Patrons and Friends of WASO Minutes of 11 th General Meeting held Terrace Level Perth Concert Hall Monday 9 May 2016, 5.00pm 1. Open Meeting and Welcome Attendees The meeting was opened at 1703 The following Patrons and Friends were in attendance: Fred Affleck, Margaret Affleck, Jean Arkley, Suzanne Biddles, Jop Delfos, Hanneke Delfos, Robyn Glindemann, Jennifer Gardiner, Peter Handford, Pauline Handford, Liz Harrison, Gina Humphries, Barbara Kent, Wolfgang Lehmkuhl, Bernard Mearns, Immanuel Menisk, Mrs Zdenka, Margaret Marston, Gillian Milue, Tony Milue, Barry Neubecker, Val Neubecker, June Phillips, Trevor Phillips, Heather Rogers, Nigel Rogers, Sue Rule, Ross Smith, Laurel Smith, Jan Stacey, Ruth Thorn, Ian Watson, Dr Chris Whitaker, Vimala Whitaker, Trish Williams, Margaret Wood, Andrew Yunckens and Marie Yunckens. Also present were Craig Whitehead, Alecia Benzie, Megan Lo Surdo and Sarah Tompkin. 2. Apologies Apologies were received from: Janet Holmes à Court, Prue Ashurst, Siobhan Beilin, Glenda Campbell Evans, Ken Evans, Patricia Kailis, Graham Mahony and Ida Potts. 3. Acceptance of Minutes of 10 th General Meeting on The minutes of the 10 th General Meeting were available on WASO s Website. The Minutes were accepted as read. 4. WASO CEO Report Craig Whitehead (presented by Alecia Benzie) See Appendix I for full report Artistically2015 Esteemed Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Asher Fisch has commenced his third year of his tenure and we are extremely delighted when he agreed to extend his time for another three years Presented 536 performances, workshops and artistic development activities to an audience over 206,000 WASO presented an extremely successful Brahms Festival in August. The first time all four Brahms Symphonies and his four major concertos were performed over two weekends in WA and attracted an audience of over 6,000 people and exceeded its budget by more than 9% Artistic highlights included the MACA Limited Classics and Alcohol Think Again Masters Series, ANZAC Commemorative Concert, A Journey Through Jazz, Back to the Future Live in Concert and the final instalment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy The Return of the King. WASO Chorus had an outstanding year under the exceptional leadership of Chris van Tuinen, featuring in concerts including the ANZAC Centenary Concert, Fauré s Requiem, Orff s Carmina Burana and Symphony in the City
Community Engagement and Education A large portion of our philanthropic donations are channelled into our community engagement programs and reached over 17,500 people in metropolitan and regional WA WASO on the Road visited Geraldton in partnership with The Literature Centre, performed The Sound of Picture Books for the first time Two free music programs OK ME! (Onslow) and Crescendo (Kwinana) are in their second year, which empowers children through music lessons and has influenced not only the students but the broader community We were recognised at the 2015 APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards winning the WA State Award for Excellence in a Regional Area for WASO on the Road and Onslow Kids Music Education (OK ME!) Sell out WACE Designated Works Concert for Years 11 and 12 students. China Symphony Cultural Bridge Project a three way partnership that involves the Australian China Business Council (WA) helped develop relationship with China Philharmonic Orchestra which involved several short term musician exchanges between the two orchestras. A highlight to the partnership will occur in October 2016 when the entire WASO will tour China at the invitation of the Beijing Music Festival and working toward the CPO travelling to Perth in the future Perth Concert Hall 2015 marked a new era in the management of Perth Concert Hall with WASO s sister company WA Venue and Events under the outstanding work of General Manager Brendon Ellmer and his wonderful team. We continue to focus on making PCH the best performance venue in Australia Financial Results Finished the year with a surplus of $277,000, the only professional symphony orchestra in Australia to achieve a surplus every year for the last ten years Concluding Remarks Publicly thank our Board of Directors, acknowledge the work of our musicians and administration staff for their enthusiasm and commitment. Thank our loyal and passionate community of Patrons, Friends and Volunteers, who are the lifeblood of this company Our Patrons and Friends Committee are one group of dedicated volunteers who work with our WASO Philanthropy Team to create events for our P&F Community. In 2015 the volunteer community provided over 1500 hours of support in the office and in the Hall. The WASO Chorus volunteered an incredible 11,250 hours and is deeply appreciated by the Board, staff and musicians. 5. P & F Committee President Report Robyn Glindemann See Attachment for full report 5 th years as President of the Patrons and Friends Committee Past 12 months have seen many positive changes with WASO now managing the Perth Concert Hall. We have had many wonderful events raising money for the Friends of WASO Scholarship sin 2015 such as Rod McGrath at PICA, a Sunday afternoon at the corner stage of the PCH with the Pinnacle String Quartet, two sell out concerts at The Ellington Jazz Club with Ali Bodycoat and Andrew Nicholson with Ali s backing band and two WASO guest artists being Peter Facer (Principal Oboe) and Libby Hammer (EChO Cushion Concerts) and finally with the P & F Christmas Party at the PCH where we were joined by Maestro Fisch for the first time.
