CONCERT PROGRAM Tchaikovsky and Grieg Geelong Series Friday 13 November at 8pm Costa Hall, Deakin University, Geelong Saturday Matinees Saturday 14 November at 2pm Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall
WHAT S ON NOVEMBER 2015 FEBRUARY 2016 SIBELIUS FINLANDIA Thursday 19 November Friday 20 November Yan Pascal Tortelier celebrates the 150th anniversary of two Nordic masters. Sibelius majestic Finlandia is balanced against Nielsen s spirited Violin Concerto. Also featured in this program is Sibelius Symphony No.5 and tone poem The Swan of Tuonela. BRAHMS AND TCHAIKOVSKY Thursday 26 November Friday 27 November Saturday 28 November Divertimento, Bartók s dark take on the Baroque, kick-starts this night of European festivities. Brahms Violin Concerto delivers a fiery, gypsy-inspired rondo and Tchaikovsky s Serenade for Strings pays homage to Mozart. MESSIAH Saturday 5 December Sunday 6 December Join conductor Bramwell Tovey, the MSO Chorus and renowned international soloists for one of the MSO s most beloved Christmas traditions, Handel s Messiah. CHRISTMAS CAROLS Saturday 12 December Sunday 13 December Bramwell Tovey joins the MSO as conductor, pianist and host in this celebration of the great musical traditions of Christmas, from famous orchestral works and favourite Christmas songs to the most beloved of Yuletide carols. HITCHCOCK AND HERRMANN Friday 5 February Saturday 6 February Immerse yourself in scenes from Alfred Hitchcock s classic films on the big screen and hear Bernard Herrmann s astonishing scores in 3D performed live by the MSO. LUNAR NEW YEAR CONCERT Sunday 14 February Melbourne s Lunar New Year Concert has become a much-loved part of the MSO season. Join the Orchestra for a concert of works inspired by Eastern and Western music, conducted by composer Tan Dun. 2
ARTISTS Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Asher Fisch conductor Benjamin Grosvenor piano REPERTOIRE Tchaikovsky Romeo and Juliet Grieg Piano Concerto Interval Tchaikovsky Symphony No.4 This concert has a duration of approximately 2 hours including one 20 minute interval. This performance will be recorded for live broadcast on ABC Classic FM on Saturday 14 November at 2pm. Pre-Concert Talks 7pm Friday 13 November, Onstage, Costa Hall, Geelong 1pm Saturday 14 November, Stalls Foyer, Hamer Hall MSO Second Violinist Andrew Hall will present a talk on the artists and works featured in the program. 3
WELCOME MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA Welcome to this splendid concert, conducted by Asher Fisch, Conductor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (and a good friend of mine!). It features two works by Tchaikovsky, that master of orchestration: the Fantasy Overture Romeo and Juliet, and the Symphony No.4. In between comes Grieg s radiant Piano Concerto (composed as a wedding present for his wife), played by the British virtuoso Benjamin Grosvenor, who has been described by one critic as perhaps the most remarkable young pianist of our time. In 2004, when he was 11, he won the piano section of the BBC Young Musician of the Year competition and became the youngest British musician ever to be signed up by the Decca label in 2011. Since then, he has forged an illustrious career that includes appearances with major orchestras as well as frequent recitals and chamber music concerts. Just recently he appeared at the Last Night of the BBC Proms at the Royal Albert Hall. This young man s pianistic heroes are of the older generation: Horowitz, Cortot and Cherkassky all possessed, he says, unique voices. So too, I must say, does Benjamin Grosvenor. Sir Andrew Davis Chief Conductor MSO With a reputation for excellence, versatility and innovation, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is Australia s oldest orchestra, established in 1906. The Orchestra currently performs live to more than 200,000 people annually, in concerts ranging from subscription performances at its home, Hamer Hall at Arts Centre Melbourne, to its annual free concerts at Melbourne s largest outdoor venue, the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Sir Andrew Davis gave his inaugural concerts as Chief Conductor of the MSO in April 2013, having made his debut with the Orchestra in 2009. Highlights of his tenure have included collaborations with artists including Bryn Terfel, Emanuel Ax and Truls Mørk, the release of recordings of music by Richard Strauss, Charles Ives, Percy Grainger and Eugene Goossens, a 2014 European Festivals tour, and a multi-year cycle of Mahler s Symphonies. The MSO also works each season with Guest Conductor Diego Matheuz, Associate Conductor Benjamin Northey and the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus. Recent guest conductors to the MSO have included Tan Dun and Jakub Hrůša. The Orchestra has also collaborated with non-classical musicians including Flight Facilities, Ben Folds, Nick Cave, Sting and Tim Minchin. The MSO reaches an even larger audience through its regular concert broadcasts on ABC Classic FM, also streamed online, and through recordings on Chandos and ABC Classics. The MSO s Education and Community Engagement initiatives deliver innovative and engaging programs to audiences of all ages, including MSO Learn, an educational iphone and ipad app designed to teach children about the inner workings of an orchestra. