Conductor Benjamin Northey will deliver the 2026 Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address at Melbourne’s Iwaki Auditorium on 16 November, with the annual forum this year examining the role and future of Australian art music.

Presented by the Australian Music Centre (AMC), the address has been held annually since 1999 and explores ideas around the creation and performance of Australian music.

Benjamin Northey. Photo © Stefanie Zingsheim/Sydney Conservatorium of Music

Titled A Culture of Confidence, Northey’s address will argue that Australian art music’s central challenge is not preservation but “relevance, imagination and connection”. He will examine how greater cultural confidence might be expressed through stronger support for Australian artists and repertoire, deeper audience engagement and a shared responsibility for the future of Australian music.

Northey is one of Australia’s leading conductors and artistic leaders, and has championed Australian music both domestically and internationally. He was recently appointed Professor of Conducting at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music.

AMC CEO Catherine Haridy said Northey had “spent his career championing Australian music on podiums here and around the world” while helping to shape the next generation of conductors.

“We’re honoured to have him deliver this year’s Peggy Glanville-Hicks Address and the discourse this inspires,” Haridy said.

The 2026 Address will also feature performances by ANAM musicians.

The 2026 Peggy Glanville Hicks Address is presented at 6pm on 16 November at Iwaki Auditorium, Southbank Boulevard, Melbourne. Tickets are on sale now.