- ‘The singing was great but what was it about? Why opera companies should explain themselves better’, The Conversation, 26 May 2022. https://theconversation.com/the-singing-was-great-but-what-was-it-about-why-opera-companies-should-explain-themselves-better-183133
- ‘Winds of Change at Opera Australia’, Limelight Magazine, 23 May 2002. https://limelightmagazine.com.au/features/winds-of-change-at-opera-australia/
‘How do the major parties compare on arts and cultural policy? We asked 5 experts’ (c-authored), The Conversation, 26 May 2022
https://theconversation.com/how-do-the-major-parties-compare-on-arts-and-cultural-policy-we-asked-5-experts-183209 - ‘The Grainger Trap’, Australian Book Review, 24 February 2022,
https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/arts-update/101-arts-update/8900-the-grainger-trap-at-the-altar-of-the-curator-s-moral-superiority-by-peter-tregear - ‘2 out of 3 members of university governing bodies have no professional expertise in the sector. There’s the making of a crisis’, The Conversation, 30 November 2021. https://theconversation.com/2-out-of-3-members-of-university-governing-bodies-have-no-professional-expertise-in-the-sector-theres-the-making-of-a-crisis-17195. [co-authored]
- ‘The pandemic is not an excuse to kill off the arts and humanities’, Times Higher Education, 9 October 2020, https://www.timeshighereducation.com/blog/pandemic-not-excuse-kill-arts-and-humanities
- ‘Programming is not the problem’, Limelight, August 2021, 12–14, https://www.limelightmagazine.com.au/features/programming-is-not-the-problem/
- ‘Decoding the music masterpieces: how Carmina Burana, based on Benedictine poems, travelled from Bavaria to a beer ad,’ The Conversation, 20 May 2021, https://theconversation.com/decoding-the-music-masterpieces-how-carmina-burana-based-on-benedictine-poems-travelled-from-bavaria-to-a-beer-ad-159057
- ‘Book review: Open Minds explores how academic freedom and the public university are at risk’, The Conversation, 11 March 2021, https://theconversation.com/book-review-open-minds-explores-how-academic-freedom-and-the-public-university-are-at-risk-156213
- 'Monash University plans to cut its musicology subjects. Why does this matter?’, The Conversation, 1 October 2020, https://theconversation.com/monash-university-plans-to-cut-its-musicology-subjects-why-does-this-matter-147172
- ‘As COVID wreaks havoc in the performing arts, do we still need a national opera company?’, The Conversation, 8 September 2020, https://theconversation.com/as-covid-wreaks-havoc-in-the-performing-arts-do-we-still-need-a-national-opera-company-145461
- ‘In defence of lost chords: Classical music’s struggle for relevance and survival’, Australian Book Review, 424 (September 2020), pp. 3–5; https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-online/current-issue/857-commentary/6752-in-defence-of-lost-chords-classical-music-s-struggle-for-relevance-and-survival-by-peter-tregear
- ‘What is the place of the performing arts fair in the age of the internet?’, The Conversation, 6 February 2020, https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-place-of-the-performing-arts-fair-in-the-age-of-the-internet-130542
- ‘Yo-Yo Ma review: Cellist creates joyful communion with Indigenous culture, The Age, 9 November 2019. https://www.theage.com.au/culture/music/yo-yo-ma-review-cellist-creates-joyful-communion-with-indigenous-culture-20191109-p5390a.html
- ‘The Selfish Giant (Victorian Opera)’, Australian Book Review, 19 October 2019, https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-arts/101-arts-update/5969-the-selfish-giant-victorian-opera
- ‘Melbourne’ (major update of original entry by Andrew D. McCredie), Musik in Geschichte und Gegenwart, May 2019. https://www.mgg-online.com/
- ‘A Night at the Opera: Art Comes Alive in a Modern Twist on Rossini’s Il Viaggio a Reims’, The Conversation, 27 May 2019, https://theconversation.com/a-night-at-the-opera-art-comes-alive-in-a-modern-twist-on-rossinis-il-viaggio-a-reims-117807
- ‘West Side Story (Opera Australia)’, Australian Book Review, 12 April 2019, https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-arts/101-arts-update/5969-the-selfish-giant-victorian-opera
- ‘Missing in Action—A Vision for the Arts in the 2019 Budget’, The Conversation, 3 April 2019, https://theconversation.com/missing-in-action-a-vision-for-the-arts-in-the-2019-budget-114816
