In 1904 as Sydney audiences welcomed the world famous pianist, Jan Paderewski, new understandings about the spiritual and transformative power of music became self evident truths within the newly darkened, silent concert hall presided over by the meastro.

For such audiences, the music of the great classical masters took them on an emotional journey that enabled them to discover a higher plane of being. Such sentiments dovetailed well with the newly evolving field of psycho-analysis and emerging views of the self which emphasised the need for self-development and self-realisation.

Music shifted from being a communal, participatory activity to become an individual, subjective personal experience which located the listener within a particular social space.

This paper will demonstrate how classical music became enmeshed with the performance of “self” in Federation era Sydney. At that time, classical music attracted highly committed and passionate self-identifying “music lovers” who dedicated themselves to organising classical music events, educating the public about the higher claims of classical music and supporting classical music institutions. For such people, their musical choices were an expression of their ideals and beliefs and provided them with a sense of identity and purpose.