This is a very exciting year for Australian clarinettists and saxophonists alike because Brisbane, in the state of Queensland, is playing host to the 1997 Australasian Clarinet and Saxophone Conference from July 17-20. The venue is the new Conservatorium complex which overlooks the Brisbane River and Southbank Parklands. Southbank Parklands, the site of World Expo '88, is a congenial environment with cafes, restaurants, an outdoor stage, pleasant walks and swimming areas.

The Clarinet and Saxophone Conference is a joint event hosted by the Queensland Conservatorium and the Queensland Clarinet and Saxophone Society. The programme includes many of Australia's leading clarinet and saxophone players, combined with prominent international artists. Conference highlights include a jazz concert on the Saturday night featuring Australian jazz legend Don Burrows (clarinet and saxophone), Andrew Firth (clarinet) and Col Loughnan (saxophone); plus a performance by Phillipe Cuper (clarinet) and Jean-Yves Fourmeau (saxophone) with the Queensland Philharmonic Orchestra to close the Conference.

In addition to the normal master class and performance activities, delegates will have the opportunity to participate in daily ensemble activities culminating in a concert on the final day. There will also be clarinet and saxophone competitions with the prize winner performing a concerto with the Queensland Chamber Winds.

Australia boasts some very fine music institutions throughout its six States and two Territories. Nowadays, more than ever before, Australia is able to draw on a wealth of talented musicians from these institutions, and the music industry is becoming one of our greatest export markets.

Most Australian states regard music in schools as a high priority, and have flourishing music programmes. In Queensland, the Department of Education runs a state-wide instrumental music programme which offers free specialist string, brass, woodwind and percussion instruction to students in small groups at both the primary and secondary level. A large number of these students achieve a high level of proficiency on their instruments. Outstanding secondary students receive a scholarship to attend the biennial MOST (musically outstanding) camp.

There are very active clarinet and saxophone societies in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane. In Victoria, in southeastern Australia, the University of Melbourne and the Victorian Clarinet and Saxophone Society hosted the Australian National Clarinet and Saxophone Seminar in 1993, and this Society regularly sponsors musical events for its members.

The Queensland Clarinet and Saxophone Society is a voluntary organization working for the future of clarinet and saxophone playing in Queensland. It has been in existence for some thirty years now, originally as the Queensland Chalumeau Society, founded by Rodney Jacobsen former Principal Clarinet of the Queensland Symphony Orchestra. Membership is open to anybody interested in clarinet or saxophone, and aims at nurturing playing at all levels. The Society holds regular master classes and workshops, with overseas and interstate visitors when possible, workshops with staff from the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB), ensemble workshops, student concerts and recitals by local musicians.

Most recently, the Society enjoyed a visit from Wilbur Moreland, Professor of Clarinet at the University of Southern Mississippi. Professor Moreland entertained us with a brilliant recital of works by Bernstein, Zaninelli, Martinon and Weber, and was joined by our Vice President and Conference Director, Floyd Williams, for a performance of Ignolf Dahl's Five Duets. (Floyd performed at ICA's ClarinetFest in France last year).

Every year, the Society sponsors an annual Competition, which offers considerable prizes and attracts a large number of participants at all levels. In the past few years, there has been a greatly increased interest in the saxophone and ensemble sections, which cater for students from primary, secondary and tertiary levels. Prizewinners come together in a final gala concert. Similar events are held in both Sydney and Melbourne each year.

There have been many interesting CD's released in recent times by Australian clarinettists. These include:

• Benjamin Frankel Clarinet Chamber Music featuring Paul Dean on clarinet in conjunction with the Australian String Quartet and the Queensland Symphony Chamber Players
• Dream Tracks featuring Floyd Williams playing contemporary music for clarinet and various other instruments written by Australian composers and
• A Day in the Life of a Clarinet with Peter Jenkins on clarinets performing an unusual collation of modern compositions, including Australian compositions by Richard Vella, Larry Sitsky and Martin Wesley-Smith.

Last year I had the pleasure of spending a year in U.S. soaking up the ambience of your culture. I was able to hear a couple of the "great" American clarinettists and saxophonists in person, which was a real thrill for me. With Australia having such a comparatively small population and being such a long and expensive distance from the cultural centres of the world, we are unable to attract a large number of international artists our way, (except for when we have a Clarinet and Saxophone Conference) so it is always an experience to see in person those people we have only read about or heard on recordings.

Salli Chmura works as a woodwind teacher with the Department of Education, Queensland. Her main instrument is clarinet, but she also teaches saxophone and flute at the primary and secondary level.

Salli has been an active committee member of the Queensland Clarinet and Saxophone Society over the years in the capacity of Secretary, and currently as Editor and Publisher of their quarterly Journal.

As a dedicated educationalist, Salli has been actively involved in promoting the development and performance of clarinet, saxophone and flute ensembles within the Queensland education system, and in exploring the repertoire for these ensembles.

Salli frequently writes articles and reviews for the QCASS Journal and The Australian Music Teacher, and has had several reviews and articles published in The Clarinet.