In 2027, Made in Melbourne enters a new chapter, with pianist, artistic director and educator Stewart Kelly taking the reins as Artistic Director of 3MBS’s annual concert series.
Stewart is already well known to the 3MBS community, having volunteered as a presenter for many years and previously hosted a weekly program. Beyond the station, his extensive experience in chamber music and artistic direction includes founding and directing Music by the Springs, presenting Stewart Kelly and Friends at Melbourne Recital Centre for seven years, and directing concert series including Con Brio at HOTA Gold Coast.
For Stewart, Made in Melbourne is an opportunity to bring together established artists, emerging musicians and composers in concerts that span the musical canon through to new Australian work.
“The series will be a celebration of local talent, great music, intellectual curiosity, Australian stories and coming together as a community,” says Stewart. “The performances will become known as unmissable pillars of Melbourne’s rich musical life.”
The 2027 season opens on 14 March with Big Ambitions, a spectacular chamber music concert featuring many of Melbourne’s finest musicians at Hawthorn Arts Centre, in a program filled with vitality and colour.
Across the year, Made in Melbourne will explore musical connections between generations, genres and art forms. Concerts at Kew Court House in May will bring established artists together with emerging musicians who have performed through 3MBS programs including The Talent and the Young Performer Award. In August, a collaboration with JazzLab will explore the connections between classical and jazz, while the season will conclude in November with a new Shaping Soundscapes collaboration with the Justin Art House Museum responding to its 2027 exhibition.
It’s a season that reflects Stewart’s vision for Made in Melbourne: welcoming audiences who have loved classical music for a lifetime, while creating opportunities for those discovering it for the first time.
Tickets for Big Ambitions will be on sale soon at 3mbs.org.au
Image taken by Trish Dean