COMPOSING WOMEN - CONSTANTINOPLE TO MELBOURNE - A CONCERT THAT EXPANSIVELY EXPLORES TWELVE CENTURIES OF VISIONARY MUSIC BY WOMEN COMPOSERS

Saturday 24th October 2015, 2pm,
Collins Street Baptist Church,
174 Collins Street, Melbourne CBD.

I wanted to put on a concert that showcased a great variety of women composers, performed by a marvelous group of performers!  So we have sacred music from 9th century Constantinople, music from the Court of Louis XIV, 19th century American music and contemporary works by Canadian, Australian and New Zealand composers. And lots more besides.


"A wonderful group of performers performing a fabulous array of composers, 
who happen to be women! I encourage you to support the first of a great initiative." 
Merlyn Quaife AM - Melbourne's best-loved soprano!

Performers: Judith Dodsworth soprano, Kathleen Solose piano/harpsichord, Lachlan Dent cello, Johanna Selleck flute, Hamish Gould countertenor. 

          


Composers: Kassia Hildegard of Bingen Antonia Bembo Fanny Mendelssohn Clara Schumann Amy Beach Amadis Lacheta Heather Schmidt Susan Frykberg Johanna Selleck Larysa Kuzmenko


        

A detailed budget has been drawn up to include the expenses of performance and administrative fees, bonuses, rental, recording, marketing, promotion, publicity.  Income is from  crowd-funding, ticket sales and private start-up money. Performers have been gauranteed a minimum payment which will be augmented by bonuses based on ticket sales.

There are two main obstacles to success for this project - either unsuccessful crowd-funding or low ticket sales. However, I have a number of strategies to make sure these things don't happen.
1. Each person involved in the concert is supplying 5 people who they are almost certain will contribute. Since there are six of us, that gives us 30 names. In addition, they are supplying another ten names who are 'likely' to give. Finally, I have a large network of potential contributors. I have done crowd-funding before with  Boosted in New Zealand and have been very successful.
2. A push on ticket sales will begin in a week. Again, each of the performers will be expected to sell a number of tickets. I also have some two-for-one deals being offered to The Melbourne Composers League and the Lyrebird Society. Finally, each of us has many connections in the city and so we are confident of selling a minimum of 150 tickets.