ALL STOPS OUT. David Drury at the Organ. Fri 14 Jun 11am TEA & SYMPHONY

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1 ALL STOPS OUT David Drury at the Organ TEA & SYMPHONY Fri 14 Jun 11am TEA & SYMPHONY

2 YOU CAN MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE Help us bring world-class artists to Sydney and the joy of music to thousands of kids. Consider a gift to the Sydney Symphony s Orchestra Fund or Allegro Education Fund before 30 June Your precious and invaluable support makes it happen. Thank you! FIONA ZIEGLER, ASSISTANT CONCERTMASTER & PATRON AMBASSADOR Any amount over $2 is tax deductible. Gifts over $500 are acknowledged in programs. Call (02) Select Option 2

3 2013 season tea & symphony Friday 14 June 11am Sydney Opera House Concert Hall All Stops Out! David Drury at the Organ David Drury ORGAN Female voices of VOX (Sydney Philharmonia Choirs) Elizabeth Scott CHORUS DIRECTOR Rebecca Gill VIOLIN Johann Sebastian Bach ( ) Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart ( ) Fantasia in F minor for mechanical organ, K608 This concert will be recorded for later broadcast on ABC Classic FM. Estimated durations: 15 minutes, 10 minutes, 7 minutes, 3 minutes, 11 minutes, 4 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 12.05pm. Louis Vierne ( ) Adagio from the Organ Symphony No.3 Johannes Brahms ( ) Ave Maria, Op.12 for organ and choir Sigfrid Karg-Elert ( ) Fugue, Canzona and Epilogue, Op.85 No.3 for organ, violin and choir Marche triomphale (Nun danket alle Gott)

4 ABOUT THE MUSIC BACH Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565 For almost 100 years, this has been Bach s greatest hit, its gothic grandeur synonymous with both Bach and the organ. Yet we can t, with any certainty, trace it back to Bach s pen. In the absence of a manuscript by Bach himself, the earliest copy is in the handwriting of a pupil of one of his pupils. It was not published or played again until 80 years after Bach s death. But Felix Mendelssohn, who reintroduced it to the public in the 1830s, rightly judged that it was the one work by Bach that would appeal to the musically educated and uneducated alike. When the new Sydney city organist, Auguste Wiegand, played it on the Sydney Town Hall organ in 1891, the press noted, with surprise, that it proved really interesting to the audience. Yet if it really is Bach s (and academics debate the issue), it must be very early, dating from his early 20s at latest. Not atypical for Bach, both toccata and fugue quote parts of an earlier organ work by Pachelbel. Yet while the music bears scant resemblance to the mature Bach, it unquestionably belongs within the tradition of virtuoso German organist-composers from which he emerged. WA MOZART Fantasia in F minor, K608 It is hard to credit that this imposing fantasia with its splendidly solemn theme, its intricate Bach-like fugatos, and lovely songlike Andante was composed not for a human organist, but for mechanical one, a Flötenuhr (flute-clock), or as Mozart himself described it, an organ in a clock. Completed on 5 January 1791, the fantasia was probably commissioned by a disgraced count, Joseph Deym, who after being banished from Vienna for murdering an opponent in a duel, returned to the city clandestinely and was running a private museum of curiosities under the alias Herr Müller. In March, Deym/Müller advertised a new attraction, a wax effigy of the recently deceased Austrian war hero, Gideon von Laudon, in whose honour the clock organ played on the stroke of each hour a Funeral Musique This week s composition by Herr Kapellmeister Mozart. Whether Mozart ever heard the fantasia played on what can have been nothing more than a large barrel organ is doubtful. Nor, in the 11 short months before his death, is there evidence he contemplated turning it into a piece for organ with human executant. But that is what posterity has made of it, salvaging a small masterpiece, the one organ work by Mozart that bears comparison with the great Bach. 4 sydney symphony

