Music Australia has announced the latest recipients of the Export Development Fund. Now in its sixth round, the matched funding initiative will give $1,010,688 to 65 projects aiming to expand the international reach of emerging and established artists.

Composer Ayda Akbal. Photo courtesy of Ayda Akbal

The Fund offers three different streams – Performance and Touring ($615,290), Professional and Artistic Development ($251,252) and Market and Audience Development ($144,146). It supports makers of contemporary Australian music, includin the genres pop, jazz, electronic and classical music.

Turkish-Australian stage and screen composer Ayda Akbal will use the support to undertake the International Screen Music Mentorship in Los Angeles with Joy Music House, learning with CEO Catherine Joy. In 2024, Akbal was an inaugural nominee for the Screen Music Award’s Emerging Composer of the Year and in 2023, was awarded an American Australian Association scholarship to intern for Joy Music.

Eishan Ensemble. Photo courtesy of Eishan Ensemble

Composer Mary Finsterer has also been named amongst the recipients in this round of the Fund, as has jazz multi-instrumentalist Audrey Powne, the Persian jazz Eishan Ensemble,...