“Classical music is a “tyrannical” term, implying music written by dead white men. When I do present an older classical work, I want to present it through a 21st-century lens, not as a costume drama. The only reason that a classic is a classic is because it still resonates with our time, thematically. Likewise with Impempe Yomlingo’s South African adaptation of The Magic Flute, apart from the sheer joy of the production, it was a Mozart opera seen through a 21st-century and non-Western aesthetic. The music has been re-scored and rearranged, and it gives it an exciting percussive quality. I wanted classical music concerts to have a primary focus on living composers and contemporary work. I did it because it would alienate some people,” says Melbourne Festival director Brett Sheehy- Classical Music – Limelight Magazine
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