The Royal Melbourne Philharmonic (RMP) is one of Australia’s oldest continuously performing musical organisations, founded in 1853 and run entirely by volunteers who are deeply committed to making music accessible, ambitious, and community-focused.
The reason that the RMP have gathered each week to make music together is not for profit, and not for prestige, but to bring those musical experiences to the people of Melbourne.
In 2025, RMP faced an existential threat to its future: the loss of our long-standing rehearsal and storage arrangements, the much-beloved Drill Hall. Like many arts organisations, we are now navigating a significantly more expensive environment for space — at a time when costs across the sector are rising sharply.
While we are thrilled to have secured a rehearsal home for 2026 in Melbourne’s CBD, this is only part of what we need to operate effectively.
Why we’re asking for help
To function week-to-week, RMP urgently needs dedicated office and storage space within the same building OR nearby. These are not “nice to haves” — they are essential to making rehearsals and performances possible.
These spaces allow us to:
- Store our active music library (the scores we are rehearsing and performing throughout the year)
- House essential rehearsal equipment and materials
- Access a photocopier for music preparation and administration
- Coordinate rehearsals, concerts, and membership operations
- Enable our volunteer committee to keep the organisation running smoothly
- Provide a working space from which to safeguard the future of the RMP
Unfortunately, office and storage space in the CBD comes at a significant cost, far beyond what we have historically had to manage. These are unplanned, additional expenses that place real strain on a volunteer-run organisation with no ongoing government operational funding.
When our ability to pay for this infrastructure fails, the weight falls on RMP volunteers. It is these people that are managing logistics into the early hours of the morning, storing crates of music in their homes, and doing it all again tomorrow.
The reality of the costs
Hiring suitable office and storage space represents one of the largest fixed costs RMP has faced in many years. Without this support, we risk:
- Inadequate or unsafe storage of music and equipment
- Increased logistical expense in the long run, and challenges for rehearsals
- Higher stress and workload on volunteers
- Reduced capacity to focus on music-making
Simply put: without proper infrastructure, even the most passionate ensemble struggles to function, that strain is reflected in what audiences hear on stage, and cripples our ability to be ambitious.
How your support helps
Funds raised through this campaign will go directly toward securing office and storage space for 2026, helping ensure:
- Stability and continuity for the year ahead
- Smooth rehearsal operations
- Protection of our music library and assets
- A sustainable future for the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic
- Ongoing performances for our passionate audience
Any contribution - large or small - makes a genuine difference.
For the RMP it is simple, we love making music, so we ask that if RMP's performances have ever moved you as an audience member, fellow musician, or lover of fine art, please consider donating to this fundraiser to ensure that someone else can have the same experience into the future, and if you’re unable to donate, sharing this campaign with friends, family, colleagues, or anyone who loves music and the arts is an incredibly powerful way to help.
Why this matters
RMP is more than a choir and orchestra - it is a community, a tradition, and a vital part of Melbourne’s cultural fabric. We have performed everything from beloved choral masterworks to contemporary collaborations, community projects, and large-scale concerts that bring people together through music.
Melbournians deserve an organisation that produces the high quality classical music that the RMP provides, and the RMP must reside - proudly - within Melbourne.
With your support, we can secure the practical foundations needed to keep making music in 2026 and beyond.
Thank you for helping us protect the future of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic.