Adelaide audiences are being warned that the orchestra could be quietly disappearing from the performing arts, with musicians calling for greater transparency and a renewed commitment to live music in ballet productions.
The growing use of recorded soundtracks in place of live musicians is part of a broader national trend that musicians say threatens both the future of live performance and opportunities for professional artists.
In Adelaide alone, productions from major ballet presenters including West Australian Ballet and The Australian Ballet’s touring program have used recorded music rather than live orchestras over the past year.
Most recently, The Australian Ballet’s On Tour production travelled to Adelaide, Alice Springs and Darwin without live musicians.
For the musicians behind the campaign, what should be an occasional practical solution risks becoming the new normal.
Lachlan Bramble, musician and Media Entertainment & Arts Alliance (MEAA) President for Musicians for SA and NT said, “The relationship between live music and live dance is not incidental to ballet. It is one of the defining features of the art form. The collaboration between dancers and musicians creates performances that are responsive, dynamic and unique. Recorded music cannot replicate that artistic exchange.”
While ballet companies may distinguish between major mainstage productions and regional touring programs, the campaign argues this should not mean audiences in capital cities receive a reduced artistic experience.
Musicians say live accompaniment creates an interaction between performers that changes from night to night, allowing dancers and musicians to respond to one another in real time.
Replacing an orchestra with a recording removes that element, they argue, while also reducing opportunities for professional musicians to perform, collaborate and build sustainable careers in Australia’s arts industry.
The Keep Music Live campaign, supported by the MEAA, is calling for producers to resist making recorded music the default whenever financial or logistical challenges arise.
“We reject the notion that recorded music should become the default option whenever producers face financial or logistical challenges,” said Lachlan. “The choice is not between recorded music and no performance. The challenge is to find solutions that preserve the live artistic collaboration at the heart of performance.
“We have outstanding musicians in every state and territory. Producers should be looking for ways to engage them, not bypass them.”
The campaign also wants audiences to receive clearer information before buying tickets, arguing that people should know whether the production they are seeing features live musical accompaniment or a pre-recorded soundtrack.
“Live music is what audiences rightfully expect when attending ballet. When recorded music is used, producers should clearly disclose that fact when a production is announced and tickets go on sale.
“Audiences deserve to know whether they are buying a performance featuring live artistic collaboration or one relying on a soundtrack. Transparency is the minimum standard.”
The issue comes as Australia continues to face challenges around funding, production costs and the sustainability of the performing arts, with musicians arguing that cutting live accompaniment should not become an easy solution.
For Adelaide, the campaign is urging audiences, producers, arts organisations and governments to consider what could be lost if live music gradually disappears from the stage.
“The future of live performance depends on valuing live music as an essential artistic and cultural contribution, not an optional extra,” said Lachlan.
MEAA says it will continue working with musicians, performers, audiences and arts organisations to keep live music at the centre of Australia’s cultural scene, and make sure future generations can experience the unique energy of a performance happening live in front of them.