5 VIERNE Adagio (Quasi Largo) from the Organ Symphony No.3, Op.28 That France developed such an imaginative hybrid as organ symphonies pieces for solo organ, symphonic in layout and colouring, but without an actual orchestra was due to the genius of organ-builder Aristide Cavaillé-Coll, who designed huge instruments that he described as symphonic organs. What set his organs apart was the huge orchestral crescendos their complex mechanism miraculously produced, and the greatly enlarged range of softer sounds, on ranks of pipes designed to imitate flutes, oboes, and horns, or the aptly named celeste (heavenly), whose pipes en masse sound like shimmering orchestral strings. Cavaillé-Coll s greatest organs were those he began building in 1862 for Paris s Notre Dame and the Church of St Sulpice. A decade later, the organist of St Sulpice, 25-year-old Charles Marie Widor, composed the first of his ten organ symphonies for symphonic organ. In 1899 in turn, Widor s young assistant Louis Vierne composed the first of his six. His third symphony (dedicated to his own student Marcel Dupré) dates from summer Though organist of Notre Dame, Vierne was then nursing a serious grudge at not having been chosen as the new organ professor at the Paris Conservatoire, and his quietly seething disappointment at this slight may well audible in this Adagio, as his injured pride is in the symphony s opening Allegro. BRAHMS Ave Maria, Op.12 Brahms s final o pus, composed in 1896, was a set of short organ preludes on eleven Lutheran chorale tunes. In mourning at the recent loss of his lifelong friend, Clara Schumann, and ill with the cancer that would kill him, his choice of tune for the last prelude was probably significant O Welt, ich muss dich lassen (O World, I must leave you). His only other organ works date from 40 years earlier, when after supporting Clara through the traumatic final illness and death of her husband Robert Schumann he returned to his home town Hamburg, and was occasionally playing organ in the local churches. The Schumanns had encouraged him to take up the organ as an adjunct to his interest in Bach s music. Indeed, one of his Hamburg pieces a Prelude and Fugue in G minor bears striking resemblances to Bach s D minor Toccata and Fugue. Brahms played the organ for a Hamburg amateur women s choir. At its first meeting in June 1859, eight women rehearsed his setting sydney symphony 5

6 of the Ave Maria for voices with organ accompaniment, though by the time they sang it in public for the first time, on 2 December, the choir numbered over 30. Though other Brahms works on that program manifested his fascination with Bach and Palestrina, this his first choral opus has the simplicity of German folksong. KARG-ELERT Fugue, Canzona and Epilogue, Op.85 No.3 Siegfried Karg as he was then known started out as a boy chorister at the Johanniskirche in Leipzig. When his voice broke, he was sent to train as a school teacher, but spent most of his time composing, and learning the flute, oboe and clarinet. From 1893, he earned a living playing in town bands and theatre orchestras, until he was run out of one small town for daring to pass himself off under the more aristocratic-sounding name Siegfried von Markranstädt. Nevertheless in 1896 simply as Karg he won a scholarship to Leipzig Conservatory, supplementing his income playing in bars but sporting a false beard and wig to avoid detection by the university authorities. On graduating, he was befriended by Norwegian composer Edvard Grieg, who recommended him to publishers and urged him to alter his forename to the Nordic Sigfrid. Not wanting to seem a novice, he bypassed the usual Opus 1 and designated his first published work Opus 10. Finally, adding his mother s maiden name Elert to the unpromisingly monosyllabic Karg, his mature identify was forged. Fortunately, though perhaps overly concerned with his image, Karg-Elert was also a gifted and prolific composer. The set of three Symphonic Canzonas, Op.85, to which this work belongs, appeared in It opens rather than closes with a fugue, incorporating as notes 2 to 5 of its theme the famous B A C H motif (B flat, A, C, B). Working the fugue up to an ear-splitting climax, the organist suddenly closes of all but the soft pipes for a hushed, hymn-like canzona. Its texture, too, grows fuller and denser. But the focus resolves even more quietly into the epilogue, and the entry as from afar of solo violin and heavenly chorus singing in Latin Credo in vitam venturi saeculi, Amen (I believe in the life of the world to come. Amen). Notably, the work s Australian premiere was on Sydney Town Hall organ in July 1921, given by the popular city organist, Ernest Truman, who himself graduated from Leipzig Conservatory in 1888 while Karg (not yet Elert) was still singing soprano at the Johanniskirche! 6 sydney symphony

7 Marche triomphale (Nun danket alle Gott), Op.65 No.59 Karg-Elert finally came to international attention with his 66 Chorale Improvisations, Op.65. This massive opus, issued in six volumes in 1909, quickly traversed the globe, and this triumphal march based very loosely on the familiar hymn tune Now thank we all our God was introduced to Australian audiences by Adelaide organist, Wilfred Arlom, as early as Despite wartime prejudice against modern German composers, Karg-Elert was one of few Germans allowed to keep honours awarded them by British institutions. Yet precisely because of his popularity abroad, by the mid-1920s he felt fellow Germans were treating him as an outsider Someone to be boycotted, dismissed as Jew, traitor or Bolshevik. Perhaps, then, his exit was timely. Ill and demoralised, he died in Leipzig on 9 April 1933, a month after a general election confirmed Hitler as chancellor. GRAEME SKINNER 2013 ABOUT THE ORGAN The Grand Organ of the Sydney Opera House Concert Hall is the world s largest known mechanical action pipe organ, with 10,154 pipes. It was built by Ronald Sharp and completed in The organ s mechanical tracker action contributes to something of a baroque character articulated and sensitive and the instrument has a warm but relatively gentle sound that most agree is extremely well-suited to earlier music such as Bach. At the same time, says today s organist David Drury, the organ holds some surprises. Among its repertoire of colours is one that s very close to the harmonic flute stop, invented by Cavaillé-Coll in the mid-19th century and favoured in French music. It s a distinctive breathy, open, but singing sound, which comes into its own in music by composers such as Vierne. Read more about the organ s construction and see the full specifications in the Sydney Opera House information sheet (PDF file) online at bit.ly/grandorgansoh sydney symphony 7