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the Land on which we perform The Kulin Nation and would like to pay our respects to their Elders and Community both past and present. The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is funded principally by the Australian Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body, and is generously supported by the Victorian Government through Creative Victoria, Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources. The MSO is also funded by the City of Melbourne, its Partner, Emirates, corporate sponsors and individual donors, trusts and foundations. 4
ASHER FISCH CONDUCTOR BENJAMIN GROSVENOR PIANO Asher Fisch is Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. His former posts include Guest Conductor of the Seattle Opera, Music Director of the New Israeli Opera, and Vienna Volksoper. Recent highlights include engagements with the Atlanta, Boston and Milwaukee Symphony Orchestras, the National Orchestral Institute and Düsseldorf Symphoniker. He returned to the Lyric Opera of Chicago (Il trovatore), Hamburg State Opera (Un ballo in maschera) and Bavarian State Opera, where this year he conducted six titles including La forza del destino, Falstaff, Don Carlo, Tosca, The Elixir of Love and Elektra. With WASO he conducted a range of classical and contemporary repertoire in 2015, including the world premiere of James Ledger s new work, Simpler Times. Born in Israel, Asher Fisch began his conducting career as Daniel Barenboim s assistant and kapellmeister at the Berlin State Opera. He first appeared in Australia conducting the State Opera of South Australia s Wagner Ring Cycle in 2005, which won ten Helpmann Awards including Best Opera and Best Direction of an Opera. He is also an accomplished pianist and released his first solo disc of Wagner piano transcriptions in 2012 on the Melba label. Benjamin Grosvenor first came to prominence as the winner of the keyboard final of the 2004 BBC Young Musician competition at age eleven. Since then, he has become an internationally regarded pianist performing with orchestras including the London Philharmonic Orchestra, RAI National Symphony Orchestra, New York Philharmonic and Philharmonia Orchestra. Recent and future highlights include engagements with The Cleveland Orchestra, San Francisco Symphony, Houston Symphony, Montreal Symphony Orchestra, Konzerthausorchester Berlin, Orchestre de chambre de Paris and Basque National Orchestra. He appeared at the 2015 BBC Last Night of the Proms performing Shostakovich s Piano Concerto No.2 with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and Marin Alsop. He continues to incorporate chamber music collaborations into his schedule, including the International Chamber Music Series in London with the Endellion String Quartet and further collaborations with the Escher and Elias String Quartets. Benjamin Grosvenor began playing the piano at age six. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music with Christopher Elton and Daniel-Ben Pienaar, where he graduated with the Queen s Commendation for Excellence. He has received Gramophone s Young Artist of the Year and Instrumental Awards, a Classic Brit Critics Award, UK Critics Circle Award for Exceptional Young Talent and a Diapason d Or Jeune Talent Award. 5
PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 1893) Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture after Shakespeare The doomed youthful passion of Romeo and Juliet had a strong appeal for Tchaikovsky. Shakespeare s young hero and heroine, whose families, Montagues and Capulets respectively, are implacable enemies, have become in the popular imagination the representative type of star-crossed lovers. Many other great composers (Bellini, Gounod, Berlioz and Prokofiev among them) have been inspired to make music for the young lovers story. Composed in 1869 to a plan devised by Mily Balakirev, the Romeo and Juliet overture (in this case a synonym for symphonic poem ) is Tchaikovsky s supreme early orchestral achievement. Nikolai Rubinstein conducted the first performance, in Moscow on 16 March 1870. Tchaikovsky subsequently revised the work twice, and the final form, with the title fantasy-overture, was achieved in 1880. The music begins with a hymn-like introduction suggesting Friar Laurence s cell, then Capulets and Montagues feud in a fiery passage, giving way to the love scene. There are two melodies here memorable even by Tchaikovsky s standards. The development of the symphonic poem amplifies the lovers music, struggling with the brawls and Friar Laurence s music. A furious climax may be the death of Tybalt at the hand of Romeo, but