Dancing with the Saxophone

Transcription

1 2012 SEASON Dancing with the Saxophone Amy Dickson & Ravel s Bolero Fri 5 October 8pm Sat 6 October 8pm Mon 8 October 7pm Kaleidoscope 7

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3 2012 season kaleidoscope Friday 5 October, 8pm Saturday 6 October, 8pm 7 Monday 8 October, 7pm Sydney Opera House Concert Hall Dancing with the Saxophone Miguel Harth-Bedoya CONDUCTOR Amy Dickson SAXOPHONE Giuseppe Verdi ( ) Overture to the opera La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny) Ross Edwards (born 1943) Full Moon Dances Saxophone Concerto Mantra with night birds and dark moon blossoms First Ritual Dance Water-Moon Sanctus Second Ritual Dance The fi ve movements are played without pause. SYDNEY PREMIERE INTERVAL Maurice Ravel ( ) Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester) La Valse Poème chorégraphique Bolero Monday night s performance will be broadcast live across Australia on ABC Classic FM. Monday s performance will also be webcast live via BigPond, available for later viewing on demand. Visit bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony Pre-concert talk by Yvonne Frindle in the Northern Foyer, 45 minutes before each performance. Visit sydneysymphony.com/talk-bios for speaker biographies. Estimated durations: 8 minutes, 25 minutes, 20-minute interval, 8 minutes, 12 minutes, 13 minutes The concert will conclude at approximately 9.45pm (8.45pm Monday).

4 Headdress designed by Sydney milliner Suzy O Rourke for Full Moon Dances. 6 sydney symphony

5 INTRODUCTION Dancing with the Saxophone Nearly all the performing arts have a theatrical aspect: drama, opera, musicals, ballet, modern dance, physical theatre, puppetry, cabaret, the arena rock concert Attend one of these and you re attending a show. Classical concerts can seem different sometimes playing down the theatre in favour of a pure listening experience. Which might be why composer Ross Edwards is seeking to reconnect music with elemental forces and restore its traditional association with ritual and dance. For Edwards, the idea goes back nearly 30 years, when he considered the possibility of supporting a hypnotic and contemplative work with subdued lighting in a darkened hall. Yarrageh, a nocturne ( night music ) for percussion and orchestra, was his first work to carry lighting instructions. Since then, he s never looked back. Lighting, staging and movement, costumes Edwards pieces are conceived as almost theatrical entities in which his unique sound-world is supported by visual elements. He recognises that we go to see concerts as much as hear them. The theatre of concert music covers a range as diverse as the many functions of music itself. There is contemplation and meditation; there is healing and relaxation; there is story-telling; and dancing. Then there is the ritual aspect of concert conventions, which can seem almost church-like at times, and which Edwards sometimes likes to subvert by reaching back to much older conventions or traditions from other cultures. Which is a long way of getting to the point of tonight s concert: it has a program that embraces the theatrical side of music. It begins with an overture to a tragic opera. Ross Edwards new saxophone concerto forms the dramatic and visual highlight. And we end with thrilling pieces by Maurice Ravel, two of which were conceived for the ballet stage, La Valse and Bolero. Enjoy the show! Not everything the orchestra does takes place on the Sydney Opera House concert platform for Sydney Symphony news and profi les of the musicians, turn to Bravo!, a regular feature at the back of the program books, with nine issues a year. If you miss an issue, visit sydneysymphony.com/bravo COVER IMAGE: Torn Cloud Cover by Full Moon, watercolour on blue vellum by Friedrich Nerly ( ). akg-images sydney symphony 7

6 ABOUT THE MUSIC Giuseppe Verdi Overture to the opera La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny) Insofar as the 19th-century opera overture was both an attention-getter for a noisy audience and a trailer for the evening ahead, the Force of Destiny Overture fits the bill perfectly. The arresting opening introduces a medley of themes, including Leonora s prayer from Act II, with its Verdian trademark of high, shimmering violins. Its festive ending casts off tragedy and ask us, unashamedly, to admire the brilliance of the orchestra. At the same time, the dramatic weight of the opera s tragedy is echoed in Verdi s overture, right from the stark, ominous notes of the opening. The opera s victim of fate, Leonora, gives us the overture s musical substance, an agitated theme from Act I, when she is cursed by her dying father. This sinister fate theme recurs throughout the opera, but in the overture it takes on a dramatic life of its own. La forza del destino, composed by Verdi in 1862, is an expansive opera based on a Spanish tragedy by Rivas about the murder of the Marquis di Calatrava and the consequent deaths of the other principal characters: his son, Don Carlo; his daughter, Leonora; and Leonora s lover, Don Alvaro. The Marquis is accidentally killed by Don Alvaro when he discovers that Leonora and her lover are about to elope. Don Carlo swears to avenge his father s death, and his pursuit of Don Alvaro ends in a duel in which Don Carlo is mortally wounded. Leonora casts herself sobbing upon her brother s body but, remembering his vow, he stabs her and a grim destiny is fulfilled. ADAPTED IN PART FROM A NOTE BY YVONNE FRINDLE 2005 The overture to La forza del destino calls for flute, piccolo, and pairs of oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and cimbasso (a low brass instrument); timpani and percussion; two harps and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed the overture in 1949, conducted by Franco Ghione, and most recently in 2008, conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. Keynotes VERDI Born near Parma, 1813 Died Milan, 1901 Giuseppe Verdi is without doubt Italy s greatest composer of the 19th century and the grand master of Romantic Italian opera. He composed nearly 30 operas, many of which remain staples of the repertoire: La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aida, Otello, Un ballo in maschera and La forza del destino, to name just some. Va pensiero, the moving Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco, resonated with Italian patriots in the mid-19th century and was so closely associated with Verdi that mourners sang it as his funeral cortège passed through the streets of Milan. La forza was composed for St Petersburg in 1862, after a four-year lull following Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball). The overture dates from the 1869 revision of the work for La Scala in Milan. Giuseppe Verdi: Pastel portrait by Giovanni Boldini 8 sydney symphony