8 ABOUT THE ARTISTS David Drury ORGAN David Drury was born in 1961 and educated at Trinity Grammar School, Sydney. He graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium with a degree in organ performance and as the recipient of the Vasanta scholarship for overseas study. In England he studied with David Sanger of the Royal Academy of Music, gaining the Associate Diploma in organ and the Choir-Master Diploma from the Royal College of Organists. In 1987 he became the first and only Australian to win the Tournemire prize for improvisation at the St Alban s International Organ Competition. Since then he has given recitals in Westminster Abbey, St Paul s Cathedral, Westminster Cathedral and King s College Cambridge. In Paris he has performed four times at Notre Dame and twice at La Madeleine, and played at the Toulon Festival. He has also toured North America and has given masterclasses and performed on America radio and television. In Australia and New Zealand he has appeared at the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Hobart, Christchurch and Auckland town halls. He has performed at the Melbourne International Festival of Organ and Harpsichord, the Newcastle Festival, Barossa Festival, Ballarat Goldfields Festival, Sydney Festival and the New Zealand Organists Congress. He broadcasts regularly for the ABC and other radio stations. David Drury has performed concertos with the Adelaide and West Australian symphony orchestras, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria and the Hong Kong Philharmonic. He performed in the 2000 Olympic Games opening ceremony and in front of the world leaders at the 2007 APEC concert at the Sydney Opera House. He also plays with the Sydney Symphony when organ is required, and has performed with the Australian Chamber Orchestra, Seymour Group, The Song Company, Sydney Brass Ensemble, Sydney University Musical Society, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs and Australian Baroque Brass. David Drury has released four solo recordings as well as appearing on numerous recordings as a guest artist. He is also the keyboardist with the progressive band Resonaxis, and as a composer, he has a large output of choral music. He is Director of Music at St Paul s College, within the University of Sydney. 8 sydney symphony

9 Rebecca Gill VIOLIN Rebecca Gill grew up in Newcastle, where she began studying the violin with Elizabeth Holowell. In 2009 she graduated from Sydney Conservatorium with first class honours and the highest violin recital mark of her year. She continued her studies with Janet Davies, completing a Master of Violin Performance (Research) degree in She has been a member of the Australian Youth Orchestra for several years, including playing principal second violin in 2011 and 2012; served as concertmaster in many programs at the Sydney Conservatorium; and for many years led the SBS Youth Orchestra. As a member of these ensembles she has toured Australia and internationally, performing in venues such as the Royal Albert Hall and the Amsterdam Concertgebouw, and in Germany. She also performs in a variety of professional and pre-professional ensembles including the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Sinfonia, and the Britten Pears Orchestra in the UK. Rebecca Gill has been privileged to work with many leading artists, including violinists Pekka Kuusisto and Elizabeth Wallfisch, conductors Mark Elder and Simone Young, and the Eggner Trio. And as a 2013 Sydney Symphony Fellow, she is participating in an intensive year-long apprenticeship with the orchestra SYDNEY SYMPHONY FELLOW Elizabeth Scott MUSIC DIRECTOR VOX Elizabeth Scott graduated from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in 1995 as a flute major and completed postgraduate studies in choral conducting, vocal performance and aural training in Hungary and Germany. Before her appointment as Music Director of VOX, she was the Sydney Philharmonia Assistant Chorusmaster ( ). She is also Associate Conductor of Sydney Chamber Choir and a guest choral director for Gondwana Choirs, Coro Innominata, Macquarie University Singers and Orpheus Choral Music. She is Music Performance Projects Officer at The Arts Unit, a specialist branch of the Department of Education and Training, and is the Director of Vocal and Choral Studies at the Conservatorium High School. Since 2007, she has participated in the Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program, and in 2008 was awarded the Sydney Choral Symposium Foundation Choral Conducting Scholarship. Elizabeth Scott sings with Cantillation and has performed and recorded with Pinchgut Opera and The Song Company. sydney symphony 9