the love music dominates the ending, turning gradually to lament and tragic despair. Tchaikovsky toyed with the idea of writing an opera based on Romeo and Juliet. Among the sketches found after his death was a love-duet for singers, in which Romeo sings the words Oh tarry, night of ecstasy! Oh night of love, stretch thy dark veil over us! to a musical phrase which also appears in his fantasy-overture. Although his interest in this project waned, his enthusiasm for Shakespeare endured and he composed a further two overtures on Shakespearean subjects: The Tempest (1873) and Hamlet (1888). Symphony Australia Tchaikovsky s Romeo and Juliet Fantasy-Overture was first performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra on 6 November 1941 under conductor Montague Brearley, and most recently at the 2015 Myer Free Concert with Benjamin Northey. 6
EDVARD GRIEG (1843 1907) Piano Concerto in A minor, Op.16 Allegro molto moderato Adagio Allegro moderato molto e marcato Benjamin Grosvenor piano After hearing a performance of Grieg s piano concerto, Arnold Schoenberg is supposed to have remarked: That s the kind of music I d really like to write. It wouldn t have been the first time that Schoenberg s facetious humour was apparent, but one can t help but feel that there was a wistful sincerity buried in the remark. Schoenberg, after all, believed that his experiments, first in atonality and later the twelvenote serial method, were forced upon him by historical destiny rather than being the result of his own wishes. He also remarked that there was still plenty of good music to be written in C major and his last word was, according to legend, Harmony! Grieg s concerto, while not in C major, is in its close relative A minor, and is certainly full of good music. And it is, with good reason, popular a fate not enjoyed by Schoenberg s music. Grieg himself was not so sure, however. He composed the concerto at the age of 25 while on holiday in Denmark with his wife and young child, and he was at that stage relatively inexperienced in orchestral writing. In fact the only orchestral works dating from his early life are an Ouverture which has been lost, and a symphony in C minor which is hardly ever heard. Grieg tinkered endlessly with the orchestration of his concerto between the time of the work s (triumphant) premiere and his death in 1907. Grieg had studied at the Leipzig Conservatory from the age of 15 with the initial intent of becoming a concert pianist. Dissatisfied with his first teacher, he began lessons with E.F. Wenzel, a friend and supporter of Schumann s; under his tutelage Grieg began writing piano music for his own performances and wrote passionate articles in defence of Schumann s music. The influence of Schumann s Piano Concerto, also in A minor, on Grieg s work has been remarked on frequently, but apart from their similar three-movement design and opening gesture (in both works a full tutti chord of A minor releases a florid response from the keyboard soloist), the style of each is markedly different. Both composers were, however, primarily lyricists, and Grieg s Concerto is certainly replete with exquisite tunes. Many of these echo some of the shapes of Norwegian folk music with which Grieg had become deeply familiar in 1864 when he had also become active in a society for the support of Scandinavian music. The piano s opening gesture, for instance, recalls folk music in its use of a gapped scale, and the origins of the finale in folk dance are clear. Grieg was unable to attend the premiere of his concerto in Copenhagen in 1869, but it was an outstanding success, no doubt in part because Grieg s cultivation of folk music struck a chord with the increasingly nationalist Scandinavian audiences. But in large part it was because the concerto was recognised as a youthful masterpiece. No less an artist than Anton Rubinstein, who attended the performance, described it as a work of genius. A year later, Grieg and his wife travelled to Italy where Grieg met Liszt for the second time. Liszt had been encouraging of Grieg s work some time before; now he allegedly sight-read Grieg s concerto and said, You have the real stuff in you. And don t ever let them frighten you! Grieg didn t let them frighten him, and the Piano Concerto went on to establish his reputation throughout the musical world. Audiences responded, as they still do, to the charm of Grieg s melodies, the balance of, it must be said, Lisztian virtuosity and Grieg s own distinctive lyricism, and what Tchaikovsky, who adored the work, described as the work s fascinating melancholy which seems to reflect in itself all the beauty of Norwegian scenery. One of Grieg s greatest admirers described the concentrated greatness and all-lovingness of the little great man. Out of the toughest Norwegianness, out of the most narrow localness, he spreads out a welcoming and greedy mind for all the world s wares. This was, of course, the Australian-born pianist and composer Percy Grainger who became one of the