It's a shame. The end of the Howard era was an economic, environmental and social necessity, but the artistic left (of which I consider myself a part) was kidding itself if it thought that things were going to somehow get better under the Labor government. I am shocked and devastated, but 100% unsurprised.

ANAM is the only institution in the country capable of providing an environment where excellence is not only nurtured, but encouraged. My experience of attempting to excel in a university environment has been a difficult, solitary, and depressingly autodidactic one. They are also the only institution in Australia putting on truly regular concert and lecture seasons, and have developed a surprisingly loyal following comprising all sectors of the Melbourne population.

One of the many great things about ANAM is that it is not a university. It doesn't offer a degree, and seems therefore to be able to avoid the bowdlerisation by enrollment-hungry bureaucrats that has plagued (say) the University of Melbourne other institutions.

The focus of ANAM is not on training musicians, but on developing them.
And my understanding is that the institution is run pretty much on sweat and goodwill. The amount that the government has decided could be put to better use in 'educating classical musicians' is a paltry AUD$2.5m (about 50p, at the moment...). The notion that the government could set up some other institution for developing musicians to an elite level for such a sum is a total furphy. Even if such were to happen, it would be years before the quality would reach anything like the level demonstrable at ANAM.

Last Friday I saw a performance of the Carter clarinet concerto given by ANAM. I would describe the overall performance as 'good' (not excellent). But it was a far more accurate and dedicated performance than one is accustomed to expect from any of the major orchestras in this country. And the (admittedly smallish) South Melbourne Town Hall was nearly full.

If there are, indeed, legitimate concerns about the relevance of an institution like ANAM, this should be addressed by an increase in funding in order to allow the scope of their operations to increase (I would like, for example, to have seen a composition programme...).

Australia is a nation that produces exceptional musicians, but it does so despite an almost inescapable culture of mediocrity, and a musical education system that has appeared to be in slow-motion collapse for two decades. ANAM seemed the only institution not buckling under the pressure to appeal to the lowest common denominator.

Oh well.