7 Ross Edwards Full Moon Dances Saxophone Concerto Mantra with night birds and dark moon blossoms First Ritual Dance Water-Moon Sanctus Second Ritual Dance Amy Dickson saxophone The composer writes Some years ago, extra-musical associations began to infiltrate my compositions, especially those in concerto form, and such works as Bird Spirit Dreaming (2002) and The Heart of Night (2004) contain, or at least make provision for, elements of theatre and ritual. In my saxophone concerto, Full Moon Dances, a female soloist is proffered the role of universal Moon Goddess incarnate, source of plant life and protector of the environment, in which she performs a series of ritual healing ceremonies. Serene and mysterious, she nonetheless has power to unleash ecstasy and terror beyond the bounds of reason. The work unfolds in an unbroken sequence of five movements: 1. Mantra with night birds and dark moon blossoms An ancient Vedic mantra grows into a chant-like melody which invokes the Goddess, whose appearance is accompanied by eerie night sounds symbolising the powerful psychic forces of the unconscious. The mantra persists in the background, eventually dissolving into moments of moon-drenched phantasmagoria. 2. First Ritual Dance This cleansing ritual is driven by self-abandoning rhythms whose function is to purge negative thoughts and feelings. After a central climax, the dance abruptly returns to its source and resurges, gathering intensity. 3. Water-Moon Guan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Compassion (who may be compared with the Christian Mary), is venerated in her various guises throughout Southeast Asia. She is often depicted as a beautiful, graceful woman in a white robe, sometimes with a halo of moonlight. In a Tang dynasty poem by Po Chu-I she is symbolised by the moon s reflection floating in pure, clear water. This dance pays homage to her. Keynotes EDWARDS Born Sydney, 1943 Ross Edwards is one of Australia s best-known and most widely performed composers. He has created a unique sound-world, seeking to restore music s traditional association with ritual and dance. His music is universal in its concern for age-old mysteries surrounding humanity. It s also deeply connected to its roots in Australia, whose cultural diversity it celebrates, and from whose natural environment it draws inspiration, especially birdsong and the mysterious patterns and drones of insects. Edwards studied with Peter Sculthorpe and Richard Meale, and in Adelaide and London with Peter Maxwell Davies. His compositions include five symphonies, concertos, choral, chamber and vocal music, children s music, film scores, a chamber opera and music for dance. FULL MOON DANCES In a number of his concert works beginning with the percussion concerto Yarrageh (1989) Edwards has called for special lighting, movement, costume and visual accompaniment. A notable example is the oboe concerto Bird Spirit Dreaming, which Diana Doherty premiered with the Sydney Symphony. Full Moon Dances, a concerto for saxophonist Amy Dickson, is similar, with specially designed capes and headdresses, dynamic use of the concert platform and lighting to create a musical experience that is visual as well as aural. The concerto is in five distinct movements or sections, played in an unbroken sequence. sydney symphony 9

8 4. Sanctus The stage is transformed into a sacred space. Over an accompaniment of trance-like stillness scored for bell and muted strings, the Goddess sings serenely as she receives and transmits gentle moon radiance. This movement draws, as does its successor, on material from my Mass of the Dreaming (2009) and makes oblique reference to fragments of plainchant. 5. Second Ritual Dance The finale joyously celebrates the earth with drone-based shapes and rhythms that recall Australian Aboriginal chant. The melody that bloomed from the mantra now returns accompanied by a blazing darbuka (small, goblet-shaped North African hand drum), after which a reflective passage leads to a restatement of the insistent, dance-like hymn to the earth. ROSS EDWARDS 2012 The concerto calls for a large orchestra of three flutes, three oboes, three clarinets and three bassoons; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion; harp and strings. Full Moon Dances was commissioned for Amy Dickson, the Sydney Symphony and the Australian symphony orchestras by Andrew Kaldor and Renata Kaldor AO with the support of Symphony Services International. The concerto received its premiere on 7 June 2012 with Amy Dickson as soloist and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Grams. It has since been performed by the West Australian and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, and will be performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in February This is the Sydney premiere. In recent years, Sydney Symphony performances of Edwards music have included the violin concerto Maninyas; and the oboe concerto Bird Spirit Dreaming, Earth Spirit Songs (Symphony No.2) and The Promised Land (Symphony No.5), the last three commissioned with the assistance of the Kaldors. 10 sydney symphony

9 The Moon and I Abridged from an article by Ross Edwards Amy Dickson started writing to me after she won the Symphony Australia Young Performers Award in Amy is a performer in the Diana mould. [Ross Edwards composed Bird Spirit Dreaming for Sydney Symphony principal oboe Diana Doherty in 2002; when she performed the concerto in New York she was billed as the dancing oboist.] Wonderfully musical, Amy has a flawless technique, a riveting stage presence and is game for anything. When we were getting serious about my writing her a concerto I asked her did she like to dance? Yes! Would she like to be a Moon Goddess? Oh yes!!! I completed the score of Full Moon Dances last November. Amy and I had communicated by most of the time I was composing, occasionally meeting when she happened to be in Sydney. I d send her bits of the solo part as it evolved, and nothing seemed to faze her. Having mastered the solo part, Amy turned her attention to the visual aspect of the performance. In Sydney she modelled a prototypal Moon Goddess costume for my wife Helen and me. From London we had an describing a new white dress especially chosen for her by Armani, with colourful, reversible capes and hoods which were Helen s brilliant and highly practical concept. Sydney milliner Suzy O Rourke has designed capes and special headdresses. Then there were the practicalities of lighting and movement. Since it s not possible to actually dance with so weighty an instrument as an alto sax, we re settling for a more dignified presence, as befits a Goddess actually a series of Goddess avatars: mysterious, demonic, serene and celebratory, each with music and costume and lighting variations to match. Amy Dickson Read more about the concerto and its creation at bit.ly/fullmoondancesre sydney symphony 11

10 Maurice Ravel Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester) Like many French composers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Ravel was fascinated by Spain, a fact reflected in many of his works (from the one-act opera L Heure espagnole and the Rapsodie espagnole to the celebrated Bolero). This fascination was not primarily the result of personal experience. The Spain of Alborada del gracioso (or, for that matter, of Bizet s Carmen or Debussy s Ibéria) was not a real country, but rather an exotic, mysterious ideal of heady perfumes and vibrant colours, populated by passionate gypsies and dashing bullfighters: the Spain of travel brochures. Alborada del gracioso was originally written for piano, as part of a set entitled Miroirs (Mirrors), which appeared in Several of Ravel s orchestral works are transcribed from piano pieces: such is his genius as an orchestrator, however, that the orchestral and piano versions both have Keynotes RAVEL Born Ciboure, 1875 Died Paris 1937 Ravel was born to Swiss and Basque parents in a French village just a stone s throw from Spain. Although short in stature, he was the bestdressed of all the French composers of his day, and he delighted in collecting mechanical toys and exotic ornaments for his home. ( This room, he would say to his guests, is all fake Japanese! ) His music shows a corresponding enthusiasm for jewel-like surface detail, delicacy of expression and exotic effect. And above all, he had an enduring fascination for Spain. His other passions included dance and times past. These loves take different forms and are sometimes combined, as in La Valse. The music itself covers the spectrum of physical expression: from aloof elegance to the hypnotic repetition and overwhelming surge of Bolero. MORNING SONG OF THE JESTER An Alborada is a morning song or serenade ( aubade in French) and this one is sung by a gracioso, one of the jesters who populated the courts of 17th century Spain and the paintings of Velázquez. It is volatile and moody music evoking an imaginary Spain and it originally formed part of a piano suite. In 1918 Ravel orchestrated the music, turning the orchestra into a giant guitar with strumming harps and strings. Ravel: Portrait by Achille Ouvre, c sydney symphony