Grieg Concerto s most celebrated exponents and one of the dearest friends of Grieg s last years. Not only that Grainger spent time with Grieg working on the concerto before the composer s death, at which time Grieg was making the final adjustments to the orchestration; with such inside knowledge, Grainger was able to publish his own edition of the work in later years. Sadly, a proposed tour with Grieg conducting and Grainger playing the concerto never transpired. Gordon Kerry 2006 The first performance of Grieg s Piano Concerto by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra took place on 14 May 1940 with conductor Antal Dorati and soloist Eunice Gardiner. The Orchestra s most recent performances were in 2012 with Sir Andrew Davis and Piers Lane. 7
PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840 1893) Symphony No.4 in F minor, Op.36 Andante sostenuto Moderato con anima Moderato assai, quasi Andante Allegro vivo Andantino in modo di canzona Scherzo (Pizzicato ostinato) Allegro Finale (Allegro con fuoco) The Introduction is the kernel of the whole symphony, without question its main idea. This is Fate, the force of destiny This could be a description of the beginning of Beethoven s Fifth. But the words are Tchaikovsky s and they describe the strident horn fanfares of his Fourth Symphony. Tchaikovsky s patron, Nadezhda von Meck, heard in the symphony a profound emotional drama. After the premiere in 1878 she asked him whether the symphony had a definite program, a literary underpinning. Tchaikovsky had told others that the symphony s drama couldn t be formulated in words, but for von Meck, who paid his bills, he went to the trouble of finding those words. in truth, it is a hard question to answer In our symphony there is a program (that is, the possibility of explaining in words what it seeks to express) Of course, I can do this here only in general terms. The Introduction is the kernel of the whole symphony, without question its main idea. This is Fate, the force of destiny, which ever prevents our pursuit of happiness from reaching its goal It is invincible, inescapable. One can only resign oneself and lament fruitlessly. This disconsolate and despairing feeling grows ever stronger and more intense. Would it not be better to turn away from reality and immerse oneself in dreams? Tchaikovsky continues, identifying musical ideas representing tender dreams and fervent hope, then a climax suggesting the possibility of happiness, before the Fate theme awakens us from the dreams And thus, all life is the ceaseless alternation of bitter reality with evanescent visions and dreams of happiness There is no refuge. We are buffeted about by this sea until it seizes us and pulls us down to the bottom. There you have roughly the program of the first movement. All this matches the emotional character of the first movement the music s profound, terrifying despair and if we allow for Tchaikovsky s personal turmoil at the time (he d emerged from an ill-advised marriage) then it could be given an autobiographical interpretation. More striking, though, is Tchaikovsky s handling of his two principal ideas: Fate and self. Fate is the fanfare (actually a polonaise, writes Richard Taruskin); self is the first real melody a glorious waltz. These two ideas collide in the music. Copying a dramatic strategy from Mozart s Don Giovanni, Tchaikovsky superimposes his dances, matching three bars of waltz time to one bar of the slower, aristocratic polonaise (also in three). Then, in the coda, we hear the complete subjection of self to Fate and the waltz returns one last time, stretched to match the pulse of the polonaise hardly a waltz at all. The effect of this collision is one of music and a composer torn between extremes. Tchaikovsky s instinct was for lyrical outpourings (his waltz), but he understood that to be a symphonist in 1878 meant observing the symphonic conventions established by Beethoven. The Fate fanfare gave him a motto he could manipulate. Tchaikovsky s student, Sergei Taneyev, observed that the disproportionately long first movement gave the appearance of a symphonic poem to which three movements have been appended fortuitously to make up a symphony. Perhaps Tchaikovsky agreed: after the wealth of detail for the first movement, his descriptive program peters out. The second movement is summed up as an expression of the melancholy feeling that arises in the evening as you sit alone, worn out from your labours. The Scherzo appears to contain no definite feelings at all: One s mind is a blank, and the imagination has free rein. But the Scherzo is one of the most effective parts of the symphony the relentless plucking of pizzicato strings combining with brilliant writing for woodwinds and brass, in particular the scampering piccolo. In the Finale, Tchaikovsky chooses a Russian folk song, The Birch Tree, as the theme for a set of variations. He gives the apparently cheerful scenario of holiday festivities a depressing cast: If you can find no impulse for joy within yourself, look at others Never say that all the world is sad. You have only yourself to blame Why not rejoice through the joys of others? It s as if we are to hear the finale as festivity but second hand. If this isn t resignation to Fate, nothing is. Yvonne Frindle 2009 /2013 The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra gave the first complete Australian performance of Tchaikovsky s Fourth Symphony on 20 August 1938 under conductor Malcolm Sargent. The Orchestra most recently performed it at the 2013 Myer Free Concert with Ainārs Rubiķis. 8
