In
Australia
The
success of Australian artists on the world stage in
the fields of both classical and contemporary music
has long since established the fact that the country's
musical heart beats loudest in the city of Sydney.
Sydney
is one of the most beautiful cities in the world,
and with its golden sprawling beaches and magnificent
harbour, this vibrant metropolis will become even
more exciting as the end of the millennia approaches,
and the Summer Olympic Games find their way to this
Pacific paradise in the year 2000.
Sydney
has always been noted as the country's cultural epicentre.
With its much lauded Art Gallery, its museums and
festivals, and of course its famous Opera House, the
city combines baroque and classical-period European
charm with the country's unique blend of urban and
rural flavours. Like much of Australia, Sydney is
a city of extremes - the fast pace of weekly city
living is juxtaposed against the long lazy weekends,
when locals lap the sun by surfing the Bondi breaks
or cruising into the pleasing cool of the majestic
Blue Mountains. Hot and sultry summer days often break
into terrifically inspiring thunderstorms during the
holidays months that surround Christmas. Winter remains
pleasingly moderate, and provides the perfect time
to travel into the rolling green of the Southern Highlands,
where the chill of the Tasman Sea crowns the tops
of the Snowy Mountains with a cap of powder snow.
For
the international student based in this fabulous city,
Sydney also offers the combination of cultural and
sporting events. Summer sports such as cricket and
tennis see international stars compete in some of
the world's most prestigious grand slam events, while
winter sees the kick-off the country's most exalted
sports: rugby and Australian-Rules Football.
But
if Australians are to be thought of as a sports-mad
bunch, it is a love secondary only to that of fine
dining in one of the city's many world-famous restaurants.
The culinary delights of establishments such as Doyle's
famous seafoods are complemented by the breathtaking
sight of the sun setting over the crystal waters of
the harbour.
The
annual celebration of the nation's foundation takes
place in late January, where crowds gather in the
city's Rocks district where Australia's colonial past
merges with its contemporary technology.
It
is when the sun goes down that the city comes to life,
with its numerous clubs and nightspots. Touring international
musical artists frequent Sydney's purpose-built Entertainment
Centre, and the surrounding Darling Harbour complex
that houses its own collection of restaurants and
exclusive gift shops, as well as the elegance of the
newly opened Star City Casino. A short stroll through
the beauty of sculptured gardens sees a market flourish
with all the excitement and carnival atmosphere for
which Sydney has become renowned. Chinatown acts as
the gateway to the city proper, where shops sporting
every designer label imaginable line bustling streets.
Multistory skyscapers that open mimic the skyline
of overseas locations such as New York, play home
to the South Pacific offices of many of the world's
largest corporations, broadening the opportunities
for employment for students from both local and international
heritage.
It
is here in these cosmopolitan surrounding that many
of the country's leading artists transpire. Sydney's
salubrious eastern suburb districts house many of
the country's leading cultural institutions, the Australian
Institute of Music amongst them. The Institute interacts
with other cultural institutions and organisations
to ensure the success of its students. The city's
theatre district is but a stone's throw away, where
many of the world's major musicals play; be it the
latest taste of Andrew Lloyd-Webber, or the Rocky
Horror Show. Sydney's Symphony Orchestra resides nearby,
alone with the Australian Opera and Chamber Orchestra.
Such groups stand at the pinnacle of the performing
arts in this country; however, Australia has always
managed to spawn some of the finest rock and contemporary
rock musicians as well.
Given
that Australians love a good drink, the local tradition
of Aussie guitar-driven rock and roll has nurtured
a string of musicians who have honed their wares on
the infamous pub-rock circuit: INXS, Mid-night Oil,
Silverchair, even Air Supply, grew up in the public
eye as they touted their talents to discerning crowds.
As a result, the world's major record labels have
always maintained a keen interest in the domestic
music scene, and have their own Sydney-based offices,
whilst 20th Century Fox are currently constructing
a new world-class studio complex.
A
city of contrasts and diverse talent, Sydney is a
wonderfully warn and hospitable place to visit or
even better, study. It is a city that is young and
colourful, and brimming with opportunities for those
that wish to pursue their creative talents, or simply
bathe in the warm glow of a summer's day. There's
not a swag, billy-can or kangaroo to be seen you've
got to go bush as a welcome to a place that possesses
all the facilities that a major city must, with the
charm that only the land down under can provide.
Author
Duane
Shore
Student Information Officer
The Australian Institute if Music