11 the status of originals. Each version is so perfectly conceived for its scoring that it seems impossible to imagine it in any other medium. Alborada is particularly interesting, in that its whole harmonic and rhythmic fabric is a powerful evocation of a guitar, being played by a virtuoso in the Spanish tradition an original version, which does not exist and yet appears to predate the other two! The timbres featured in Ravel s orchestration (from 1918) make the guitar references explicit, with much use of harp, string pizzicato and harmonics, and an extensive percussion section, with prominent parts for side drum and castanets. There are a number of specific genres in Spanish folk music which bear the name Alborada (literally dawn song ), but Ravel was perhaps thinking more of the romantic mediæval idea of a farewell serenade sung by a lover, as he rides away from his beloved at dawn. The complete title, Morning Song of the Jester, aptly suggests the music s volatile nature, by turns melancholy, playful and extravagant. a powerful evocation of a guitar ELLIOTT GYGER SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA In its orchestrated form, the Alborada del gracioso calls for three flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, tambourine, xylophone, crotales, castanets), two harps and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed the Alborada in 1952 under Eugene Goossens, and most recently in 2008 in an all-ravel concert conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. Take the orchestra with you Download our FREE mobile app for music excerpts, live webcasts, program books and more. sydney symphony 13

12 La Valse poème chorégraphique La Valse begins with a grumble a muted double bass section divided into three separate groups that share eerie tremolos and ominous plucked notes. (It has more than a passing resemblance to the famous motif from Jaws.) Ravel s scenario describes eddying clouds that part from time to time, offering fleeting glimpses of waltzing couples. Bassoons, horns and clarinets join in harps and more trembling strings all is low and all is muted. This is the waltz viewed from a distance, each intimate couple in its own private world. But we cannot stay voyeurs for long the mists gradually disperse to reveal a huge ballroom in red and gold, brilliantly lit with chandeliers, and the waltzing couples have become a whirling crowd. The music embarks on a chain of waltzes that capture the verve of Johann Strauss, the opulence of Richard Strauss, and the frenzy of the ballroom. I m waltzing frantically, wrote Ravel when working on the piece. The themes are sophisticated and volatile by turn one moment the crowd of dancers is all glittering elegance, the next it is caught up in the fatal whirling that Ravel imagined. The fantastic melodic invention is matched by scintillating orchestral effects such as sweeping glissandos from the harps and the division of the string groups into as many as 16 separate parts. But the potential of Ravel s huge orchestra of more than 90 players is kept in reserve we re overwhelmed by its exquisite colours before we re overwhelmed by its sheer power. By the time Ravel brings on his second crescendo, shorter and more turbulent, we re completely intoxicated. Not everyone was intoxicated, however. Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes was offered this spectacular music for a ballet but rejected it as too symphonic and lacking in choreographic variety. In doing so he lost the friendship of the composer who d written Daphnis et Chloé for his company in In the end it was Ida Rubinstein who produced La Valse, nine years later, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska. But the music was first performed in the concert hall and that s where its exhilarating momentum and surging climaxes continue to sweep us away. Pre-war Vienna may have waltzed itself into fatal oblivion but La Valse whirls on. Keynotes LA VALSE Ravel wrote La Valse (The Waltz) in the years World War I had crushed the society that danced in threequarter time, and the waltz had become a thing of the past this music is the apotheosis of the Viennese waltz. La Valse is a choreographic poem for orchestra : a concert piece, but a ballet too. Ravel imagined it this way: Swirling clouds afford glimpses, through rifts, of waltzing couples. The clouds scatter little by little; one can distinguish an immense hall with a whirling crowd. The scene grows progressively brighter. The light of the chandeliers bursts forth at the fortissimo. An imperial court, around Ravel wanted to create the impression of a fantastic, fatal whirling, and he achieves the effect through the simplest of devices: the crescendo, or building of sound from soft to loud. In this respect it is not unlike Bolero, but instead of one long overwhelming crescendo, La Valse offers two. ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY YVONNE FRINDLE 2005 La Valse calls for a large orchestra of three flutes (one doubling piccolo), three oboes (one doubling cor anglais), two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion; two harps and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed La Valse in 1939 with Antal Doráti, and most recently in 2008 in an all-ravel concert conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. 14 sydney symphony

13 Bolero Ida Rubinstein wanted to create a Spanish ballet and she invited Ravel to orchestrate music from Albéniz s piano work Iberia. But one of Ravel s friends pointed out that such a ballet was already in the making (it was 1928) and that neither he nor Rubinstein would be able to obtain the necessary permissions to repeat the exercise: the ballet, the scenario and the music were covered by a network of agreements, signatures and copyrights that could not be broken. Thwarted and put out, Ravel came up with something rather unusual. He said it had no true form, no development, hardly any modulation and a vulgar theme, but plenty of rhythm and orchestration. Bolero was born. For this radiant music, Rubinstein created a tableau in the manner of Goya: a moody interior, in which a flamenco dancer performs a stylised bolero on table amid the encouragement and impassioned quarrels of the spectators, a languid beginning building to a representation of inflamed desire. Ravel accepted her interpretation, but its orgiastic sensuality was not what he had in mind. (His own choreographic visions had included factory assembly lines to mirror the mechanistic repetition and chain-like linking of themes in the music.) And he offered what is perhaps the most famous disclaimer in music: I am particularly desirous that there should be no misunderstanding as to my Bolero. It is an experiment in a very special and limited direction Before the first performance, I issued a warning to the effect that what I had written was a piece lasting 17 minutes and consisting wholly of orchestral tissue without music Ravel goes on to point out that there are no contrasts, the themes are impersonal, and there is practically no invention except in the plan and the manner of the execution. And he was not exaggerating when he described Bolero as one long crescendo: the music builds inexorably in colour, texture and sheer volume from the voice of a lone snare drum to the overwhelming effect of the full orchestra. Whatever Ravel might say, Bolero is a tour de force. Keynotes BOLERO Whether it brings to mind images of Bo Derek or Torvill and Dean, Bolero needs little introduction. It begins with a snare drum rhythm, then builds irresistibly and hypnotically to a frenzied climax. Along the way Ravel demonstrates his absolute mastery of orchestral tissue, in this order: solo flute solo clarinet bassoon the high E-flat clarinet oboe d amore flute muted trumpet tenor saxophone soprano saxophone then groups of instruments two piccolos, horn and celesta the oboe family, clarinet and bass clarinet solo trombone (with its characteristic slide) woodwinds joined by the first violins then the second violins and tenor saxophone flutes, oboes, violins and trumpet joined by a horn clarinets, trombone and soprano sax return to the mix, together with violas and cellos and ultimately the full ensemble, including a second snare drum YVONNE FRINDLE, SYDNEY SYMPHONY 2008/2012 Bolero calls for two flutes (one doubling piccolo), piccolo, two oboes (one doubling oboe d amore), cor anglais, two clarinets (one doubling E flat clarinet), bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, four trumpets, three trombones and tuba; soprano and tenor saxophones; timpani and percussion; harp, celesta, and strings. The Sydney Symphony first performed Bolero in 1946, conducted by Bernard Heinze, and most recently in 2008 in an all-ravel concert conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. sydney symphony 15