- ‘Friday Essay: Identity Politics and the Case for Shared Values’, The Conversation, 21 December 2018, https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-identity-politics-and-the-case-for-shared-values-107010
- ‘The Major Performing Arts Framework and the Culture of Cultural Funding’, NITRO, 30 November 2018, https://nitro.edu.au/articles/2018/11/30/the-mpa-framework-and-the-culture-of-cultural-funding
- ‘A knowing, modern yet mythic production of one of Hitler’s favourite operas’, The Conversation, 15 November 2018, https://theconversation.com/a-knowing-modern-yet-mythic-production-of-one-of-hitlers-favourite-operas-106932
- ‘Decoding the Music Masterpieces: Rossini’s opera, Otello’, The Conversation, 22 October 2018, https://theconversation.com/decoding-the-music-masterpieces-rossinis-opera-otello-104760
- ‘Evita (Opera Australia)’, Australian Book Review, 19 September 2018, https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-arts/5097-evita-opera-australia
- ‘Strange Times for Artistic Practice’, Australian Book Review, 6 August 2018, https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/abr-arts/5029-strange-times-for-artistic-practice. Republished in the Australian Financial Review, 31 August 2018 as ‘Why it doesn't matter if West Side Story is whitewashed’, https://www.afr.com/life-and-luxury/arts-and-culture/why-it-doesnt-matter-if-west-side-story-is-whitewashed-20180808-h13pdv
- ‘With support for arts funding declining, Australia must get better at valuing culture’, The Conversation, 1 May 2018, https://theconversation.com/with-support-for-arts-funding-declining-australia-must-get-better-at-valuing-culture-95057
- ‘Babylon Berlin and why our fascination with 1920s Germany reveals the anxieties of ‘our times’, The Conversation, 3 April 2018, https://theconversation.com/babylon-berlin-and-why-our-fascination-with-1920s-germany-reveals-the-anxieties-of-our-times-93858.
- ‘Federal budget 2016: arts experts react’, The Conversation, 4 May 2016, https://theconversation.com/federal-budget-2016-arts-experts-react-58850
- ‘The Story of Silent Night’, The Conversation, 23 December 2015, https://theconversation.com/the-story-of-silent-night-51265
- ‘Italy’s Creative Approach to Counterterrorism’, The Epoch Times, 9 December 2015, http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/1916239-italys-creative-approach-to-counterterrorism/
- ‘Musical literacy: a skill of some note(s)’, The Conversation, 3 November 2015, https://theconversation.com/musical-literacy-a-skill-of-some-note-s-48575
- ‘Opera, sexual violence, and the art of telling terrible tales’, The Conversation, 6 July 2015. http://theconversation.com/opera-sexual-violence-and-the-art-of-telling-terrible-tales-44238
- ‘Is it time for Madame Butterfly to flutter by?’, The Conversation, 6 May 2015. https://theconversation.com/is-it-time-for-madama-butterfly-to-flutter-by-41244
- ‘Classical music and abuse cultures: we need to act now’, The Conversation, 18 March 2015. https://theconversation.com/classical-music-training-and-abuse-cultures-we-need-to-act-now-38851
- ‘Immortal Satisfaction’, Canberra Times (Panorama), 29 November 2014, p. 15.
- ‘ABC’s Classic FM faces cuts: it’s time to change the tune’, The Conversation, 24 November 2014. https://theconversation.com/abcs-classic-fm-faces-cuts-its-time-to-change-the-tune-34593
- ‘Long players: secrets of the Rolling Stones longevity’, The Conversation, 11 November 2014. https://theconversation.com/long-players-secrets-of-the-rolling-stones-longevity-33939
- ‘Heritage performing arts and the case for funding’, The Conversation, 6 November 2014. https://theconversation.com/heritage-performing-arts-and-the-case-for-funding-33730
- ‘Risky Business? The Klinghoffer protests show opera’s relevance’, The Conversation, 24 October 2014. https://theconversation.com/risky-business-the-klinghoffer-protests-show-operas-relevance-33307
- ‘Opera–The Art of the Possible’, Australian Book Review, 28 August 2014. https://www.australianbookreview.com.au/component/k2/101-arts-update/2149-opera-the-art-of-the-possible
- ‘Class privilege and the classical arts – the problem of ‘elite’ culture’, The Conversation, 10 June 2014. https://theconversation.com/class-privilege-and-the-classical-arts-the-problem-of-elite-culture-27626
- Programme Essay. ‘A Short Introduction to a Very Long Musical Score’, Timeline. Australian Tour by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, 19 May–4 June 2014, pp. 15–19.
