What remains

In 2026, Festival Musica’s Audience-led curation initiative continued with a project rooted in a relationship of trust built over many years with Catherine Blanck, who has been a devoted festival audience member for more than forty years.

As getting around became increasingly difficult, she received individual support to continue attending concerts. When she could no longer leave her residence, the festival team found another way to maintain this connection: bringing the music to her.

The Adastra Quartet performed at her senior living residence, presenting a programme devised with Catherine Blanck around her wishes and musical interests.

This initiative explores an approach to shared programming that responds to people’s changing circumstances: recognising audience members as partners in artistic decision-making and adapting the conditions of musical encounters to enable their continued participation.

By bringing the concert to Catherine Blanck and involving her in its conception, Musica connects accessibility with artistic participation. The project demonstrates how a lasting relationship with audiences can lead the festival to rethink its practices and the ways it presents music.