14 MORE MUSIC VERDI Want to hear more from the master of Italian opera? Look for The Number One Verdi Album, which lives up to its name with a selection from Verdi s best-known overtures, arias and choruses in some top-notch performances from the Universal back catalogue. The 2CD set begins with La donna è mobile from Rigoletto (sung by Pavarotti) and never looks back. ELOQUENCE EDWARDS Look for the premiere recording of Edwards violin concerto, Maninyas, with dedicatee and Sydney Symphony concertmaster Dene Olding as soloist and the Sydney Symphony conducted by Stuart Challender. On the same disc David Porcelijn conducts Symphony Da Pacem Domine and Yarrageh Nocturne for solo percussion and orchestra with Ian Cleworth. (Nearly 20 years old and possibly out of print but available for download through itunes.) ABC CLASSICS The TSO Australian Composer Series includes an appealing selection, all performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Richard Mills conducting: White Ghost Dancing, Veni Creator Spiritus, Mountain Village in a Clearing Mist, Enyato I and the Guitar Concerto with Karin Schaupp. ABC CLASSICS Sydney Symphony principal Diana Doherty is the star on an all-edwards recording featuring Bird Spirit Dreaming. Two shorter works for oboe and orchestra complete the disc: Yanada and Ulpirra. Arvo Volmer conducts the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. ABC CLASSICS RAVEL If you re looking for tonight s selection of Ravel pieces, seek out the recent re-release of Lorin Maazel s 1982 recording with the ORTF (French Radio) National Orchestra. Alborada del gracioso in its orchestral version is followed by Bolero and La Valse. The bonus treat is Rapsodie espagnole. SONY To hear a thrilling rendition of Alborada in its piano version, look no further than Dinu Lipatti. EMI CLASSICS MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYA Last November saw the release of Nazareno, with Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León in music by Golijov with Ginastera s Estancia and Revueltas La noche de los mayas. The title work, Nazareno, by Golijov features French duo pianists, Katia and Marielle Labèque. It can be found on the Spotify and MOG streaming services (search Nazareno ) and is also available for purchase through the Australian itunes Store. Also among Harth-Bedoya s most recent releases is the Grammy-nominated Traditions and Transformations: Sounds of the Silk Road Chicago, an eclectic program featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The disc includes Bloch s poignant Schelomo for cello and orchestra and a performance with pipa virtuoso Wu Man, who ll be appearing with the Sydney Symphony in CSO RESOUND AMY DICKSON Amy Dickson has two albums available on the RCA Victor Red Seal label, both released in On Smile she plays a diverse program that includes Rachmaninoff, Pärt, Debussy, Ginastera and, of course, Charlie Chaplin. Catherine Milledge is the pianist. RCA VICTOR RED SEAL The second album showcases her arrangement for soprano saxophone of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto. Mikel Toms conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. RCA VICTOR RED SEAL And fresh out of the studio is the premiere recording of Holbrooke s beguiling Saxophone Concerto from Dickson also plays in Country Dances by Richard Rodney Bennett, and the disc begins with Holbrooke s Aucassin and Nicolette suite. George Vass conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. DUTTON/VOCALION 7277 Broadcast Diary October abc.net.au/classic Monday 8 October, 7pm dancing with the saxophone See this program for details Thursday 11 October, 8pm beauty and turmoil Vladimir Ashkenazy conductor Jian Wang cello Dvořák, Shostakovich Farewell concert before the orchestra departs for China Thursday 25 October, 1.05pm harmony from heaven (2010) Matthew Coorey conductor Diana Doherty oboe Alexandre Oguey cor anglais Beethoven, Lentz, Stravinsky, Sibelius With introductions by Andrew Ford Fine Music sydney symphony 2012 Tuesday 9 October, 6pm Musicians, staff and guest artists discuss what s in store in our forthcoming concerts. 16 sydney symphony

15 Webcasts Selected Sydney Symphony concerts are webcast live on BigPond and Telstra T-box and made available for later viewing On Demand. Our next webcast: dancing with the saxophone Visit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony Sydney Symphony Live The Sydney Symphony Live label was founded in 2006 and we ve since released more than a dozen recordings featuring the orchestra in live concert performances with our titled conductors and leading guest artists, including the Mahler Odyssey cycle, begun in To purchase, visit sydneysymphony.com/shop Glazunov & Shostakovich Alexander Lazarev conducts a thrilling performance of Shostakovich 9 and Glazunov s Seasons. SSO 2 Strauss & Schubert Gianluigi Gelmetti conducts Schubert s Unfi nished and R Strauss s Four Last Songs with Ricarda Merbeth. SSO Sir Charles Mackerras A 2CD set featuring Sir Charles s fi nal performances with the orchestra, in October SSO Brett Dean Brett Dean performs his own viola concerto, conducted by Simone Young, in this all-dean release. SSO Ravel Gelmetti conducts music by one of his favourite composers: Maurice Ravel. Includes Bolero. SSO Rare Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff chamber music with Dene Olding, the Goldner Quartet, soprano Joan Rodgers and Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. SSO MAHLER ODYSSEY ON CD During the 2010 and 2011 concert seasons, the Sydney Symphony and Vladimir Ashkenazy set out to perform all the Mahler symphonies, together with some of the song cycles. These concerts were recorded for CD, with nine releases so far and more to come. Mahler 9 OUT NOW In March, Mahler s Ninth, his last completed symphony, was released. SSO ALSO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE Mahler 1 & Songs of a Wayfarer SSO Mahler 8 (Symphony of a Thousand) SSO Mahler 5 SSO Song of the Earth SSO Mahler 3 SSO Mahler 4 SSO Mahler 6 SSO Mahler 7 SSO Sydney Symphony Online Join us on Facebook facebook.com/sydneysymphony Follow us on Twitter twitter.com/sydsymph Watch us on YouTube Visit sydneysymphony.com for concert information, podcasts, and to read the program book in the week of the concert. Stay tuned. Sign up to receive our fortnightly e-newsletter sydneysymphony.com/staytuned Download our free mobile app for iphone or Android sydneysymphony.com/mobile_app sydney symphony 17