10 VOX Sydney Philharmonia Choirs VOX a 50-voice chamber vocal ensemble for young adults is one of the three principal choirs that make up Sydney Philharmonia Choirs, which also includes the Chamber Singers and Symphony Chorus. Having previously performed alongside the Symphony Chorus in Sydney Symphony concerts, in 2011 VOX made its first appearance with the orchestra in its own right, singing in the semi-staged production of Grieg s Peer Gynt. Other appearances with the orchestra include the Lord of the Rings trilogy and Beethoven Nine. This season, VOX has worked with American composer and conductor Eric Whitacre and is preparing the program Luminous Night for concerts in August. Formed in 1920, Sydney Philharmonia Choirs is Australia s largest choral organisation. It presents an annual concert series covering a diverse repertoire, from early a cappella works to contemporary music. In 2010 Sydney Philharmonia made a return visit to the BBC Proms. Other recent highlights include Semele Walk and 2001: A Space Odyssey (Sydney Festival), Vladimir Ashkenazy s Mahler Odyssey ( ) and concert performances of Tchaikovsky s Queen of Spades. VOX Brett Weymark Music Director Elizabeth Scott Music Director VOX Atul Joshi General Manager Anthony Pasquill Assistant Chorusmaster Rehearsal pianists Luke Byrne, Michael Curtain SOPRANOS Olivia Bandler- Llewellyn Holly Brooke Anita Burkart Charlotte Campbell Victoria Campbell Sarah Dockrill Vicky Gray Georgina Hannam ALTOS Alice Chance Adela Greenbaum Emma Hancock Cara Hitchins Liane Papantoniou Olivia Robinson Suzanne Sherrington Emi Haskell Madi Holness Genevra Howard Clare Kenny Georgia Moore Amelia Myers Quan Quan Phua Maya Schwenke Alexandra Stuart- Watt Chela Weitzel Lia Weitzel Jaimie Wolbers Priscilla Yuen To find out about Sydney Philharmonia concerts or joining one of the choirs, visit 10 sydney symphony

11 SYDNEY SYMPHONY Vladimir Ashkenazy, Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor PATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO JOHN MARMARAS Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony has evolved into one of the world s finest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world s great cities. Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where it gives more than 100 performances each year, the Sydney Symphony also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence, most recently in the 2012 tour to China. The Sydney Symphony s first Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdeněk Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. David Robertson will take up the post of Chief Conductor in The orchestra s history also boasts collaborations with legendary figures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky. Sydney Symphony Board John C Conde ao Chairman Terrey Arcus am Ewen Crouch am Ross Grant Jennifer Hoy Rory Jeffes Andrew Kaldor am The Sydney Symphony s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Liza Lim, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra s recording of works by Brett Dean was released on both the BIS and Sydney Symphony Live labels. Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. In the orchestra made concert recordings of the complete Mahler symphonies with Ashkenazy, and has also released recordings of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label. This is the fifth year of Ashkenazy s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. Irene Lee David Livingstone Goetz Richter sydney symphony 11

12 SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRONS Maestro s Circle Peter William Weiss ao Founding President & Doris Weiss John C Conde ao Chairman Geoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Ainsworth Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn In memory of Hetty & Egon Gordon Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Roslyn Packer ao Penelope Seidler am Mr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy Street Westfield Group Brian & Rosemary White Ray Wilson oam in memory of the late James Agapitos oam Sydney Symphony Corporate Alliance Tony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner Pretty Insurance Australia Grou p John Morschel, Chairman, ANZ Directors Chairs Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair 02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus am Chair 03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor am & Renata Kaldor ao Chair 04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair 05 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair 06 Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair For information about the Directors Chairs program, please call (02) Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair 08 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair 09 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair Sydney Symphony Vanguard Vanguard Collective Justin Di Lollo Chair Kees Boersma Marina Go David McKean Amelia Morgan-Hunn Jonathan Pease Seamus R Quick Members Centric Wealth Matti Alakargas James Armstrong Stephen Attfield Damien Bailey Andrew Baxter Mar Beltran Kees Boersma Andrew Bragg Peter Braithwaite Andrea Brown Ian Burton Jennifer Burton Hahn Chau Alistair Clark Matthew Clark Benoît Cocheteux George Condous Michael Cook Paul Cousins Justin Di Lollo Rose Gallo Alistair Gibson Sam Giddings Marina Go Sebastian Goldspink Rose Herceg Paolo Hooke Peter Howard Jennifer Hoy Scott Jackson Damian Kassagbi Aernout Kerbert Antony Lighten Gary Linnane Paul Macdonald David McKean Hayden McLean Amelia Morgan-Hunn Phoebe Morgan-Hunn Tom O Donnell Taine Moufarrige Hugh Munro Fiona Osler Julia Owens Archie Paffas Jonathan Pease Jingmin Qian Seamus R Quick Leah Ranie Michael Reede Chris Robertson Emma Rodigari Jacqueline Rowlands Bernard Ryan Katherine Shaw Randal Tame Adam Wand Jon Wilkie Jonathan Watkinson Darren Woolley Misha Zelinsky 12 sydney symphony