ORCHESTRA Sir Andrew Davis Harold Mitchell AC Chief Conductor Chair Diego Matheuz Guest Conductor Benjamin Northey Patricia Riordan Associate Conductor Chair First Violins Violas Flutes Horns Dale Barltrop Concertmaster Eoin Andersen Concertmaster Sophie Rowell Associate Concertmaster Peter Edwards Assistant Kirsty Bremner MSO Friends Chair Sarah Curro Peter Fellin Deborah Goodall Lorraine Hook Kirstin Kenny Ji Won Kim Eleanor Mancini Mark Mogilevski Michelle Ruffolo Kathryn Taylor Jacqueline Edwards* Robert John* Anne Martonyi* Annabelle Swainston* Oksana Thompson* Second Violins Matthew Tomkins The Gross Foundation Second Violin Chair Robert Macindoe Associate Monica Curro Assistant Mary Allison Isin Cakmakcioglu Freya Franzen Cong Gu Andrew Hall Francesca Hiew Rachel Homburg Christine Johnson Isy Wasserman Philippa West Patrick Wong Roger Young Aaron Barnden* Jenny Khafagi* Christopher Moore Fiona Sargeant Associate Lauren Brigden Katharine Brockman Christopher Cartlidge Gabrielle Halloran Trevor Jones Fiona Sargeant Cindy Watkin Caleb Wright Simon Collins* Gregory Daniel* Ceridwen Davies* Helen Ireland* Sophie Kesoglidis* Isabel Morse* Cellos David Berlin MS Newman Family Cello Chair Rachael Tobin Associate Nicholas Bochner Assistant Miranda Brockman Rohan de Korte Keith Johnson Sarah Morse Angela Sargeant Michelle Wood Kalina Krusteva-Theaker* Double Basses Steve Reeves Andrew Moon Associate Sylvia Hosking Assistant Damien Eckersley Benjamin Hanlon Suzanne Lee Stephen Newton Young Hee Chan* Esther Toh* Prudence Davis Flute Chair - Anonymous Wendy Clarke Associate Sarah Beggs Piccolo Andrew Macleod Oboes Jeffrey Crellin Thomas Hutchinson Associate Ann Blackburn Stephanie Dixon* Cor Anglais Michael Pisani Rachel Curkpatrick* Clarinets David Thomas Philip Arkinstall Associate Craig Hill Bass Clarinet Jon Craven Bassoons Jack Schiller Tahnee van Herk*^ Guest Elise Millman Associate Natasha Thomas Contrabassoon Brock Imison David Evans*# Guest Geoff Lierse Associate Saul Lewis Third Jenna Breen Abbey Edlin Trinette McClimont Trumpets Geoffrey Payne Shane Hooton Associate William Evans Julie Payne Trombones Brett Kelly Robert Collins* Bass Trombone Mike Szabo Tuba Timothy Buzbee Timpani Christine Turpin Percussion Robert Clarke John Arcaro Robert Cossom Harp Yinuo Mu *Guest musician ^ Courtesy of Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra # Courtesy of West Australian Symphony Orchestra 9
MANAGEMENT Board Artistic Marketing Development Michael Ullmer Chairman Andrew Dyer Danny Gorog Margaret Jackson AC Brett Kelly David Krasnostein David Li Ann Peacock Helen Silver AO Kee Wong Company Secretary Oliver Carton Executive Richard Evans Interim Managing Director Catrin Harris Executive Assistant Human Resources Miranda Crawley Director of Human Resources Business Francie Doolan Chief Financial Officer Raelene King Personnel Manager Leonie Woolnough Financial Controller Nathalia Andries Accountant Grace Gao Finance Officer Suzanne Dembo Strategic Communications and Business Processes Manager Ronald Vermeulen Director of Artistic Planning Andrew Pogson Special Projects Manager Laura Holian Artistic Coordinator Helena Balazs Chorus Manager Stephen McAllan Artist Liaison Education and Community Engagement Michelle Hamilton Interim Director of Education and Community Engagement Lucy Bardoel Education and Community Engagement Coordinator Louise Godwin Pizzicato Effect Program Manager Lucy Rash Pizzicato Effect Coordinator Operations Gabrielle Waters Director of Operations Angela Bristow Orchestra Manager James Foster Operations Manager James Poole Production Coordinator Alastair McKean Orchestra Librarian Kathryn O Brien Assistant Librarian Michael Stevens Assistant Orchestra Manager Lucy Rash Operations Coordinator Alice Wilkinson Director of Marketing Jennifer Poller Marketing Manager Megan Sloley Marketing Manager Ali Webb PR Manager Kate Eichler Publicity and Online Engagement Coordinator Isobel Pyrke Publicity Coordinator Kieran Clarke Digital Manager Chelsie Jones Front of House Supervisor James Rewell Graphic Designer Chloe Schnell Assistant Marketing Manager Clare Douglas Marketing Coordinator Claire Hayes Ticket and Database Manager Paul Congdon Box Office Supervisor Martin Gray Ticketing Coordinator Angela Ballin Customer Service Coordinator Leith Brooke Director of Development Jessica Frean MSO Foundation Manager Ben Lee Donor and Government Relations Manager Arturs Ezergailis Donor and Patron Coordinator Judy Turner Major Gifts Manager Justine Knapp Major Gifts Coordinator Michelle Monaghan Corporate Development Manager 10
