Music performance | National Library of Australia (NLA)

Music performance

Showing 1 - 12 of 21 results
Collection guide
Woodland Collection

27 recordings of traditional music, recitations, folklore and oral histories made in New South Wales between 1968 and 1995.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Willis Collection

One of the largest oral history collections in Australia with recordings of over 900 individuals in all States, as well as folk groups, singing groups, bands and choirs.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Snell Collection

About 15,500 items of sheet music and about 700 music albums from the late eighteenth century to the 1980s, as well as the personal papers of Snell.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Sculthorpe Collection

Personal papers, manuscript scores, literary manuscripts, sound recordings and family photographs of Peter Sculthorpe, plus videos of films for which he wrote the music and television interviews.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Scott Collection

Recordings of folk music, dance music, folklore and oral history from New South Wales and Queensland recorded during the period 1955-1990.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Rummery Collection

40 recordings of folk music, folklore and reminiscences from people in rural New South Wales recorded 1983-1988.

Collection guide
Collection guide
Peter Ellis Collection

80 oral history interviews with musicians, dancers and others, and recordings of songs and performances, as well as sheet music, imprints and personal papers.

Collection guide
A person stands in an empty darkened theatre, illuminated by a single light bulb.

Daniel James Boud, Ange Sullivan, head of lighting, preparing a ghost light at the Joan Sutherland Theatre, Sydney Opera House, 2020, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2976573618, courtesy Daniel James Boud

Performing arts research guide

We hold one of Australia’s largest collections of performing arts materials.

Research guide
Collection guide
O’Connor Collection

Recordings of Australian folk songs, some British folk songs, Greek and Turkish music, African songs, dance music, recitations, poetry, jokes, children’s rhymes, yarns, and recollections recorded in Victoria 1953-1969.

Collection guide
Ballerina Justine Summers strikes a pose for the camera. She is standing en point wearing a black tutu. She is standing infront of a textured curtain. She is staring directly at the camera.

Jim McFarlane, Justine Summers in "Divergence", the Australian Ballet, 1994, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-136367403

On stage

Module

This resource is aligned to the Australian Curriculum: The Arts for years 5 & 6 students.

Digital Classroom
A row of men in concert dress holding musical instruments

Reg Lewis and the Prince Edwardians at the Prince Edward Theatre, Sydney, c1945, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147014210

Music performance research guide

The Library has a diverse collection of materials documenting the history of Australian musical performance.

Research guide
Kylie Minogue wearing a red dress and with her arms in the air

Matthew Sleeth, Australian singer Kylie Minogue performs at the Tour of Duty concert at Dili Stadium, East Timor, 21 December 1999, nla.gov.au/nla.obj-147368307

Music

Topic

One of the world’s oldest music traditions that is still performed is the bunggul ceremony. This can be seen annually at the Garma Festival held in Gulkula, a sacred site in north-east Arnhem Land. The Garma Festival runs for four days and observes the traditions and customs of the Yolngu people.

Digital Classroom

Need help?

Our librarians are here to guide you.

Ask a librarian