16 ABOUT THE ARTISTS Miguel Harth-Bedoya CONDUCTOR Miguel Harth-Bedoya was born in Peru and studied conducting at the Curtis Institute and then the Juilliard School. After graduating in 1993, he founded the Lima Philharmonic and a partner opera company, and other early posts included music director roles with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Eugene Symphony (Oregon) and the New York Youth Symphony. He is currently in his 12th season as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and will take up the post of Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in As a guest conductor he appears throughout North America with orchestras such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Recent European engagements have included the Helsinki Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, the MDR Orchestra in Leipzig, Dresden Philharmonic and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, as well as a Scandinavian tour with soprano Renée Fleming. Equally at home in the theatre, he has conducted Jonathan Miller s new production of La Bohème for English National Opera (also recorded for DVD), and has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Cincinnati Opera. His recordings include an all-tchaikovsky disc, the first bilingual recording of Prokofiev s Peter and the Wolf (Spanish and English), and Sentimiento Latin with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flóres. In 2009 his recording Traditions and Transformations with Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was nominated for Grammy Awards in two categories. Last year he recorded Golijov s Nazareno with pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque, and will conduct this work here in Sydney in A champion of new music, he has conducted many world premieres, including music by Jimmy López and works by FWSO composers-in-residence such as Jennifer Higdon. He is also the creator and conductor of Caminos del Inka, a multimedia project with the goal of rediscovering forgotten musical gems and commissioning new works from composers associated with the South American countries through which the Inca Trail winds. Miguel Harth-Bedoya s most recent appearance with the Sydney Symphony was in miguelharth-bedoya.com VAN LENTE 18 sydney symphony

17 Amy Dickson SAXOPHONE These concerts represent Amy Dickson s first appearance with the Sydney Symphony in the Sydney Opera House following her win here in the grand final of the 2004 ABC/Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards. Since then, she has become a leader in her field, internationally recognised for her distinctive tone and exceptional musicality and technique. Amy Dickson appears as a recitalist and concerto soloist throughout Europe, as well as in Australasia, where she has appeared with nearly all the major symphony orchestras. Highlights have included concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and appearances at the Wigmore Hall, London, as well as in Prague, Amsterdam, Harare, Beirut and Hong Kong. As a chamber musician, she is collaborating with the Mandelring and Chilingrian string quartets, and her festival engagements include the Cheltenham Festival and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music. She has recorded for ABC Classic FM, Fine Music and the BBC, and her discography includes Smile (2008) and a recording featuring her own arrangement of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto. Last year she made the world premiere recording of Holbrooke s saxophone concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Amy Dickson regularly commissions new works for saxophone as well as arranging music from other instrumental repertoire. Composers writing for her include Peter Sculthorpe, Geoffrey Gordon, Piet Swerts and Jessica Wells, and Ross Edwards and Graeme Koehne have arranged their oboe concertos for saxophone performance. She is equally a champion of the established saxophone repertoire, performing concertos by composers such as Glazunov, Villa-Lobos, Ibert and Milhaud. Amy Dickson was born in Sydney and studied at London s Royal College of Music, the Amsterdam Conservatorium and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where her teachers have included Kyle Horch, Arno Bornkamp and Mark Walton. Her association with the Sydney Symphony has included participation in the James Fairfax Young Artist program, and recordings of Dubois Divertissement and the Larsson concerto. In 2006 she performed the Binge concerto with the orchestra in Blacktown, Orange and Bathurst. Amy Dickson is an ambassador of the Prince s Trust and the Australian Children s Music Foundation. She is a Selmer Paris Performing Artist, is dressed by Armani, and is endorsed by REN skincare. sydney symphony 19

18 MUSICIANS Vladimir Ashkenazy Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor supported by Emirates Dene Olding Concertmaster Jessica Cottis Assistant Conductor supported by Premier Partner Credit Suisse FIRST VIOLINS Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster Fiona Ziegler Assistant Concertmaster Julie Batty Jennifer Booth Marianne Broadfoot Brielle Clapson Sophie Cole Amber Davis Jennifer Hoy Nicola Lewis Alexander Norton Léone Ziegler Claire Herrick Elizabeth Jones Lucy Warren Dene Olding Concertmaster SECOND VIOLINS Kirsty Hilton Alexander Read Emily Long A/Assistant Principal Susan Dobbie Principal Emeritus Maria Durek Emma Hayes Shuti Huang Stan W Kornel Benjamin Li Philippa Paige Biyana Rozenblit Maja Verunica Rebecca Gill* Emily Qin Marina Marsden Emma West Assistant Principal Nicole Masters VIOLAS Roger Benedict Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Robyn Brookfield Sandro Costantino Jane Hazelwood Stuart Johnson Justine Marsden Felicity Tsai Leonid Volovelsky Jacqueline Cronin Tara Houghton* David Wicks* Justin Williams Assistant Principal Graham Hennings CELLOS Leah Lynn Assistant Principal Kristy Conrau Timothy Nankervis Elizabeth Neville Christopher Pidcock Adrian Wallis David Wickham Eleanor Betts Rowena Macneish Rachael Tobin Catherine Hewgill Fenella Gill DOUBLE BASSES Kees Boersma Alex Henery Neil Brawley Principal Emeritus David Campbell Steven Larson Richard Lynn David Murray Benjamin Ward FLUTES Janet Webb Carolyn Harris Rosamund Plummer Principal Piccolo Emma Sholl OBOES Shefali Pryor Alexandre Oguey Principal Cor Anglais Rachel Cashmore Diana Doherty David Papp CLARINETS Lawrence Dobell Christopher Tingay Craig Wernicke Principal Bass Clarinet Francesco Celata BASSOONS Matthew Wilkie Fiona McNamara Noriko Shimada Principal Contrabassoon SAXOPHONES Christina Leonard* James Nightingale* HORNS Ben Jacks Geoffrey O Reilly Principal 3rd Marnie Sebire Euan Harvey Rachel Shaw Robert Johnson TRUMPETS David Elton Paul Goodchild Anthony Heinrichs Craig Ross* John Foster TROMBONES Ronald Prussing Nick Byrne Colin Burrows* Scott Kinmont Christopher Harris Principal Bass Trombone TUBA Steve Rossé TIMPANI Richard Miller PERCUSSION Rebecca Lagos Colin Piper Mark Robinson John Douglas* Kevin Man* Brian Nixon* HARP Louise Johnson Genevieve Lang* Bold = Principal Italics = Associate Principal * = Guest Musician = Contract Musician = Sydney Symphony Fellow Grey = Permanent member of the Sydney Symphony not appearing in this concert To see photographs of the full roster of permanent musicians and find out more about the orchestra, visit our website: If you don t have access to the internet, ask one of our customer service representatives for a copy of our Musicians flyer. The men of the Sydney Symphony are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen. 20 sydney symphony

19 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 2011 tour of Japan and Korea. 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. 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. The orchestra has recently completed recording the Mahler symphonies, and has also released recordings with Ashkenazy of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label. This is the fourth year of Ashkenazy s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor. sydney symphony 21

