1301.0 - Year Book Australia, 2002  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 25/01/2002   
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Music covers all areas of the industry: composition; live performances ranging from the latest pop styles to classical instrumental, vocal and orchestral forms; recording and publishing; studio and concert performances; and the marketing of sheet music.


Attendance at music performances

Attendance at music performances is a significant aspect of the cultural life of Australians. Table 12.13 shows the number of people attending popular and classical music concerts in the 12 months to April 1999. Almost 3.8 million people (25.4% of the Australian population aged 15 and over) attended at least one popular music concert, while 1.3 million (8.8% of the Australian population aged 15 and over) attended at least one classical music concert.


12.13 ATTENDANCE(a) AT MUSIC PERFORMANCES - 1999

Attendees
Popular music concert

’000
Classical music concert

’000

Sex -
- Male
1,844.8
521.2
- Female
1,937.1
789.1
- Total
3,781.8
1,310.3
Age -
- 15 to 24 years
1,086.8
159.0
- 25 to 34 years
936.1
209.1
- 35 to 44 years
751.4
252.6
- 45 to 54 years
571.1
291.8
- 55 to 64 years
269.9
191.5
- 65 years and over
166.6
206.2
Birthplace -
- Australian-born
3,066.8
891.9
- Overseas-born
715.0
418.4

(a) Attendance in the 12 months prior to interview.

Source: Attendance at Selected Cultural Venues, April 1999 (4114.0).


Musica Viva

Musica Viva is Australia's national chamber music entrepreneur. It began life as a performing ensemble - Sydney Musica Viva - on 8 December 1945, as an initiative of violist, conductor and inventor Richard Goldner. Sydney was still in the throes of wartime blackouts when the first concert was held, at the Sydney Conservatorium, with car headlights illuminating the entrance for patrons. A non-profit company with headquarters in Sydney, Musica Viva has a Board with members throughout Australia, a State committee structure and branch offices in capital cities.

Some 2,501 concerts were presented by Musica Viva in 2000 in Australia and overseas, with attendance exceeding 431,000 Australian patrons and in excess of 37,500 overseas patrons (table 12.14).

New market initiatives proved successful with the introduction of the 'Ménage' series of concerts in Sydney for people aged 35 years and younger, and the expansions of its outreach activities into retirement villages with the 'Musica Viva comes to the Village' program.

In 2000, Musica Viva in Schools student audiences topped 368,000 across Australia and in Singapore.


12.14 MUSICA VIVA AUDIENCES(a)

1997

no.
1998

no.
1999

no.
2000

no.

New South Wales
276,889
291,292
274,495
263,162
Victoria
41,929
42,853
34,183
48,096
Queensland
11,118
15,303
22,144
27,608
South Australia
24,209
23,089
16,073
19,624
Western Australia
30,665
43,015
44,474
43,999
Tasmania
8,060
9,599
8,024
11,408
Northern Territory
5,562
4,703
7,171
8,336
Australian Capital Territory
13,919
12,911
12,947
9,102
Australia
412,351
442,765
419,511
431,335
Overseas
20,600
50,000
34,350
37,500
Total
432,951
492,765
453,861
468,835

(a) Includes audiences at regional touring concerts, education concerts, subscription concerts and special events.

Source: Musica Viva Australia.


Symphony Australia Orchestral Network

The Symphony Australia Orchestral Network comprises Australia's six major professional symphony orchestras - Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Queensland Orchestra, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and West Australian Symphony Orchestra - and the national service organisation, Symphony Australia. The network was established as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) over a number of years from 1932. The orchestras and the national service organisation now operate as subsidiary companies of the ABC. The orchestras present live concerts in Australia's major performing arts venues and in free open-air concerts. They also present broadcasts on ABC radio and television, make recordings for international record labels, accompany opera and ballet performances, undertake international tours, and give performances in regional and country areas throughout Australia. In 1999-2000, the six orchestras presented more than 800 concerts to audiences totalling more than 1.1 million people (table 12.15) and reached much larger audiences through their recording and broadcast activities.


12.15 SYMPHONY ORCHESTRAS, Performances and Total Attendances

1998-99

1999-2000

Type of performance
Concerts

no.
Total attendances

no.
Concerts

no.
Total attendances

no.

Paid orchestral concerts
483
701,594
530
744,409
School concerts
242
99,424
203
103,919
Free concerts
29
290,447
49
261,024
Total
754
1,091,465
782
1,109,352

Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Annual Report 1999-2000.


Music businesses

The first comprehensive study of Australian music businesses by the ABS shows that in 1995-96 these businesses had an income of $1,064.0m (table 12.16), about the same size as Australia's book publishing industry. The 541 music businesses comprised record companies, distributors, manufacturers of recorded music, music publishers and sound recording studios.

Total employment was 3,886 persons (including working proprietors), with 60% employed by record companies and distributors, 21% by sound recording studios and the remainder by music publishers and manufacturers.


12.16 MUSIC BUSINESSES, Key Aggregates - 1995-96

Units
Record
companies and distributors
Manufacturers
of recorded
music
Music
publishers
Sound
recording
studios
Total

Businesses at end June 1996
no.
153
23
73
292
541
Employment at end June 1996
no.
2,324
493
269
800
3 886
Income
$m
792.4
95.0
119.9
56.6
1,064.0
Expenses
$m
751.5
82.2
112.1
48.8
994.6
Net capital expenditure
$m
24.5
9.7
6.9
6.5
47.5
Operating profit before tax
$m
48.5
15.5
8.3
7.8
80.1
Profit margin
%
6.1
16.3
6.9
13.8
7.5
Business gross profit
$m
162.1
46.2
17.2
29.9
255.4

Source: Business of Music, Australia (4143.0).



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