SUPPORTERS Artist Chair Benefactors Harold Mitchell AC Chief Conductor Chair Patricia Riordan Associate Conductor Chair Joy Selby Smith Orchestral Leadership Chair Marc Besen AC and Eva Besen AO International Guest Chair MSO Friends Chair The Gross Foundation Second Violin Chair MS Newman Family Cello Chair Flute Chair Anonymous Program Benefactors Meet The Orchestra Made possible by The Ullmer Family Foundation East meets West Supported by the Li Family Trust The Pizzicato Effect (Anonymous) MSO UPBEAT Supported by Betty Amsden AO DSJ MSO CONNECT Supported by Jason Yeap OAM Benefactor Patrons $50,000+ Betty Amsden AO DSJ Philip Bacon AM Marc Besen AC and Eva Besen AO John and Jenny Brukner Rachel and the Hon. Alan Goldberg AO QC The Gross Foundation David and Angela Li Annette Maluish Harold Mitchell AC MS Newman Family Roslyn Packer AO Mrs Margaret S Ross AM and Dr Ian Ross Joy Selby Smith Ullmer Family Foundation Impresario Patrons $20,000+ Michael Aquilina Perri Cutten and Jo Daniell Susan Fry and Don Fry AO Margaret Jackson AC John McKay and Lois McKay Elizabeth Proust AO Rae Rothfield Maestro Patrons $10,000+ John and Mary Barlow Kaye and David Birks Paul and Wendy Carter Mitchell Chipman Jan and Peter Clark Sir Andrew and Lady Gianna Davis Andrew and Theresa Dyer Future Kids Pty Ltd Robert & Jan Green Lou Hamon OAM David Krasnostein and Pat Stragalinos Mr Greig Gailey and Dr Geraldine Lazarus Mimie MacLaren Matsarol Foundation Ian and Jeannie Paterson Onbass Foundation Glenn Sedgwick Maria Solà, in memory of Malcolm Douglas Drs G & G Stephenson. In honour of the great Romanian musicians George Enescu and Dinu Lipatti Lyn Williams AM Kee Wong and Wai Tang Jason Yeap OAM Anonymous (1) Patrons $5,000+ Lino and Di Bresciani OAM Linda Britten David and Emma Capponi Tim and Lyn Edward John and Diana Frew Danny Gorog and Lindy Susskind Nereda Hanlon and Michael Hanlon AM Hans and Petra Henkell Hartmut and Ruth Hofmann Jenny and Peter Hordern Jenkins Family Foundation Suzanne Kirkham Vivien and Graham Knowles Elizabeth Kraus in memory of Bryan Hobbs Dr Elizabeth A Lewis AM Peter Lovell The Cuming Bequest Mr and Mrs D R Meagher Wayne and Penny Morgan Marie Morton FRSA Dr Paul Nisselle AM Lady Potter AC Stephen Shanasy Gai and David Taylor The Hon. Michael Watt QC and Cecilie Hall Anonymous (5) Associate Patrons $2,500+ Dandolo Partners Will and Dorothy Bailey Bequest Barbara Bell in memory of Elsa Bell Mrs S Bignell Stephen and Caroline Brain Mr John Brockman OAM and Mrs Pat Brockman Leith and Mike Brooke Rhonda Burchmore Bill and Sandra Burdett Oliver Carton John and Lyn Coppock Miss Ann Darby in memory of Leslie J. Darby Mary and Frederick Davidson AM Peter and Leila Doyle Lisa Dwyer and Dr Ian Dickson Jane Edmanson OAM Dr Helen M Ferguson Mr Bill Fleming Colin Golvan QC and Dr Deborah Golvan Susan and Gary Hearst Gillian and Michael Hund Rosemary and James Jacoby John and Joan Jones Kloeden Foundation Sylvia Lavelle Ann and George Littlewood H E McKenzie Allan and Evelyn McLaren Don and Anne Meadows Ann Peacock with Andrew and Woody Kroger Sue and Barry Peake Mrs W Peart Ruth and Ralph Renard Tom and Elizabeth Romanowski Max and Jill Schultz Diana and Brian Snape AM Mr Tam Vu and Dr Cherilyn Tillman William and Jenny Ullmer Bert and Ila Vanrenen Barbara and Donald Weir Brian and Helena Worsfold Anonymous (14) Player Patrons $1,000+ Anita and Graham Anderson, Christine and Mark Armour, Arnold Bloch Leibler, Marlyn and Peter Bancroft OAM, Adrienne Basser, Prof Weston Bate and Janice Bate, Timothy and Margaret Best, David and Helen Blackwell, Bill Bowness, Michael F Boyt, M Ward Breheny, Suzie Brown, Jill and Christopher Buckley, Lynne Burgess, Dr Lynda Campbell, Sir Roderick Carnegie AC, Andrew and Pamela Crockett, Natasha Davies, Pat and Bruce Davis, Merrowyn Deacon, Sandra Dent, Dominic and Natalie Dirupo, Marie Dowling, John and Anne Duncan, Kay Ehrenberg, Gabrielle Eisen, Vivien and Jack Fajgenbaum, Grant Fisher and Helen Bird, Barry Fradkin OAM and Dr Pam Fradkin, David Frenkiel and Esther Frenkiel OAM, Carrillo and Ziyin Gantner, David Gibbs and Susie O Neill, Merwyn and Greta Goldblatt, Dina and Ron Goldschlager, George Golvan QC and Naomi Golvan, Charles and Cornelia Goode, Dr Marged Goode, Louise Gourlay OAM, Ginette and André Gremillet, Max Gulbin, Dr Sandra Hacker AO and Mr Ian Kennedy AM, Jean Hadges, Paula Hansky OAM and Jack Hansky AM, Tilda and Brian Haughney, Penelope Hughes, Dr Alastair Jackson, Stuart Jennings, George and Grace Kass, Irene Kearsey, Ilma Kelson Music Foundation, 11