20 BEHIND THE SCENES Sydney Symphony Board John C Conde ao Chairman Terrey Arcus am Ewen Crouch Ross Grant Jennifer Hoy Rory Jeffes Andrew Kaldor Irene Lee David Livingstone Goetz Richter Sydney Symphony Council Geoff Ainsworth am Andrew Andersons ao Michael Baume ao Christine Bishop Ita Buttrose ao obe Peter Cudlipp John Curtis am Greg Daniel am John Della Bosca Alan Fang Erin Flaherty Dr Stephen Freiberg Donald Hazelwood ao obe Dr Michael Joel am Simon Johnson Yvonne Kenny am Gary Linnane Amanda Love Helen Lynch am David Maloney David Malouf ao Julie Manfredi-Hughes Deborah Marr The Hon. Justice Jane Mathews ao Danny May Wendy McCarthy ao Jane Morschel Greg Paramor Dr Timothy Pascoe am Prof. Ron Penny ao Jerome Rowley Paul Salteri Sandra Salteri Juliana Schaeffer Leo Schofield am Fred Stein oam Gabrielle Trainor Ivan Ungar John van Ogtrop Peter Weiss am Mary Whelan Rosemary White Sydney Symphony Staff MANAGING DIRECTOR Rory Jeffes EXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT Lisa Davies-Galli ARTISTIC OPERATIONS DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING Peter Czornyj Artistic Administration ARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER Elaine Armstrong ARTIST LIAISON MANAGER Ilmar Leetberg RECORDING ENTERPRISE MANAGER Philip Powers Education Programs HEAD OF EDUCATION Kim Waldock EMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER Mark Lawrenson EDUCATION COORDINATOR Rachel McLarin Library LIBRARIAN Anna Cernik LIBRARY ASSISTANT Victoria Grant LIBRARY ASSISTANT Mary-Ann Mead ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT Aernout Kerbert ORCHESTRA MANAGER Chris Lewis ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR Georgia Stamatopoulos OPERATIONS MANAGER Kerry-Anne Cook TECHNICAL MANAGER Derek Coutts PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Tim Dayman PRODUCTION COORDINATOR Ian Spence STAGE MANAGER Peter Gahan SALES AND MARKETING DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING Mark J Elliott MARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES Simon Crossley-Meates A/SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER, SALES Matthew Rive MARKETING MANAGER, BUSINESS RESOURCES Katrina Riddle ONLINE MARKETING MANAGER Eve Le Gall MARKETING & ONLINE COORDINATOR Kaisa Heino GRAPHIC DESIGNER Lucy McCullough DATA ANALYST Varsha Karnik MARKETING ASSISTANT Jonathon Symonds Box Office MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES & OPERATIONS Lynn McLaughlin MANAGER OF BOX OFFICE OPERATIONS Tom Downey CUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES Steve Clarke Senior CSR Michael Dowling Derek Reed John Robertson Bec Sheedy COMMUNICATIONS HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & SPONSOR RELATIONS Yvonne Zammit PUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER Katherine Stevenson COMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR Janine Harris DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER Ben Draisma Publications PUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER Yvonne Frindle DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT Caroline Sharpen EXTERNAL RELATIONS MANAGER Stephen Attfield PHILANTHROPY, PATRONS PROGRAM Ivana Jirasek DEVELOPMENT MANAGER Amelia Morgan-Hunn BUSINESS SERVICES DIRECTOR OF FINANCE John Horn FINANCE MANAGER Ruth Tolentino ACCOUNTANT Minerva Prescott ACCOUNTS ASSISTANT Emma Ferrer PAYROLL OFFICER Laura Soutter HUMAN RESOURCES HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES Michel Hryce 22 sydney symphony

21 SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRONS Maestro s Circle Peter Weiss am 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 & 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 Leadership Ensemble David Livingstone, CEO, Credit Suisse, Australia Alan Fang, Chairman, Tianda Group Tony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner Pretty Insurance Australia Grou p Macquarie Group Foundation John Morschel, Chairman, ANZ Directors Chairs Andrew Kaldor, Chairman, Pelikan Artline Lynn Kraus, Sydney Office Managing Partner, Ernst & Young Shell Australia Pty Ltd James Stevens, CEO, Roses Only Stephen Johns, Chairman, Leighton Holdings, and Michele Johns 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 & 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 07 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 For information about the Directors Chairs program, please call (02) Sydney Symphony Vanguard Vanguard Collective Justin Di Lollo Chair Kees Boersma Rose Herceg David McKean Amelia Morgan-Hunn Jonathan Pease Members Matti Alakargas Nikki Andrews James Armstrong Stephen Attfield Andrew Baxter Mar Beltran Kees Boersma Peter Braithwaite Andrea Brown Ian Burton Jennifer Burton Hahn Chau Ron Christianson Matthew Clark Benoît Cocheteux George Condous Michael Cook Paul Cousins Justin Di Lollo Rose Gallo Sam Giddings Derek Hand Rose Herceg Jennifer Hoy Damian Kassagbi Chris Keher Elizabeth Lee Antony Lighten Gary Linnane David McKean Hayden McLean Amelia Morgan-Hunn Hugh Munro Fiona Osler Peter Outridge Archie Paffas Jonathan Pease Seamus R Quick Michael Reede Jacqueline Rowlands Bernard Ryan Adam Wand Jon Wilkie Jonathan Watkinson Darren Woolley Misha Zelinsky sydney symphony 23