13 PLAYING YOUR PART The Sydney Symphony gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. Donations of $50 and above are acknowledged on our website at Platinum Patrons $20,000+ Brian Abel Robert Albert ao & Elizabeth Albert Geoff Ainsworth Terrey Arcus am & Anne Arcus Tom Breen & Rachael Kohn Sandra & Neil Burns Mr John C Conde ao Robert & Janet Constable Michael Crouch ao & Shanny Crouch James & Leonie Furber Dr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuffre In memory of Hetty & Egon Gordon Mr Andrew Kaldor am & Mrs Renata Kaldor ao D & I Kallinikos James N Kirby Foundation The late Joan MacKenzie Vicki Olsson Mrs Roslyn Packer ao Paul & Sandra Salteri Mrs Penelope Seidler am G & C Solomon in memory of Joan MacKenzie Mrs W Stening Mr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy Street Peter William Weiss ao & Doris Weiss Westfield Group Mr Brian & Mrs Rosemary White Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Ray Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam Gold Patrons $10,000 $19,999 Stephen J Bell Alan & Christine Bishop Ian & Jennifer Burton Howard Connors Copyright Agency Cutlural Fund Edward Federman Nora Goodridge Mr Ross Grant The Estate of the late Ida Gugger Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer Ruth & Bob Magid Justice Jane Mathews ao The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran Meagher Mrs T Merewether oam Mr B G O Conor Henry & Ruth Weinberg Caroline Wilkinson June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Silver Patrons $5000 $9,999 Doug & Alison Battersby Mr Robert Brakspear Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett Mr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie Clampett Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Dr C Goldschmidt The Greatorex Foundation Mr Rory Jeffes Judges of the Supreme Court of NSW Mr Ervin Katz The Estate of the late Patricia Lance Timothy & Eva Pascoe William McIlrath Charitable Foundation Rodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia Rosenblum Manfred & Linda Salamon Mrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet Cooke Michael & Mary Whelan Trust Anonymous (1) Bronze Patrons $2,500 $4,999 Ewen Crouch am & Catherine Crouch The Hon. Ashley Dawson-Damer Firehold Pty Ltd Stephen Freiberg & Donald Campbell Vic & Katie French Mrs Jennifer Hershon Michael & Anna Joel Gary Linnane Matthew McInnes J A McKernan R & S Maple-Brown Renee Markovic Mora Maxwell James & Elsie Moore Drs Keith & Eileen Ong In memory of Sandra Paul Pottinger Dr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June Roarty In memory of H St P Scarlett Julianna Schaeffer David & Isabel Smithers Marliese & Georges Teitler Mr & Mrs T & D Yim Anonymous (2) Bronze Patrons $1,000 $2,499 Mrs Antoinette Albert Andrew Andersons ao Mr Henri W Aram oam Dr Francis J Augustus Richard and Christine Banks David Barnes Nicole Berger Allan & Julie Bligh Dr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Jan Bowen Lenore P Buckle M Bulmer In memory of RW Burley Ita Buttrose ao obe Joan Connery oam & Maxwell Connery oam Constable Estate Vineyards Debby Cramer & Bill Caukill Mr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret Cunningham Greta Davis Lisa & Miro Davis Matthew Delasey Mr & Mrs Grant Dixon Colin Draper & Mary Jane Brodribb Mrs Margaret Epps Mr Ian Fenwicke & Prof. Neville Wills Mr James Graham am & Mrs Helen Graham Warren Green Anthony Gregg & Deanne Whittleston Akiko Gregory Tony Grierson Edward & Deborah Griffin Richard Griffin am In memory of Dora & Oscar Grynberg Janette Hamilton Michelle Hilton The Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret Hunt Dr & Mrs Michael Hunter In memory of Bernard M H Khaw Mr Justin Lam Mr Peter Lazar am Irene Lee Associate Professor Winston Liauw Dr David Luis Carolyn & Peter Lowry oam Deirdre & Kevin McCann Ian & Pam McGaw Macquarie Group Foundation sydney symphony 13

