The global pandemic led to a litany of cancellations, postponements and major headaches for the arts, but the formation and rise of Melbourne Digital Concert Hall was one of the surprise success stories to emerge out of lockdown. Now the continued expansion of the digital platform has led to a name change: Australian Digital Concert Hall. MDCH was established by Chris Howlett and Adele Schonhardt in March 2020 as a direct response to the shutdown of live performance due to COVID health restrictions. Initially, the idea was to stream classical chamber concerts for a few weeks from Melbourne’s Athenaeum Theatre to help support musicians who suddenly found themselves with no work. But as the lockdown extended, MDCH kept streaming. Before long, it had expanded its footprint to feature music events around the country. While numerous arts companies struggled to survive, MDCH kept growing. Its success saw it nominated for the 2021 Limelight Artists of the Year (revealed on page 18). Now, the thriving arts organisation has changed its name to Australian Digital Concert Hall to reflect its burgeoning national platform. A rebranding well earned.

Melbourne Digital Concert Hall Melbourne Digital...