Reading Day in on again this February. We look forward to welcoming all AUSTA members and colleagues to this event, and is not to be missed by any ensemble directors. While the reading day will have a local focus a few of the best shortlisted pieces from the International reading day will be included. The short AGM will follow the reading day at 12pm. Then we invite you all to catch up with colleagues and friends over lunch kindly supplied by Music Fest.