Are Australian orchestras and musical institutions genuinely embracing Indigenous voices? First Nations writer Emily Thornton looks at Indigenous representation in Australian classical music and explores how much progress has been made.

Chris Williams and Southern Cross Soloists perform music by Sean O’Boyle and Williams for gundirgan, wise woman, one of three works in Queensland Ballet’s 2024 Bespoke season. Created by Wakka Wakka and Kombumerri choreographer Katina Olsen, it celebrates the life of Wakka Wakka Elder Aunty Maureen Williams (Chris’s grandmother). Photo © David Kelly

When William Barton walks into a Sydney Symphony Orchestra Board meeting, he brings with him more than decades of musical experience. “It’s the engine room of change,” he says – a space where long-term decisions about programming, leadership and institutional identity are made.

Barton, a Kalkadunga...