SUPPORTERS Dr Anne Kennedy, Bryan Lawrence, Lew Foundation, Norman Lewis in memory of Dr Phyllis Lewis, Dr Anne Lierse, Violet and Jeff Loewenstein, The Hon Ian Macphee AO and Mrs Julie Mcphee, Elizabeth H Loftus, Vivienne Hadj and Rosemary Madden, Dr Julianne Bayliss, In memory of Leigh Masel, John and Margaret Mason, In honour of Norma and Lloyd Rees, Ruth Maxwell, Trevor and Moyra McAllister, David Menzies, Ian Morrey, Laurence O Keefe and Christopher James, Graham and Christine Peirson, Andrew Penn and Kallie Blauhorn, Kerryn Pratchett, Peter Priest, Eli Raskin, Peter and Carolyn Rendit, S M Richards AM and M R Richards, Dr Rosemary Ayton and Dr Sam Ricketson, Joan P Robinson, Doug and Elisabeth Scott, Jeffrey Sher, Dr Sam Smorgon AO and Mrs Minnie Smorgon, John So, Dr Norman and Dr Sue Sonenberg, Dr Michael Soon, Pauline Speedy, State Music Camp, Dr Peter Strickland, Geoff and Judy Steinicke, Mrs Suzy and Dr Mark Suss, Pamela Swansson, Tennis Cares- Tennis Australia, Frank Tisher OAM and Dr Miriam Tisher, Margaret Tritsch, Judy Turner and Neil Adam, P & E Turner, Mary Vallentine AO, The Hon. Rosemary Varty, Leon and Sandra Velik, Elizabeth Wagner, Sue Walker AM, Elaine Walters OAM and Gregory Walters, Edward and Paddy White, Janet Whiting and Phil Lukies, Nic and Ann Willcock, Marian and Terry Wills Cooke, Pamela F Wilson, Joanne Wolff, Peter and Susan Yates, Mark Young, Panch Das and Laurel Young-Das, YMF Australia, Anonymous (5) The Mahler Syndicate David and Kaye Birks, John and Jenny Brukner, Mary and Frederick Davidson AM, Tim and Lyn Edward, John and Diana Frew, Louis Hamon OAM, Francis and Robyn Hofmann, The Hon Dr Barry Jones AC, Dr Paul Nisselle AM, Maria Solà in memory of Malcolm Douglas, The Hon Michael Watt QC and Cecilie Hall, Anonymous (1) MSO Roses Founding Rose Jenny Brukner Roses Mary Barlow, Linda Britten, Wendy Carter, Annette Maluish, Lois McKay, Pat Stragalinos, Jenny Ullmer Rosebuds Maggie Best, Penny Barlow, Leith Brooke, Lynne Damman, Francie Doolan, Lyn Edward, Penny Hutchinson, Elizabeth A Lewis AM, Sophie Rowell, Dr Cherilyn Tillman Foundations and Trusts The A.L. Lane Foundation The Annie Danks Trust Collier Charitable Fund Creative Partnerships Australia Crown Resorts Foundation and the Packer Family Foundation The Cybec Foundation The Harold Mitchell Foundation Helen Macpherson Smith Trust Ivor Ronald Evans Foundation, managed by Equity Trustees Limited and Mr Russell Brown Linnell/Hughes Trust, managed by Perpetual The Marian and EH Flack Trust The Perpetual Foundation Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment, managed by Perpetual The Pratt Foundation The Robert Salzer Foundation The Schapper Family Foundation The Scobie and Claire Mackinnon Trust Conductor s Circle Current Conductor s Circle Members Jenny Anderson, G C Bawden and L de Kievit, Lesley Bawden, Joyce Bown, Mrs Jenny Brukner and the late Mr John Brukner, Ken Bullen, Luci and Ron Chambers, Sandra Dent, Lyn Edward, Alan Egan JP, Gunta Eglite, Louis Hamon OAM, Carol Hay, Tony Howe, Audrey M Jenkins, John and Joan Jones, George and Grace Kass, Mrs Sylvia Lavelle, Pauline and David Lawton, Lorraine Meldrum, Cameron Mowat, Laurence O Keefe and Christopher James, Rosia Pasteur, Elizabeth Proust AO, Penny Rawlins, Joan P Robinson, Neil Roussac, Anne Roussac-Hoyne, Jennifer Shepherd, Drs Gabriela and George Stephenson, Pamela Swansson, Lillian Tarry, Dr Cherilyn Tillman, Mr and Mrs R P Trebilcock, Michael Ullmer, Ila Vanrenen, Mr Tam Vu, Marian and Terry Wills Cooke, Mark Young, Anonymous (22) The MSO gratefully acknowledges the support received from the Estates of: Angela Beagley, Gwen Hunt, Pauline Marie Johnston, C P Kemp, Peter Forbes MacLaren, Prof Andrew McCredie, Miss Sheila Scotter AM MBE, Molly Stephens, Jean Tweedie, Herta and Fred B Vogel, Dorothy Wood Honorary Appointments Mrs Elizabeth Chernov Education and Community Engagement Patron Sir Elton John CBE Life Member The Honourable Alan Goldberg AO QC Life Member Geoffrey Rush AC Ambassador The MSO relies on your ongoing philanthropic support to sustain access, artists, education, community engagement and more. We invite our supporters to get close to the MSO through a range of special events and supporter newsletter The Full Score. The MSO welcomes your support at any level. Donations of $2 and over are tax deductible, and supporters are recognised as follows: $1,000 (Player), $2,500 (Associate), $5,000 (), $10,000 (Maestro), $20,000 (Impresario), $50,000 (Benefactor) The MSO Conductor s Circle is our bequest program for members who have notified of a planned gift in their Will. Enquiries: Ph: +61 (3) 9626 1248 Email: philanthropy@ mso.com.au 12
SUPPORTERS MAESTRO PARTNERS OFFICIAL CAR PARTNER ASSOCIATE PARTNERS SUPPORTING PARTNERS 3L ALLIANCE ELENBERG FRASER FEATURE ALPHA INVESTMENT FUTURE KIDS VICTORIA WHITELAW GOLDEN AGE GROUP KABO LAWYERS LINDA BRITTEN NAOMI MILGROM FOUNDATION UAG + SJB GOVERNMENT PARTNERS MEDIA PARTNER 13
