First, the music.
Great music does not simply appear. It is imagined, shaped, and brought into being through the collaboration of composers, performers, and those who believe that the art form deserves a future as rich as its past. First The Music exists to commission bold new works of classical music and to ensure they are heard — not once, but again and again.
Our name draws on a phrase that has animated debate in the world of opera for centuries: prima la musica e poi le parole — first the music, then the words. It was the title of Salieri’s witty one-act opera of 1786, and it captured something Mozart himself believed deeply about his Italian operas with the librettist Lorenzo Da Ponte: that the music must come first.
We take this as our guiding principle. First The Music commissions new compositions — works with and without words, for instrumentalists, singers, and dancers in every combination — and places equal importance on securing repeat performances. A premiere is a beginning, not an end. We are committed to building a living repertoire: music that endures because it continues to be played.
Discover, news and events.
2027: Dante 2: More Lovers and Visionaries
Read more NewsTales of love and redemption in Dante and Beatrice
Epic tales of love and redemption seem out of place in our dystopian world, yet they continue to inspire artists and audiences, as this second concert in fortyfivedownstairs’ Chamber Music Festival bore witness.
Read more News3MBS Interview: Margot Costanzo and Gordon Kerry
Sue Kaufmann speaks with composer Gordon Kerry and librettist Margot Costanzo about the world premiere of their song cycle, ‘Dante and Beatrice’, which is the centrepiece of a ‘Dantean tableau’ called Dante’s Lovers and Visionaries.
Read more Event Past EventDante’s Lovers and Visionaries
Wednesday, 22 April 2026. 7:30 PM.
Presented as part of the Chamber Music Festival 2026 at fortyfivedownstairs
Read more
Meet, our board.
Margot Costanzo
President
Margot Costanzo is a former lawyer with a strong involvement in events and training. She served as Vice-Chair of Professional Development for the International Bar Association and has scripted and presented numerous programs for 3MBS, including Vocal Chords, Wednesday Night at the Opera and Illuminations. Margot co-curated the Dante 700 Festival with Karen Van Spall and has been a director of 3MBS.
Gregory J Reinhardt AM
Secretary
Greg Reinhardt has a distinguished background in legal and judicial administration and is a respected member of Australia’s cultural landscape. A passionate advocate for music and the arts, Greg is a former President of the Richard Wagner Society Victoria and is a Member of the Order of Australia.
Christopher Arnold Am
Board Member
Chris Arnold brings extensive leadership experience from the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors, having served as a board member, business advisor, and CEO across six organisations. He is a long-time supporter of Australian music, commissioning two classical works by Elena Kats-Chernin (with Margot Costanzo). Chris has previously served on the boards of the Melba Opera Trust, Australian World Orchestra, Melbourne Early Music, Philanthropy Australia, and the Australian Communities Foundation.
Professor Ruth Rentschler OAM
Board Member
In 2026, Ruth received the Association Internationale de l’Art et de la Culture Fine François Colbert Career Impact Award for her contribution to arts management globally. Ruth is a strategic and creative thinker, having been a professor of Arts Management at various universities including teaching in China, France and Switzerland. Ruth has also held Board appointments in governments NFPs and in educational bodies.
Miki Oikawa
Treasurer & Communications
Miki Brotzler Oikawa brings global leadership and a strong commitment to the arts. She served two terms as President of the Richard Wagner Society Inc. and is a former board member of Lyric Opera of Melbourne. She is on the board of IDPro, an international professional association for digital identity specialists, and serves on the committee of the Friends of Melbourne Opera. Miki supports a wide range of Australian musical organisations and emerging performers.
Kerry has worn his considerable literary and musical erudition lightly, creating an engaging work with clear storylines and effective dramaturgy, enfleshed in an evocative musical idiom which subtly references plainchant and British mid-century modernism.”