14 Ms Jackie O Brien JF & A van Ogtrop Mr & Mrs Ortis Mr Andrew C Patterson Piatti Holdings Pty Ltd Andy & Deirdre Plummer Robin Potter Ernest & Judith Rapee Kenneth R Reed Patricia H Reid Endowment Pty Ltd Caroline Sharpen Dr Agnes E Sinclair Catherine Stephen John & Alix Sullivan The Hon. Brian Sully qc Mildred Teitler John E Tuckey Mrs M Turkington In memory of Joan & Rupert Vallentine Dr Alla Waldman Mr Robert & Mrs Rosemary Walsh Ann & Brooks Wilson am Dr Richard Wing Mr R R Woodward In memory of Lorna Wright Dr John Yu Anonymous (9) Bronze Patrons $500 $999 Mrs Lenore Adamson Mr & Mrs Garry S Ash Barlow Cleaning Pty Ltd Beauty Point Retirement Resort Mrs Margaret Bell Minnie Biggs Mrs Jan Biber Dr Anthony Bookallil R D & L M Broadfoot Arnaldo Buch Ann & Miles Burgess Pat & Jenny Burnett The Hon. Justice JC & Mrs Campbell Dr Rebecca Chin Mrs Sarah Chissick Mrs Catherine J Clark R A & M J Clarke Mr & Mrs Coates Coffs Airport Security Car Park Mr B & Mrs M Coles Mrs Joan Connery oam Jen Cornish Mr David Cross Phil Diment am & Bill Zafiropoulos Elizabeth Donati The Dowe Family John Favaloro Malcolm Ellis & Erin O Neill In memory of Peter Everett Mr Tom Francis Mr John Gaden Vivienne Goldschmidt Clive & Jenny Goodwin Roger Henning Harry & Meg Herbert Sue Hewitt Dorothy Hoddinott ao Mr Joerg Hofmann Mrs Kimberley Holden Mr Gregory Hosking Niki Kallenberger Mrs Margaret Keogh Dr Henry Kilham Chris J Kitching Anna-Lisa Klettenberg Sonia Lal Mr Luigi Lamprati Dr & Mrs Leo Leader Margaret Lederman Erna & Gerry Levy am Sydney & Airdrie Lloyd Mrs A Lohan Mrs Panee Low Dr David Luis Philip & Catherine McClelland Melvyn Madigan Alan & Joy Martin Mrs Toshiko Meric Ms Irene Miller & Ms Kim Harding P J Miller David Mills Kenneth N Mitchell Ms Margaret Moore oam & Dr Paul Hutchins am Chris Morgan-Hunn Mrs Milja Morris A Nhan Mr Graham North Dr Mike O Connor am Mr R A Oppen Origin Foundation Dr A J Palmer Dr Kevin Pedemont Dr Natalie E Pelham Michael Quailey Renaissance Tours Anna Ro Lesley & Andrew Rosenberg Mrs Pamela Sayers Garry Scarf & Morgie Blaxill Peter & Virginia Shaw Mrs Diane Shteinman am Ms Stephanie Smee Ms Tatiana Sokolova Doug & Judy Sotheren Mrs Judith Southam Mrs Karen Spiegal-Keighley Margaret Suthers Norman & Lydia Taylor Dr Heng Tey & Mrs Cilla Tey Mrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward Spicer Kevin Troy Gillian Turner & Rob Bishop Prof Gordon E Wall Mrs Margaret Wallis Ronald Walledge Ms Elizabeth Wilkinson Audrey & Michael Wilson A Willmers & R Pal Dr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K Wong Geoff Wood & Melissa Waites Glen & Everly Wyss Mrs Robin Yabsley Anonymous (22) List correct as of 1 May 2013 To find out more about becoming a Sydney Symphony Patron, please contact the Philanthropy Office on (02) or philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com DO YOU HAVE A STORY TO TELL? Learn how, with the people who know books and writing best. Faber Academy at ALLEN & UNWIN T (02) W allenandunwin.com/faberacademy 14 sydney symphony

15 SALUTE PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS The Sydney Symphony is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body The Sydney Symphony is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW PREMIER PARTNER PLATINUM PARTNERS EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS THE LEADING SCHOOL FOR TODAY S MUSIC INDUSTRY executive search REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS MARKETING PARTNER Fine Music sydney symphony 15

