Orchestras

In December 1996, the Cultural Ministers Council established the Orchestras Working Group.

Its role was to progress common policy, and financial and management issues in establishing the ABC Concert Music Division and each ABC state orchestra as an ABC subsidiary company over the following three years.

This model provided the orchestras with greater local ownership, autonomy and operational and administrative flexibility, while maintaining the benefits of a national orchestra network and continued association with the ABC.

Symphony Australia Holdings Pty Ltd, which took over the functions of the ABC Concert Music Division and managed the transition of the orchestra to ABC subsidiary companies, commenced operation on 1 July 1997. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra were incorporated on 1 July 1997. The West Australian Symphony Orchestra was incorporated in January 1998 and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra was incorporated in July 1999.

For background information about the Orchestras Working Group see the communiqués of the 12th meeting of the Cultural Ministers Council (17 December 1996) and the 13th meeting (28 February 2008) at the Cultural Ministers Council website http://www.cmc.gov.au/media_releases.