Harold Mitchell AC A Remarkable Ongoing Contribution The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra has been truly blessed in its leadership over the decades, perhaps never more so than under the inspired Chairmanship of Harold Mitchell AC (2008 2015). As Chairman of the MSO Board Harold steered the company through tough times and good, including the triumph of the 2014 international tour, and has been an exemplary leader recruiting a talented and dedicated Board. Announcing his retirement as Chairman at the MSO s 2015 Symphony Banquet, outgoing Managing Director André Gremillet said Harold is not only one of the greatest entrepreneurs; he is also one of the country s most generous and influential philanthropists. He has been the ideal Chairman and we have been lucky to have him in this role for this long. Brett Kelly, MSO Trombone and current staff representative on the Board, paid tribute to Harold saying When it was announced to the musicians and staff of the MSO that Harold Mitchell was to become the next Chairman of our Board there was an audible gasp in the room. Even those not familiar with his remarkable achievements in business and public life still knew that when Harold threw his support behind a cause things were bound to happen and happen they did! He quickly infused the whole organisation with a renewed sense of confidence and the sure knowledge that not only could we be great, but that we must be great. Fortunately for the Orchestra, Harold will be taking on a leadership role with the MSO Foundation. His new focus will be on securing a viable financial future for MSO by raising much needed funds, and he will be supported in this by new Board Chairman, Melbourne businessman Michael Ullmer. Let the final word be from Harold himself, who in September this year said I am delighted to be stepping away from the Chairman role at a time when the Board has truly begun to see the realisation of its vision to celebrate the MSO s tradition, entertain and inspire audiences and build music s future. The Orchestra is also in fine artistic hands, led by Chief Conductor Sir Andrew Davis and by Michael Ullmer, who has great world knowledge and the amazing capacity to work with people at the highest level. He has the respect of all of the board. Thank you Harold from all of us your impact is seen on the stage and in the rehearsal room every day, and we look forward to it continuing on. 14
A Classical Music Making Adventure The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will take you on a classical adventure next year, with a jam-packed season of music making that is set to inspire people of all ages. If you have always wanted to learn more about how an orchestra works, then the 2016 Schools and Families program has something for you, featuring events that showcase the spectacular sights and sounds of a symphony orchestra for children, teenagers, adults and families. The MSO will be collaborating with the acrobatic limbs of Circus Oz for The MSO Runs Away to the Circus, and the stars of the popular ABC Kids show Lah-Lah s Adventures for Lah-Lah and Buzz Meet the MSO, in performances aimed to introduce and encourage young children to interact and engage with the sounds of the MSO. And there is something for everyone next year! The spectrum of events ranges from the interactive and engaging programs that are aimed at a younger audience, to the behind the scenes Open Rehearsals program. There is even an opportunity for music teachers to expand their skills on the podium with an Instrumental Conducting Workshop led by Benjamin Northey. As a big advocate for musical education, Northey is heavily involved in the 2016 School and Families Season, which will see him conduct the sixth annual MSO Education Week. This popular mini festival, aims to bring new audiences of all ages into the heart of the Orchestra in a weeklong celebration of music making programs and activities directed by internationally acclaimed music educator, Paul Rissmann. The MSO will also present two side-by-side initiatives during the season, an opportunity for community musicians to perform with their MSO counterpart, Symphony in a Day (for adult community musicians across Victoria), and the Secondary Symphony Project (for upper Secondary Students). For more information visit www.mso.com.au/education 15
Master the art of me-time Relax to music and smooth sips of Hennessy Paradis, or a good story and a glass of Dom Perignon. Savour every indulgence in our First Class Private Suites. Partner of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. emirates.com/au Complimentary Chauffeur-drive service* Fine dining on demand World-class service *Complimentary Chauffeur-drive service available for First Class and Business Class, excluding Trans-Tasman services and codeshare flights operated by Qantas to Southeast Asia. Mileage restrictions apply. For full terms and conditions visit emirates.com/au. For more information visit emirates.com/au, call 1300 303 777, or contact your local travel agent. Donate to the MSO and support the sound and soul of our city. Tune a piano, help fund a regional tour or gift a child an instrument Create Your Own package of gifts ranging from $45 to $7,000 Look out for the catalogue of gifts in your mailbox this November Donate now mso.com.au/appeal (03) 9626 1104 philanthropy@mso.com.au