16 ORCHESTRA NEWS JUNE 2013 Photo: Brendan Read RUNNING ROSE Principal Piccolo Rosamund Plummer knows no fear It s all about the food, jokes Rosamund Plummer, Principal Piccolo. I do it so I can eat more. This is the first explanation she gives for her relatively newfound love of long-distance running. Actually, running was something that she d tried on and off for decades, but it never stuck. I used to think I wasn t built for it, couldn t do it. That I d only end up hurting my knees. When I turned 50, I thought I m either going to go down the drain, or choose not to. I did a course in learning to run at a community college and learnt so much. In nearly four years, I ve never been injured, and I ve run two marathons! The experience of getting older, reflects Rose, is kind of the opposite of what most people think. You actually get tougher. You get over all your earlier hang-ups. So how does Rose s newly acquired habit affect her performance in the orchestra? I ve found that it makes me fearless. If I can run a marathon, I know I can do anything. Tchaikovsky s Fourth five times in a row? Sure. Shostakovich Ten in every concert in China? Doesn t faze me. As a piccolo player, it s quite handy to be fearless. I think of the piccolo as the icing on the cake in the orchestra. I love it. I ve learnt I think of the piccolo as the icing on the cake in the orchestra. from decades of experience of playing with an orchestra that plays in tune. I know I can t make them tune to me. Rose explains that on the piccolo, some notes are more flexible than others. For instance, at the end of the Elegia movement in Bartók s Concerto for Orchestra, the piccolo, harp and violins (playing harmonics) play a unison D flat. I remember when I went to Chicago on a Friends [of the SSO] scholarship, I was working through all the orchestral excerpts with Walfrid Kujala, who was the Principal Piccolo of the Chicago Symphony Orchestra at the time. When we got to that very note in the Bartók, he turned to me and asked quite sincerely, Do you have any luck with that note? It seems piccolo players the world over are facing the same musical challenges. Though perhaps not all of them are doing it in between marathons

17 Sponsorship Highlight Deconstructing the Steinway Ever wondered about the mechanism behind the sound of a glorious grand piano? At a recent event at Theme & Variations Piano Services showroom, an audience of patrons, guests and Sydney Symphony friends witnessed the deconstruction of a Steinway grand before their very eyes! Theme & Variations director Ara Vartoukian has years of experience here and in Europe tuning, voicing and regulating these instruments and in the course of the evening he shared his vast knowledge, shining a light on the evolution of the iconic sound of the Steinway, explaining the intricacies of the Ara Vartoukian reveals the innards of a Steinway concert grand. mechanism and how technology has changed the instrument. Theme & Variations is the presenting partner of our International Pianists in Recital series. Jonathan Biss performs Beethoven sonatas on 29 July at City Recital Hall Angel Place. Ask a Musician What s the difference between a concertmaster, an associate concertmaster and an assistant concertmaster? Traditionally, the concertmaster s role was to take over from the conductor if he fell ill, though that s less likely these days because we re lucky enough to have assistant conductors who train to do that. The concertmaster is expected to liaise with the conductor, determine the bowings, demonstrate phrasing and monitor ensemble in the first violins, and in the orchestra more broadly. In a tricky acoustic environment, lots of people will keep an eye on the leader s bow, to know exactly when to play. The associate and assistant concertmasters are also required In May we visited Canberra and Albury for concerts and workshops. During the tour the Fellowship Quartet performed in the Great Hall of Parliament House. to lead the orchestra from time to time, if the concertmaster falls ill or is away. More often, though, we re there to support the concertmaster. I often have to pass information back to the rest of the section, or resolve any seating issues. We also play the front-desk solos when required. My job requires a different kind of leading to sitting in the concertmaster s seat, where you re the one who s initiating any translation of the conductor s beat. I see my role as transmitting a lot of what else is going on in the orchestra, particularly from the second violins because I sit so close to them. Sometimes too, people in our section can t actually see the concertmaster, and so they watch me instead. It s vital that I don t move in a direction contrary to what the concertmaster is showing. Kirsten Williams, Associate Concertmaster CONDUCT A SYMPHONY AT YOUR PLACE You can enjoy six selected live performances of the Sydney Symphony during its 2013 season in the comfort of your own home, only at BigPond Music online or on T-Box. Visit bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony The spectrum device is a trade mark of Telstra Corporation Limited. Registered trade marks of Telstra Corporation Limited ABN Photo: Brendan Read

