CEO's Report

In the last ten days I've been given several reminders of why music remains one of the most positive and powerful of all forms of expression. On Tuesday evening the wonderful Con Brio string ensemble played a beautiful selection of works for an appreciative audience (with my favourite Bach composition, Bist Du Bei Mir, as the opening piece). Two nights later a sell-out crowd enjoyed the vocal wizardry of The Idea of North ensemble in the Town Hall, and watched the first two items on the program being co-presented by our own New England Singers. Just two days later the NECOM Percussion Ensemble presented their first public performance in the Armidale Mall as one of the headline acts for the new Colour New England street art festival, with our Dixieland Band filling out the program earlier in the day with an hour of traditional jazz. 24 hours later, 100 students from the Armidale Youth Orchestra, String Orchestra and Wind Ensemble presented 90 minutes of high-quality music at the annual Rosemary Leitch Garden Party.

As I always do after any presentation, I ask audience members what they thought of the performances, and amongst the many varied (and always positive) comments I am usually offered this - "Armidale is so fortunate to have musicians of this calibre". I'm delighted when patrons use the word "fortunate" in place of "lucky", for luck plays no part in this. High quality performance is the by-product of excellent teaching and inspiring leadership. Music as an art form can and does have a positive influence on the quality of life for all, if nurtured and taught and delivered in a positive way. Chief among my favourite memories for 2019 will have to be watching our tireless Head of Strings, Ms Joanna Fairs-Wu, dancing in the Mall with some of our Music Therapy clients to the tune of Down By The Riverside played by the Dixie Six.

Sadly, I only have another nine months to bank up my memories of NECOM, for life has dealt our family some new cards that we hadn't anticipated when we moved here. In December I shall travel back to Brisbane to join my family, but until then there is much to do and several exciting projects to see through to their conclusion. I make this announcement public now so that the NECOM Board and management have sufficient time to cast a wide net and find a suitable replacement. With NECOM's national reputation for excellence in Music Education, I feel confident that the Board will be able to attract a very high standard of applicant to take this leading Conservatorium into its next phase.

Russ Bauer

NECOM CEO