Sounds Australia was proud to be on ground in Berlin last week for the annual Classical:NEXT conference and festival.
More than 20 Australians took part in the event, our largest ever delegation, which included an official showcase from Jane Aubourg.
Jane performed on Anitia Johnson’s instrument/sculpture Play Me Mend Me, a curious assemblage of an unfinished violin, a salvaged crutch, a tobacco tin and blanket. Jane also kindly produced a playlist for the event, which you can find HERE.
Each year, a number of practioners are welcomed to deliver presentations as part of the “Project Pitch” portion of the event. As the name suggests, this provides the opportunity to pitch a project to a room full of festivals and bookers. This year, five Australians were chosen to pitch.
They were Dr. Ciaran Frame (Concerts of the Future: A cutting-edge experience for VR), Burke Turner (Belle Chen’s Ravel in the Forest), Prof. Vanessa Tomlinson (Clocked Out – Australian sonic innovators), Nat Bartsch (Forever Changed: Immersive music celebrating neurodiversity) and Tamara Kohler (A Book of Hours: A sonic and visual feast for the senses).
In addition, Connor D’Netto and Natasha Lin helped lead the “DIY Sector Meet Up”, Belle Chen and Burke Turner hosted two “Off Classical:NEXT” presentations on “New and natural approaches to classical music”, showcasing immersive sound. Dr. Ciaran Frame also led a participatory conference session, “From listening to playing: Reimagining musical participation for art music audiences”, and Tahlia Petrosian presented the film KLASSIK Underground: Shifting Sounds.
The full list of Australians who were featured at Classical:NEXT can be found HERE.
In partnership with the Australian Music Centre, led on ground by CEO Catherine Haridy, Larry and Glenn from Sounds Australia oversaw the Australia stand at the Trade Fair. This activity included a Meet The Australians networking session on the event’s final day, with Tim Tams and Four Pillars Gin on hand. This activity was proudly supported by the Australian Embassy, Berlin
Sounds Australia also oversaw the annual Country Connections networking event, that saw the Australians meet delegates from 14 countries across an hour speed meeting event.
A big thank you to (HOM) Natasha Smith the Australian Ambassador to Germany, and the Australian Embassy for their continued support and to Cultural Affairs Officer Susanne Kalbantner and Public Diplomacy Manager Laura Benjamin who joined us at the opening event.
It was announced at the event that the 2026 event will be held in Budapest, 8-11 April 2026. Applications will open 25th August 2025. For more details head to their official website.
Photos of Jane Aubourg by Christoph Mangler.