Ahead of the ASO Festival of Learning & Participation, the UK composer explains the importance of engaging with children.

Internationally acclaimed British composer and educator Paul Rissmann returns to the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra to lead its third annual Festival of Learning and Participation in June. The dynamic week-long fetival will see over 4000 students from kindergarten to tertiary level make music with the Orchestra. For the first time, the festival will take place in the Adelaide Town Hall where the programme of schools and family concerts, for a range of ages, will include two Australian premieres by Rissmann. Limelight asked him about the importance of music education.

What do you find most rewarding about music education?

There are three distinct strands to my career and each brings a completely different reward. As a composer, I create works that enable huge numbers of young people to perform with professional orchestras as equals. Watching an entire audience of school kids rise to their feet and perform with joy something I’ve created – or better still, something we’ve created together – takes my breath away. As a presenter of educational concerts (whether they be for children or adults) introducing great orchestral works to new...