22 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 Geoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Ainsworth Robert Albert ao & Elizabeth Albert 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 Ms Rose Herceg Mr Andrew Kaldor & Mrs Renata Kaldor ao D & I Kallinikos James N Kirby Foundation Mrs Joan MacKenzie Justice Jane Mathews ao Mrs Roslyn Packer ao Dr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June Roarty Paul & Sandra Salteri Mrs Penelope Seidler am Mrs W Stening Mr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy Street Mr Peter Weiss am & Mrs Doris Weiss Westfield Group Mr Brian & Mrs Rosemary White Ray Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oam Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey June & Alan Woods Family Bequest Gold Patrons $10,000 $19,999 Mr C R Adamson Stephen J Bell Alan & Christine Bishop Ian & Jennifer Burton Copyright Agency Limited The Hon. Ashley Dawson-Damer Edward Federman Ferris Family Foundation Nora Goodridge Mr Ross Grant The Estate of the late Ida Gugger Helen Lynch am & Helen Bauer Ruth & Bob Magid The Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran Meagher Mrs T Merewether oam Mr B G O Conor Mrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet Cooke Henry & Ruth Weinberg Anonymous (2) Silver Patrons $5000 $9,999 Doug & Alison Battersby Mr Alexander & Mrs Vera Boyarsky Mr Robert Brakspear Mr David & Mrs Halina Brett Mr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie Clampett Howard Connors Ewen & Catherine Crouch Ian Dickson & Reg Holloway Colin Draper & Mary Jane Brodribb Penny Edwards The Greatorex Foundation Mrs Jennifer Hershon The Sherry Hogan Foundation Mr Rory Jeffes Stephen Johns & Michele Bender Judges of the Supreme Court of NSW Mr Ervin Katz The Estate of the late Patricia Lance Mr David Livingstone Timothy & Eva Pascoe William McIlrath Charitable Foundation David Maloney & Erin Flaherty Rodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia Rosenblum Manfred & Linda Salamon JF & A van Ogtrop Michael & Mary Whelan Trust Ms Caroline Wilkinson Jill Wran Anonymous (2) Bronze Patrons $2,500 $4,999 Mr Marc Besen ao & Mrs Eva Besen ao Jan Bowen M Bulmer Firehold Pty Ltd Stephen Freiberg & Donald Campbell Anthony Gregg & Deanne Whittleston Vic & Katie French Warren Green Mrs Jennifer Hershon Ann Hoban In memory of Bernard M H Khaw Gary Linnane Matthew McInnes J A McKernan R & S Maple-Brown Greg & Susan Marie Alan & Joy Martin Mora Maxwell James & Elsie Moore Drs Keith & Eileen Ong In memory of H St P Scarlett David & Isabel Smithers Mrs Hedy Switzer Marliese & Georges Teitler Dr Richard Wingate Mr & Mrs T & D Yim Anonymous (2) Bronze Patrons $1,000 $2,499 Charles & Renee Abrams Mrs Antoinette Albert Andrew Andersons ao Mr Henri W Aram oam Dr Francis J Augustus Richard and Christine Banks David Barnes Michael Baume ao & Toni Baume Nicole Berger Mrs Jan Biber Allan & Julie Bligh Lenore P Buckle In memory of RW Burley Eric & Rosemary Campbell The Hon. Justice JC & Mrs Campbell Dr John H Casey 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 John Favaloro Mr Ian Fenwicke & Prof. Neville Wills Michael & Gabrielle Field Dr & Mrs C Goldschmidt Mr James Graham am & Mrs Helen Graham Akiko Gregory Edward & Deborah Griffith Janette Hamilton Dorothy Hoddinott ao The Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret Hunt Dr & Mrs Michael Hunter Mr Peter Hutchison Michael & Anna Joel Anna-Lisa Klettenberg Mr Justin Lam Mr Peter Lazar am Associate Professor Winston Liauw Sydney & Airdrie Lloyd Carolyn & Peter Lowry oam Deirdre & Kevin McCann Robert McDougall Ian & Pam McGaw 24 sydney symphony

23 Macquarie Group Foundation Renee Markovic A Nhan Ms Jackie O Brien Mr R A Oppen Mr Robert Orrell Mr & Mrs Ortis Mr Andrew C Patterson In memory of Sandra Paul Piatti Holdings Pty Ltd Andy & Deirdre Plummer Robin Potter Pottinger 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 In memory of Dr Reg Walker The Hon. Justice A G Whealy Ann & Brooks Wilson am Geoff Wood & Melissa Waites Mr Robert & Mrs Rosemary Walsh Mr R R Woodward In memory of Lorna Wright Dr John Yu Anonymous (14) Bronze Patrons $500 $999 Mr Peter J Armstrong Mr & Mrs Garry S Ash Barlow Cleaning Pty Ltd Mrs Margaret Bell Minnie Biggs Pat & Jenny Burnett Mr & Mrs Coates Dr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Arnaldo Buch The Hon. Justice JC & Mrs Campbell Dr Rebecca Chin Mrs Sarah Chissick Mrs Catherine J Clark R A & M J Clarke Mrs Joan Connery oam Jen Cornish Mr David Cross Phil Diment am & Bill Zafiropoulos Elizabeth Donati The Dowe Family Dr Nita & Dr James Durham Malcolm Ellis & Erin O Neill Mrs Margaret Epps In memory of Peter Everett Mr & Mrs Farrell Mr Tom Francis Tony Grierson Vivienne Goldschmidt Mr Richard Griffin am Ian R L Harper Ken Hawkings Mrs A Hayward Mr Roger Henning Harry & Meg Herbert Mr Joerg Hofmann Mrs Kimberley Holden Mr Gregory Hosking Alex Houghton Bill & Pam Hughes Beauty Point Retirement Resort Niki Kallenberger Mrs W G Keighley Mrs Margaret Keogh Dr Henry Kilham Chris J Kitching Mr Aron & Mrs Helen Kleinlehrer Mr & Mrs Gilles T Kryger Sonia Lal Mr Luigi Lamprati Dr & Mrs Leo Leader Margaret Lederman Irene Lee Anita & Chris Levy Erna & Gerry Levy am Mrs A Lohan Mrs Panee Low Dr David Luis Dr Jean Malcolm Philip & Catherine McClelland Mrs Flora MacDonald Mrs Helen Meddings Mrs Toshiko Meric P J Miller David & Andree Milman Kenneth N Mitchell Chris Morgan-Hunn Mrs Milja Morris Coffs Airport Security Car Park Dr Mike O Connor am Mr Graham North Dr A J Palmer Justice George Palmer am Dr Kevin Pedemont Dr Natalie E Pelham Lois & Ken Rae Renaissance Tours Anna Ro Pamela Rogers Lesley & Andrew Rosenberg Agnes Ross Mrs Pamela Sayers Garry Scarf & Morgie Blaxill William Sewell Mrs Diane Shteinman am Ms Stephanie Smee Ms Tatiana Sokolova Doug & Judy Sotheren Mrs Judith Southam Margaret Suthers Mr Lindsay & Mrs Suzanne Stone Norman & Lydia Taylor Dr Heng Tey & Mrs Cilla Tey Mrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward Spicer Kevin Troy Judge Robyn Tupman Gillian Turner & Rob Bishop Prof Gordon E Wall Mrs Margaret Wallis Ronald Walledge Mr Palmer Wang Ms Elizabeth Wilkinson Audrey & Michael Wilson A Willmers & R Pal Dr Richard Wing Dr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K Wong Mr Robert Woods Mrs Everly Wyss Mrs Robin Yabsley Anonymous (15) To find out more about becoming a Sydney Symphony Patron, please contact the Philanthropy Office on (02) or philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com sydney symphony 25

24 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 COMMUNITY PARTNER PLATINUM PARTNERS EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS GOLD PARTNERS SILVER PARTNERS executive search REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS MARKETING PARTNER Fine Music sydney symphony

