In 2019 an international journal of community music published an article by Professor Uwe Grodd and Associate Professor David Lines, University of Auckland on the success story of the orchestra.
Grodd, U. & Lines, D. The Manukau Symphony Orchestra: Reflections on a sustainable model for a community orchestra in Aotearoa New Zealand.
International Journal of Community Music. Vol. 11. No 3, pg 325-326 (2019)
The Manukau Symphony Orchestra has continued to thrive for 25 years as a community orchestra based in the multiethnic region of South Auckland in New Zealand. Its continued success is partly attributed to its ability to maintain a negotiated ‘middle ground’ and dialogue within the community and also the way it has valued both musical and human aspects in its daily life. This study, written collaboratively by the researcher and music director and conductor, reports on recent ethnographic case study research conducted with the orchestra, its leaders and its administrators, and seeks to uncover key themes and actions that have enabled the orchestra’s ongoing sustainability. The case study found that an active and thriving space for dialogue with the community has continued over the years and this has sustained positive relationships with cultural groups, changing financial and policy strategies, a sense of ownership in the orchestra, a built-in mentoring structure, a community of care and a contemporary philosophy of community music making within a semi-professional orchestral context.
