Mornington Peninsula Chamber Orchestra
Defined by expression, celebrated with community.
Our mission
Mornington Peninsula Chamber Orchestra (MPCO) was founded in 2013 to create performance opportunities for classically-trained musicians on the Mornington Peninsula. MPCO musicians aim to share their passion for music with their local community.
a brief history
Mornington Peninsula Chamber Orchestra (formerly Peninsula Chamber Musicians) is in its second decade of bringing classical musicians and music lovers together on the Mornington Peninsula.
Formed in 2013, Mornington Peninsula Chamber Orchestra has developed into an outstanding presence in the artistic landscape of the Mornington Peninsula. MPCO was born from the desire to create opportunities and a sense of place for Peninsula based classical musicians, drawing together highly skilled musicians from across the Peninsula and beyond.
Whether performing as the energetic Mornington Peninsula Chamber Orchestra or as an intimate chamber ensemble the musicians seek to inspire the next generation of performers and touch the hearts of concert goers.
The MPCO Community
MPCO provides local professional, community and student musicians a platform to
develop their skills and contribute to a thriving music scene. These musicians bring
arts and cultural experiences to a range of venues across the Mornington Peninsula
and cast further afield through our community radio partner RPP FM. We keep ticket
prices low and affordable and offer free tickets for students. We also actively support
positive ageing and disability services enabling more people access to live music.
Student program
Our Student Participation Program expands the MPCO to provide advanced student musicians the opportunity to join with the orchestra in curated repertoire in our November concerts.
This program, co-ordinated by cellist and teacher Megan Smithies since 2022, has become one of the highlights of our calendar. It aligns perfectly with the MPCO mission given the orchestra consists of professional musicians who also work as professional music teachers in our community.
Applications open in August for grade 5 AMEB students (or equivalent standard) and above.
Social inclusion
Mornington Peninsula Chamber Orchestra is local musicians performing for our local communities. Our core value and mantra is Live Local, Listen Local.
We are committed to our community and encourage new audiences while embracing our current audiences and all communities of the Mornington Peninsula. Ticket prices are intentionally low with free admission to primary and secondary students to encourage families to attend our concerts.
MPCO works with the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Positive Ageing, Disability Services and the Arts and Culture departments to build and foster relationships that deliver music performances to people who are unable to attend live performances. We are collaborating with local radio station RPP to record our live performances for radio broadcast and digital streaming.
MPCO is committed to providing accessibility to all its concert venues. For more information
Become Part of Mornington Peninsula's Cultural Story
Support the MPCO, a local cultural institution built by our community for our
community.
