PRO MUSICA, the organisation that runs the Canberra International Music Festival, has been awarded multi-year funding under the Australia Council for the Arts’ Key Organisations “emerging” category. 

This is a significant coup for the organisation, which began as a small group of volunteers, especially as  Pro Musica is the  first ACT music organisation to be awarded this status.

‘Key Organisations’ funding is the Holy Grail of arts funding, supporting as it does,  “outstanding organisations which have demonstrated the potential to become leaders in their artform and part of the national cultural infrastructure”.

Admittdly the  the new funding arrangement provides only a small increase in the funding received each year, but it provides  access to advice and resources to support the  goal of being recognised as Australia’s leading festival of classical and contemporary art music.

Meantime, festival director Chris Latham, entering his final year in that role, has chosen “The Fire and the Rose” as the 2014 keynote theme and intends exploring the centenary of the commencement of WW1 and the 75th anniversary of the outbreak of WW2 through the works of composers who wrote works while serving as soldiers on all sides of the Great War.

The 20th annual Canberra International Music Festival will run  in   Albert Hall, the Fitters Workshop, and other venues around Canberra from  May 9-18 in  2014.