At its inception, Richard Goldner's Sydney Musica Viva, as it was then called, was a string ensemble comprising 17 European immigrants, who were excluded from playing in Australian orchestra's by the Musicians' Union of Australia.
Let down by Sydney's unreliable post-war power supply, the concert took place in darkness save the headlights of several cars parked in the doorway of the auditorium, and lighting provided by a generator in the foyers.
[9] Since 1991, when it was founded by Marco van Pagee, a lecturer at the Victorian College of the Arts,[10] the Melbourne International Chamber Music Competition (MICMC[11]) has been staged every four years.
Wilma Smith, previously concertmaster of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, was appointed artistic director of the competitions, and works alongside the Victorian general manager.
[17] In 2009, the MICMC was complemented by the Asia-Pacific Chamber Music Competition, with each held at the newly opened Melbourne Recital Centre (MRC)[17][16] alternately on a four-year cycle.
[14] In its inaugural year, Anna Goldworthy,[17] Tokyo String Quartet member Koichiro Harada, and Scottish cellist Alasdair Tait were on the panel of six jurors.
[21] In 2012, Musica Viva ran a program called Rising Stars – an initiative that provides purposeful performance-based and practical training opportunities for three emerging Australian chamber ensembles each year.
[23] In 2014, The Guardian named Musica Viva in Schools' Interactive Whiteboard as one of the ten global R&D projects that were changing arts and culture.
This is a two-year program in which young musicians participate in intensive sessions with leading artists, directors, and consultants from a range of industries and sectors.