25 ORCHESTRA NEWS SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2012 Photo: Steven Godbee MARRIED TO MUSIC Principal Double Bass Kees Boersma pinpoints some defining moments in his musical journey. How did the youngest son of eight children raised in rural South Australia come to be the Principal Double Bass of the Sydney Symphony? As Kees (rhymes with bass ) Boersma jokes, all the trades were taken care of, so I was given pretty free rein in what I wanted to do! Music was his preferred holiday activity, and involvement with youth music organisations eventually led him to the Australian Youth Orchestra. Playing Mahler Six at the Perth Festival was a key moment. You can have one experience like that that completely blows your mind, and makes you want to take the jump. For Kees, the spark had ignited. After studies, Kees made his way to Holland, the country of his ancestors, and played in the Concertgebouw Orchestra for a number of seasons. But military service loomed. They did grant me a year s grace, he says, but my efforts to convince the authorities that my Dutch wasn t good enough to follow orders eventually failed even though I used my thickest Australian accent! Returning to Australia and accepting a short-term contract with Orchestra Victoria, a restless Kees considered a return to an earlier television career. We re connecting the musical dots for people But then Lawrence [Dobell, Principal Clarinet of the Sydney Symphony] rang to say there was a job coming up, and I had to audition. Twenty-two years later, Kees is breaking new ground for Sydney Symphony Vanguard, a membership program that takes classical music and fuses it with other genres, all in an intimate setting. It s an informal and engaging, restless and sometimes irreverent approach to music making. Vanguard seeks to find another subset of our audience, Kees explains. We re connecting the musical dots for people. If someone s interested, then they can find new ways to engage. On the home front, there s more music in the family his gorgeous wife Kirsty McCahon is also a bass player. I get my most severe criticism from her, and also the most genuine compliments. She understands the lifestyle and the life. If there s a big concert coming up for either of us, we have an innate understanding about when not to push the buttons. There are drawbacks though. I bought a beautiful Italian instrument some years ago, which she decided would be perfect for her, and now I don t get to touch it! *Sigh* sydneysymphony.com/vanguard

26 Photo: Genevieve Lang Philanthropy Highlight Life s gift Event News Photo: Paul Wilcock Madama Butterfly and Un bel di. Not a bad introduction to classical music. The young Ray Wilson s connection with music was forged at the free summertime concerts my family were quite poor at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Later came a move to Sydney to work at a pretty rough printing company. I had a little transistor radio tuned to the ABC on my desk, and I would just listen, listen, listen. Here Ray met and worked for the late James Agapitos, the man who soon became his partner in business and in life. These days, the two men s names are proudly visible in the world of philanthropy. Ray has chosen to make a notified bequest to our orchestra. The bequests I m making are in both our names. It s a way of honouring James, and honouring our relationship. We spent 40 very happy years together. We owe it to say thank you to the institutions that have been part of our lives. It s all about saying to the institution I really enjoy our involvement and I want to say thank you for having given me pleasure and for improving the quality of my life. It s a two-way street. If you re considering making a notified bequest to the Sydney Symphony, contact our Philanthropy team: philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com or call (02) Stephen Johns, Chairman of Leighton Holdings, welcomes the audience to the annual special Leighton Holdings Discovery concert. On the program? Discovering Mozart with the inspirational guidance of Richard Gill (right) and the Sydney Sinfonia. Your Say I would like to say how much I am enjoying having Bravo! included in the concert programs and also to say how much I always enjoy the program notes. They are consistently interesting and certainly add to the listening enjoyment. Marianne Cochrane I remember (misty-eyed) each wonderful performance of the Sibelius cycle in 2004, and hearing Mr Ashkenazy s words of praise for the orchestra at the final concert. To reprise the Fifth Symphony, and introduce new ones [in 2013], is for me, a fitting way to celebrate and conclude Mr Ashkenazy s tenure Thank you too for the nod to Britten in the centenary of his death. Shirley Pearson I attended the concert last Friday night [Wagner Under the Sails] what a magnificent performance! I don t believe this is a word that is usually used in relation to Wagner, but the SSO sounded absolutely ravishing in the orchestral items. Simone Young did a fantastic job, inspiring the orchestra to make this 80th anniversary concert something really special. Then we come to the soloist. Christine Brewer was just brilliant. A stunning voice and I hope she will be coming back to perform with the orchestra in the future. Jerome Prince-Foster We like to hear from you. Write to yoursay@sydneysymphony.com or Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW 2001 Proud sponsor of the Sydney Symphony in their 80th year of timeless entertainment

27 Photo: Kenneth Dundas Artistic Focus BAPTISM OF FIRE From inspiring audiences of tomorrow to the demands of being a conductor-understudy the role of Assistant Conductor is a big commitment. Conducting eight concerts for almost 7,000 school children and their teachers is one heck of a way to begin your tenure as an assistant conductor, but Australian-British conductor Jessica Cottis didn t bat an eyelid. From the whirling of Tchaikovsky s Waltz of the Flowers to the surging motion of Paul Stanhope s Groundswell, she captured the attention of the musicians and her young audience. Jessica s appointment was announced in July, just as she began her first stint with the orchestra. They were three utterly brilliant weeks, she says. During that time, she assisted conductors Simone Young and Jakub Hr uša (who was filling in at short notice for Tugan Sokhiev), as well as conducting education concerts at City Recital Hall Angel Place and Sydney Olympic Park. Shortly after completing a two-year appointment as Assistant Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Jessica received an completely out of the blue from our Director of Artistic Planning, Peter Czornyj, asking if she d be interested in auditioning for the Assistant Conductor position in Sydney. I was busy working on a new opera in Glasgow, so I had to make the return journey [to audition] in the space of three days not to be recommended! But I m pleased to be able to say that it must have gone well, because here I am now! Peter Czornyj agrees. Jessica really impressed us with her thorough preparation and clear technique, demonstrating a range of gestures and inspirational authority. Jessica will accompany the orchestra on the upcoming tour to China, assisting Vladimir Ashkenazy and being ready to stand in at a moment s notice. Next year she will spend four months with the orchestra. Some of the conductors I ll assist will have done the pieces over 50 times. They have a huge amount of experience, and as an emerging conductor there s so much I can learn from them. Each week I work as assistant I need to learn the music as though I were conducting the rehearsals and concert myself in case I have to go on and sub for them. It s a big commitment. In 2013 Jessica Cottis will conduct concerts in the Mozart in the City and Tea & Symphony series. The Score Spanish Guitars Spanish rhythms are so compellingly infectious, aren t they? Whether it s the flowing festival dance of the sevillanas, or the macho zapateado dance step of the flamenco, these traditional sounds get your toes tapping, and conjure images of toreadors and Andalusian plains. The gypsy dances of Manuel de Falla s Love, the Magician were originally conceived in 1915 as a ballet for which Falla created original melodies that sounded like Spanish folk tunes. This popular work has been transcribed many times since. For instance, the swirling, mesmerising Ritual Fire Dance was a favourite encore of pianist Arthur Rubinstein ( I had to repeat it three times! ). In November, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet bring their own arrangement for four guitars and orchestra. Joaquín Rodrigo s Concierto andaluz an original work for four guitars and orchestra was commissioned by Celedonio Romero, who premiered the piece with his three sons. The second son, Pepe, later taught all four founding members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (and when one left the group he was replaced by the student of another member!). So each member of the LA Guitar Quartet has in some way inherited the spirit of Rodrigo. Thursday Afternoon Symphony Thu 15 Nov 1.30pm Kaleidoscope Fri 16, Sat 18 Nov 8pm