Open Score – MSO’s 120th Anniversary Community Composition Project

For 120 years, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has helped shape the sound of Melbourne – and the many communities, places and people within it. In 2026, the MSO is opening the score.

Open Score is a bold new community composition initiative launched as part of the MSO’s 120th anniversary, inviting people of all ages and backgrounds to celebrate with the MSO by creating and sharing their own original music in response to a theme: Sense of Place.

Open to everyone across Australia, Open Score removes traditional barriers to orchestral music-making. No formal musical training is required – the project offers an open opportunity for anyone with an idea, sound, or story to express it through music.

“Open Score is part of our ongoing commitment to access, inclusion and shared cultural ownership. It celebrates creativity in all its forms and reflects our belief that orchestral music belongs not just on the concert hall stage, but in the lives, places and imaginations of people everywhere,” MSO CEO Richard Wigley said.

Open Score prioritizes expression above technical perfection, with participants encouraged to explore their own sense of place through music – reflecting on who they are, where they call home and why, and what music means to them.

The initiative will capture a musical snapshot of community for the Orchestra’s 120^th year, through personal responses that connect identity, memory, and place through sound.

Participants of any age or background are invited to submit a 1-2 minute original, unperformed work that is not AI-generated.

Submissions will be reviewed throughout the year by the MSO’s Artistic and Learning & Engagement teams. Selected works may be recorded by MSO musicians, shared across MSO digital and social platforms, and in rare cases, workshopped or performed live. Selected composers will receive a recording of their work.

For further information, terms and conditions, visit mso.com.au