18 Outreach Focus THANK YOU CONCERT Recently our musicians took their (hard) hats off to the men and women working on improvements to the Sydney Opera House. It s not every day that SSO musicians are required to don hard hats and high visibility vests to go to work. In May, however, it was entirely appropriate concert clobber as our musicians performed for construction workers at the Sydney Opera House. This special concert was our way of saying thank you to the crews for all their work in improving the orchestra s home behind the scenes. This wasn t the first time such a concert had been arranged. The Sydney Symphony gave the very first performance in the Concert Hall in December 1972, said Managing Director Rory Jeffes. This was almost one year before the official opening of the Opera House, for an audience of construction workers and their families, in a concert designed to test the acoustics of the Concert Hall. This time it was the acoustics of the excavated site deep beneath the Opera House forecourt that was given a work out. Five of our brass musicians performed some of the music that was played at that 1972 concert: an Allegro from Handel s Water Music together with a brass fanfare by French composer Paul Dukas. I m delighted this tradition continues today. Our musicians asked for an opportunity to thank the John Holland employees who are working to improve the conditions of our home, continued Rory. Due to be completed late next year, the new underground loading dock and tunnel will give all Opera House users vastly improved access to the Concert Hall and allow us to move large instruments and other equipment in and out of the venue more efficiently. Wholly funded by the NSW Government, the work is being completed by John Holland, a subsidiary of Leighton Holdings. Hamish Tyrwhitt, Chief Executive Officer of Leighton Holdings, said: Leighton Holdings is extremely proud of its ten-year partnership with the Sydney Symphony. It s based on supporting young and emerging talent, a theme very much in line with our philosophy of fostering the development of our employees. The Score How I learn a piece Jonathan Biss: The most im portant thing, which does not vary, is that I learn in phases. I first start looking seriously at a new piece more than a year in advance of the performance and with the knowledge that I ll go away from it at least twice before then. I find the time I spend away from a piece of music is almost more important than the practice schedule and initial practising there s a strange osmosis that happens. I ll spend ten months really getting something into my fingers dealing with the essential problems and looking for solutions to things that are tricky for my fingers. Then I ll come back to it three months later not having thought about it so much and find the problems have magically resolved themselves. It usually then it reveals a whole new set of problems! I try to go through that process at least twice. I find my whole relationship with a piece is so much deeper than it would be otherwise. Let s say I spend three months working on a piece before going on stage I m much happier knowing that those three months of work took place over 12 months. Jonathan Biss plays Beethoven International Pianists in Recital 29 July 7pm Jonathan Biss plays Mozart Thursday Afternoon Symphony 25 July 1.30pm Emirates Metro Series 26 July 8pm Great Classics 27 July 2pm Photo: Jillian Edelstein/EMI Classics

19 CODA VALE HAZEL HAWKE We were saddened to learn recently of the death of Hazel Hawke. Her tremendous legacy includes her role as a patron of the arts, and specifically of the ABC Young Performers Awards. Many of us in the orchestra remember the time she performed with us as a piano soloist! It was in a pair of Meet the Music concerts in 1990, conducted by John Hopkins, in which Hazel Hawke was joined by two former YPA winners, Rebecca Chambers and Duncan Gifford, in Mozart s Concerto in F for three pianos, K242. EMERGING ARTISTS 2014: APPLICATIONS OPEN Sydney Sinfonia and Fellowship applications are closing on Friday 19 July. More information, including online applications, is available through our website BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang at bit.ly/emergingartists Application2014 Any questions? Call Mark Lawrenson on (02) ASHKENAZY S FAVOURITE THINGS Recently Vladimir Ashkenazy joined us for a fortnight of concerts, including a program we dubbed Ashkenazy s Favourites. While he was in town he shared a few of his favourite things in a series of videos. Enjoy the full playlist for Ashkenazy s favourite joke, favourite clothing, favourite food and a top restaurant recommendation should you ever find yourself in Iceland! bit.ly/ashkenazyfavesplaylist YOUR SAY A concertgoer response we simply had to share Stuck in a rainstorm traffic snarl on the M4, I sometimes wonder in this age of high-fidelity recordings why we concert-goers haul ourselves up to 160 kilometres round trip to attend a live concert. The performance of Carmina Burana on 22 March provided the answer, especially when directed with the rhythmic subtlety and excitement of Long Yu. Sitting 10 metres away from massed choirs, gongs, drums and brass during O Fortuna is an experience you cannot re-create with a CD or a DVD. Now I must admit that Carmina Burana is a guilty pleasure, because it is about as profound as an Iced Vo-Vo, and when listening to it, I feel like a scholar skipping a visit to the British Museum to go pole dancing. On the other hand, which other orchestral piece features as much sex, booze and gambling, along with cameo appearances by the Pope and the Queen? No wonder the percussionists had such broad smiles on their faces at the end. They probably felt the earth move, too. 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