2016 events have been kicked off with an n afternoon chatting with Maestro Fisch and our new Concertmaster Laurence Jackson. 2015 recipients of the Friends of WASO Scholarship were Sharn McIver (Associate Principal Horn) and Liam O Malley (Associate Principal Trombone) 2016 recipient of the Friends of WASO Scholarship is Louise McKay (Associate Principal Cello) Thanking our wonderful Patrons and Friends Committee and special thank you to Gina who is stepping down as Secretary at this meeting Thank you to the Patrons and Friends Community for supporting our events and the Friends of WASO Scholarship. 6. Election of Office Bearers and Members of the P & F Committee for 2017 Robyn Glindemann received nominations for all positions. All positions were elected and are now in place. They were accepted as: President Robyn Glindemann Vice President Barry Neubecker Secretary Gina Humphries has stepped down. Christine Rtshiladze was elected and accepted Ordinary Members Glenda Campbell Evans, Wolfgang Lehmkuhl, Graham Mahony and Margaret Marston. Two new members were nominated and elected Jennifer Gardiner and Ian Watson 7. Questions and General Business No business arose from the floor 8. Meeting Close The meeting was closed at 1726
Appendix I CEO s Report Chief Executive s Report Good evening and thank you for joining us tonight. I m pleased to be here to report to you, our valued Patrons & Friends, on WASO s activities in the past year an extremely busy and exciting year for WASO both domestically and internationally. Artistic 2015 reinforced that without a doubt, the West Australian Symphony Orchestra has established a new era of musical excellence. Our esteemed Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor Asher Fisch has now commenced the third year of his tenure, and later this year will lead our Orchestra back onto the international stage for the first time in 10 years. I cannot overstate the profound difference that Asher s appointment has made to the Orchestra, and we were all extremely delighted when he agreed to extend his time at WASO by a further three years. An outstanding year musically, in 2015 the Orchestra presented 536 performances, workshops and artist development activities to an audience of over 206,000. In August we presented WASO s extremely successful Brahms Festival. For the first time in Western Australia, all four of Brahms symphonies and his four major concertos were performed over two weekends. Under the baton of Maestro Fisch and the leadership of Concertmaster elect Laurence Jackson, these concerts garnered critical acclaim both locally and nationally. The sentiment was unanimous WASO had raised the bar and were performing at a world class standard. Financially, the Brahms Festival proved highly viable, attracting an audience of over 6,000 people and exceeding its budget by more than 9%. There were many artistic highlights during the MACA Limited Classics and Alcohol Think Again Masters series, with WASO performing alongside an impressive list of guest soloist and conductors including Pinchas Zukerman, one of the world s greatest violinists, and legendary cellist, Mischa Maisky. WASO hosted the world premiere of Mark Anthony Turnage s Håkan, written for and performed by world renowned trumpeter, Håkan Hardenberger. WASO presented a number of special events during 2015. To commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Gallipoli landings, WASO worked closely with the Returned and Services League and the Army Museum of Western Australia to present a moving ANZAC Commemorative Concert. Featuring the Australian Army Band, the event honoured those who served their country and paid the ultimate sacrifice. Demonstrating the breadth of symphonic music and its capacity to engage people from all walks of life, WASO performed A Journey through Jazz with Australian jazz legend James Morrison, and celebrated a number of motion picture scores, including Back to the Future Live in Concert and the final instalment of The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. Under the exceptional leadership of Chorus Director Christopher van Tuinen and Chorus Vocal Coach Andrew Foote, the WASO chorus had an outstanding year. The Chorus featured in a variety of concerts throughout the year, including the ANZAC Centenary Concert, Fauré s Requiem, Orff s Carmina Burana and the City of Perth Symphony in the City. Community Engagement & Education
