Maria Vandamme is on a crusade to promote Australian classical music. “Founder and artistic director of the embryonic and critically acclaimed – locally and internationally – music label, Melba Recordings, Vandamme has also established the philanthropic Melba Foundation. Her motivation behind the record label is the fact that Australian music is not particularly well known overseas. Vandamme believes our image internationally is skewed, at once bizarre and unbalanced. ‘We are a sporting nation, we have lovely beaches, a few famous movie stars and directors – end of subject. This means that our music isn’t recognised and that needs to be corrected’.”