NOMINATION: Excellence in a Regional Area
For activity undertaken in a regional area, utilising Australian repertoire to create a positive impact for the local community. A regional area is defined as Australian areas outside of capital cities.
If you believe you are nominated in the wrong category or the details of your nomination to be incorrect, please contact the AMC via email at awards@australianmusiccentre.com.au before proceeding with the nomination.
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Nominee
Nat Bartsch
Nominated Project/Activity
Hope regional Victorian tour
Nominator Statement
In 2023 Nat adapted the live show of her album Hope to perform in regional towns, in collaboration with local string ensembles. This created a unique opportunity for collaboration - not just between city and country artists, but between an established artist and emerging/student performers. It also allowed her to perform the music with people who were heavily impacted by the Black Summer bushfires the music was inspired by.
Hope is an ARIA-nominated album first released on ABC Classic in 2021. Nat reflects upon the events of 2020 in this suite for piano, string quartet and ambient effects. She composed the pieces with the smell of bushfire smoke in Nats home, and during Melbournes long covid-19 lockdowns. The title is an abbreviation of hopefulness and hopelessness, with Nats lyrical, beautiful music exploring the space between. Ultimately, however, the listener is left with a feeling of catharsis the album is a mindful acknowledgement of all we have been through, enabling the listener to look towards the future with a sense of hope.
Since the albums release, Nat has performed Hope across Australia with professional string players, and scaled her project to various ensemble sizes (from orchestra to solo piano). For this regional tour, Nat further adapted her music to accomodate string players with limited recent performance experience (such a new parents and teaching professionals) and early tertiary students (through John Nobles iTet program).
She travelled to regional Victoria several times to rehearse with different ensembles, and performed in Ararat, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale. The performances were deeply moving for local audiences, living in areas directly impacted by the fires in 2020 and 2023.
This tour has created a template for further community-engaged performances of Hope into the future.
Nominee
Nat Bartsch
Nominated Project/Activity
Hope regional Victorian tour
Hope is an ARIA-nominated album first released on ABC Classic in 2021. Nat reflects upon the events of 2020 in this suite for piano, string quartet and ambient effects. She composed the pieces with the smell of bushfire smoke in Nats home, and during Melbournes long covid-19 lockdowns. The title is an abbreviation of hopefulness and hopelessness, with Nats lyrical, beautiful music exploring the space between. Ultimately, however, the listener is left with a feeling of catharsis the album is a mindful acknowledgement of all we have been through, enabling the listener to look towards the future with a sense of hope.
Since the albums release, Nat has performed Hope across Australia with professional string players, and scaled her project to various ensemble sizes (from orchestra to solo piano). For this regional tour, Nat further adapted her music to accomodate string players with limited recent performance experience (such a new parents and teaching professionals) and early tertiary students (through John Nobles iTet program).
She travelled to regional Victoria several times to rehearse with different ensembles, and performed in Ararat, Traralgon, Sale and Bairnsdale. The performances were deeply moving for local audiences, living in areas directly impacted by the fires in 2020 and 2023.
This tour has created a template for further community-engaged performances of Hope into the future.