With the challenges facing the corporate sector in Perth, revenue from generous individual supporters through donations and bequests has become increasingly important for WASO to achieve its mission to touch souls and enrich lives through music. A large portion of our philanthropic donations are channelled into our community engagement programs, which have grown from strength to strength and reached over 17,500 people in metropolitan and regional WA in 2015. In 2015 WASO on the Road visited Geraldton for the first time and performed The Sound of Picture Books, in partnership with The Literature Centre. WASO s two free music education programs OK ME! and Crescendo play a pivotal role in the company s community engagement strategy. Based in Onslow and Kwinana respectively, both programs are now in their second year of delivery. Each exemplify a unique and committed approach to empowering children through consistent music lessons, and have profoundly influenced not only the students, but also the broader communities. We were proud to be recognised at the 2015 APRA AMCOS Art Music Awards, winning the WA State Award for Excellence in a Regional Area for WASO on the Road and Onslow Kids Music Education (OK ME!). The company is committed to presenting outstanding education experiences for students and teachers. In 2015 this included the sell out WACE Designated Works Concert for Year 11 and 12 students. WASO also presented a very successful Education Week and Open Day at Perth Concert Hall. Attended by over 5,000 students, educators and supporters, these events culminated in various performances, including the final showing of the Composition Project and the Rusty Orchestra. China Awareness of the importance of strong China Australia relations grows deeper as this century unfolds. WASO s relationship with the China Philharmonic Orchestra developed through 2015, through the Symphony Cultural Bridge Project a three way partnership that also involves the Australia China Business Council (WA). During 2015, a series of short term musician exchanges occurred between the two orchestras. This exciting collaboration aims to promote greater cross cultural awareness and understanding between China and Australia to allow investment, trade and friendship to prosper, through experiences around symphonic music. Already at the halfway point of the three year exchange program, October 2016 will herald a highlight of the partnership when the entire WASO tour China at the invitation of the Beijing Music Festival, and we are working towards a reciprocal tour whereby the CPO would travel to Perth. Perth Concert Hall 2015 marked a new era in the management of Perth Concert Hall with WASO s sister company WA Venue and Events taking over the running of the hall. I m delighted with the response from our musicians, visiting companies, and audiences to the outstanding work undertaken by PCH General Manager, Brendon Ellmer, and his wonderful team in 2015. However, this is just the beginning of our journey at PCH, as we continue to focus on making Perth Concert Hall the best performance venue in Australia through unparalleled levels of customer service, and a commitment to ensuring an outstanding experience for musicians, hirers, and audiences alike. Financial Results
Despite challenging economic conditions, WASO finished the year with a surplus of $277,000, thanks to the hard work of the company and the ongoing commitment from our community of supporters. I think it is noteworthy that WASO is the only professional symphony orchestra in Australia to have achieved a surplus end of year financial result every year for the last ten years. The support we receive from our audience, the federal and state governments, sponsors, Patrons and Friends is crucial to our survival and we are immensely grateful and humbled by their generosity. Concluding Remarks I would like to publicly thank our Board of Directors whose strong corporate governance and wise counsel provides an immeasurable support and contribution to WASO, and acknowledge the work of our musicians and administration staff for their enthusiasm and commitment to live and breathe WASO s mission to touch souls and enrich lives through music. To finish, I want to thank our loyal and passionate community of Patrons, Friends and volunteers, who are the lifeblood of this company. Today marks the start of Australia s annual National Volunteer Week and I would like to take this opportunity to acknowledge the contribution and thank our volunteers. Our Patrons & Friends Committee are one group of dedicated volunteers who work with our WASO Philanthropy team to create events for our P&F community and raise funds not only for the Friends of WASO Scholarship but also for general purposes through their support at other events. To Robyn Glindemann and the Committee thank you for your efforts at our Patrons and Friends events, and thank you for being ambassadors of WASO in the community. In 2015 the volunteer community provided over 1500 hours of support in the office and here in our Hall, not to mention an incredible 11,250 hours of time volunteered by our WASO Chorus members. This contribution of service to the Orchestra is deeply appreciated by board, staff and musicians and makes a significant difference to WASO s ability to live our vision. Thank you again for attending this evening s meeting and for your commitment to our Orchestra, and I look forward to seeing you again very shortly at tonight s event.