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| Festival of Voices | |
|---|---|
| Name | Festival of Voices |
| Location | Hobart, Tasmania |
| Years active | 2010–present |
| Founded | 2010 |
| Founders | Tasmanian Government; Tasmanian Arts organisations |
| Dates | June–July |
| Genre | Choral music; vocal performance; contemporary music |
Festival of Voices The Festival of Voices is an annual vocal and choral arts festival held in Hobart, Tasmania, featuring a broad program of concerts, workshops, and community events. It attracts internationally renowned ensembles, soloists, composers, and conductors, and forms part of Tasmania's winter arts calendar alongside major events. The festival promotes cross-cultural collaboration and tourism while engaging local choirs, schools, and cultural institutions.
The festival was established in 2010 with support from the Tasmanian Government, the City of Hobart, and arts organisations such as the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian College of the Arts, and Hobart City cultural programs. Early seasons featured collaborations with groups linked to the Australian National University, Sydney Conservatorium, and Melbourne Recital Centre, drawing comparisons with long-running events like the Adelaide Festival and Melbourne International Arts Festival. Over time the program expanded to include partnerships with international entities including the BBC Singers, London Voices, and the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, while hosting guest artists associated with the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, and Carnegie Hall. The festival weathered challenges similar to those facing arts events globally, such as funding pressures, program pivots during the COVID-19 pandemic, and shifts in audience behavior noted by institutions like the Australia Council for the Arts and Creative Victoria.
Administration is shared among arts managers, artistic directors, and cultural agencies; advisory input has come from figures linked to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC Classic, and Tasmanian Arts Ministers. Programming spans choral repertoire from Renaissance works connected to ensembles like The Sixteen and Tallis Scholars to contemporary commissions by composers associated with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Bang on a Can, and Bangarra Dance Theatre. The festival curates crossover events featuring soloists linked to Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Jessye Norman, and Renée Fleming, and experimental projects inspired by collaborations with institutions such as the University of Tasmania, Monash University, and the University of Melbourne. Educational strands coordinate with the Australian National Choral Association, Music Council of Australia, and Choirs Aotearoa New Zealand, while commissioning activity has involved publishers and composers represented by Boosey & Hawkes and Universal Edition.
Primary events occur in Hobart venues including concert halls and heritage sites associated with the Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery, Theatre Royal, and Federation Concert Hall, with satellite events in Salamanca Place, Battery Point, and MONA-adjacent precincts. The festival has also staged concerts in regional settings linked to organizations such as the Tasmanian Regional Arts Network, Queenstown Heritage and Arts Centre, and Burnie Performing Arts Centre, echoing touring models used by Perth Concert Hall and Brisbane Powerhouse. Outdoor programs have taken place in spaces near Hobart City Council landmarks and botanical sites referenced by institutions similar to Royal Tasmanian Botanical Gardens and Parliament House.
Artists who have appeared include conductors and composers associated with the likes of Sir Simon Rattle, Gustavo Dudamel, Marin Alsop, and Esa-Pekka Salonen; soloists and ensembles linked to the Australian Voices, The Australian Brandenburg Orchestra, and Sydney Symphony Choir. Guest appearances have featured singers with careers at the Royal Opera House, La Scala, and Lyric Opera of Chicago, as well as choral directors connected to Emmanuel Music, The Tallis Scholars, and Collegium Vocale Gent. Collaborative projects have involved artists whose profiles intersect with institutions such as the BBC Proms, Glyndebourne Festival Opera, Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and the Salzburg Festival, and commissions have been premiered by composers aligned with Mutual institutions like the Australian Music Centre and international festivals including Aldeburgh and Tanglewood.
Community programs engage school choirs, university ensembles, and community choirs coordinated with groups such as Schools Spectacular, National Youth Choir, and state music education bodies. Outreach initiatives have mirrored models from the El Sistema movement, community music programs run by local councils, and choir development schemes promoted by the Australian Choral Association and Creative New Zealand. Workshops and masterclasses are often led by artists with links to conservatoires like the Royal College of Music, Juilliard School, and Curtis Institute, and partnerships with organisations such as Lifeline Tasmania, Multicultural Council of Tasmania, and Tourism Tasmania broaden participation and accessibility.
The festival has received recognition from state arts awards and tourism bodies including accolades akin to the Tasmanian Hospitality and Tourism Awards, nominations in national arts award circuits like the Helpmann Awards, and commendations from cultural institutions comparable to Museums and Galleries NSW and Arts Queensland. Its commissioning program and artistic leadership have been noted by organisations such as the Australia Council for the Arts, National Trust, and local government cultural grants programs, while media coverage has appeared in outlets like The Australian, The Guardian Australia, ABC Radio National, and The Mercury.
Category:Arts festivals in Australia