- ‘The budget, the arts and the limits of marketplace thinking’, The Conversation, 15 May 2014. https://theconversation.com/the-budget-the-arts-and-the-limits-of-marketplace-thinking-26736
- ‘The art of being awkward: Brandis is wrong about the Biennale’, The Conversation, 13 March 2014. https://theconversation.com/the-art-of-being-awkward-brandis-is-wrong-about-the-biennale-24336
- ‘It’s time for tertiary music education to change its tune’, The Conversation, 4 February 2014. https://theconversation.com/its-time-for-tertiary-music-education-to-change-its-tune-22057
- ‘Why ANU rethought private music tuition’, artsHub, 22 January 2014. http://performing.artshub.com.au/news-article/opinions/performing-arts/why-anu-rethought-private-music-tuition-197864
- ‘Enlightenment, not Entitlement: How Music Adds to a Life Well Lived’, The Australian, 24 January 2014, 13.
- ‘The Cultural Counterpoint of High Art’, The Australian, 22 November 2013, 15.
- ‘Explainer: Wagner’s Ring Cycle, Der Ring des Nibelungen’, The Conversation, 21 November 2013. https://theconversation.com/explainer-wagners-ring-cycle-der-ring-des-nibelungen-20475
- Programme Essay. ‘The Crowd’. The Crowd. Australian Tour by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, 11–13 October 2013, pp. 8–15.
- ‘Weimar Republic Berlin: A Silenced Witness’. Barry Humphries’ Weimar Cabaret. Australian Tour by the Australian Chamber Orchestra, 27 April–8 May 2013, pp. 8–14.
- Programme Essay. ‘Percy Aldridge Grainger’, MSO in Concert. Melbourne Symphony Orchestra pp. 8–10, 30 August–1 September 2012.
- Muted Approach to Music Education Makes No Sense’, The Conversation, 7 April 2011. https://theconversation.com/muted-approach-to-music-education-makes-no-sense-635
- The Modern University and the Musical Mind: Sounding Out John Henry Newman. Newman Public Lecture. (Melbourne: Mannix College, 2010), 18 pp.
- ‘Lament for a Noted Absence’, The Australian Higher Education, 26 November 2008, 25.
- ‘Not a Place Out of Notes’, Keeping Scores: 120 years of Music Library Services at the University of Melbourne (Melbourne: University of Melbourne, 2008), 5–14.
- ‘Tilting at Windchimes: Contemplating Classical Music in a Postmodern World’, Salt, 16 (2003), 12–17.
- ‘Carl Seidel (1893–1980)’ Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 15 (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 2002).
- ‘The Ormond Affair: A Tale of a Tale’, in The Subversion of Australian Universities, ed. John Biggs and Richard Davis (Wollongong: Fund for Intellectual Dissent, 2002), 109–117.
- Introduction to the published full and vocal scores of Fritz Hart’s opera Riders to the Sea (Melbourne: Centre for Studies in Australian Music, 1997), pp. x–xiii.
- ‘Melbourne’ (Major Entry); ‘Fritz Hart’, ‘W. A. Laver’, ‘Franklin Peterson’, ‘J. A. Steele’ (Biographical Entries), Oxford Companion to Australian Music (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1997).
- ‘Raymond Hanson (1913–1976)’, Australian Dictionary of Biography, vol. 13, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1996).
- ‘The Ormond Chair of Music: An Introduction to its Origins’, Context 7 (1994), pp. 34–37.
Also... numerous CD sleeve essays for Toccata Classics (UK), ABC Classics (Australia), ARTE NOVA Classics (Germany), Melba Records (Australia), and other commissioned programme essays and programme notes concerts and operatic performances in Melbourne, London, Edinburgh, Cambridge, Toronto, and New York.