7 minute read
Portrait of a Patron
PORTRAIT OF A PATRON
The Sound of Music
For MSO patron Jenny Anderson, receiving a revolutionary hearing implant in 2003 opened up a wider world of music than she had ever known.
Photography DANIEL MAHON
Jenny Anderson is known by many MSO musicians and staff as the “Front Row Lady”. But what most of them don’t realise is that Anderson prefers to sit in the front row not only because she loves the feeling of connecting with the Orchestra, but also because of her hearing loss.
Operations are supposed to fix things, not make them worse. Unfortunately for Anderson, multiple operations were required during her childhood and adult years to address the persistent ear infections that were destroying her middle ears. These actually resulted in further hearing loss.
Constant infections also meant she couldn’t wear hearing aids until her mid-teens. “When I was younger, I was just struggling to communicate,” she says. “I didn’t really have the time to invest in discovering my passion for music and things like that. That would come later when I was able to use hearing aids and eventually have a hearing implant.” Anderson had been exposed to ballet and ballet music at an early age, as her mother had been a ballet dancer. When she finally had the time and ability to concentrate on music as an adult, Anderson’s love for symphony orchestras and operas began to bloom.
Then, winning an award at IBM where she worked for 40 years, tipped her headlong into the world of orchestral music. “I was given a special award for the work I had done on a project, and it was a $500 voucher to be spent in any way,” she recalls. “I had been getting more and more interested in symphony music, so I thought, ‘I’ll see how much it costs to get a subscription to the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.’ It was $500. So, I took out my first subscription in 1997.” She has purchased an annual subscription ever since. In 2003, at aged 53, she was offered a Cochlear Baha (boneanchored hearing aid), which is attached to her skull by a titanium implant and transfers sound through vibrations – revolutionary technology at the time.
How did she test it? At a live concert, of course. “It was a large MSO performance,” she remembers. “I was very aware of some of
the instruments that I hadn’t heard before, and the sound was bigger and broader.” Subsequent upgrades of her Baha have continued to enhance her hearing experience, as the technology evolves. From there, her love for classical music and opera only grew, and now, at 72, Anderson is on a mission to ensure others can appreciate music the same way she does. She considers philanthropy the best way to do this. To this end, she set up bequests with the MSO and other Victorian music institutions before she retired. (She’s also been the MSO Volunteers Co-ordinator since 2016.) Her hope is that other people, particularly children, will be exposed to, and understand the value of, music and its emotive power – something she didn’t get to fully experience as a child.
“Music has an enormous benefit for all children,” she says. “It stimulates the brain and stimulates the emotions … I think it’s an important aspect of childhood.” ■
In one of the biggest coups of the year, Sir Simon Rattle and the London Symphony Orchestra return to Australia for the first time together, and will hit the Hamer Hall stage in May. Part of a three-city Australian tour, the MSO will present the LSO for two performances – the first featuring John Adams’ Harmonielehre, Debussy’s La mer and Ravel’s Daphnis et Chloe Suite No.2; the second featuring Mahler’s Symphony No.7 – as well as an intimate conversation with Sir Simon himself. ▪ London Symphony Orchestra: Adams, Debussy and Ravel, Friday 5 May; London Symphony Orchestra: Mahler 7, Saturday 6 May, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. ▪ Sir Simon Rattle in Conversation, Thursday 4 May, Iwaki Auditorium (In Conversation tickets $30).
SPOTLIGHT
Season Events
Highlights of what’s coming up in the first half of 2023.
DO YOU WANT TO BUILD A SNOWMAN?
Arguably the most recognisable Disney franchise of the 21st century, Frozen will receive the MSO treatment in June when the Orchestra performs the film live in concert. Frozen celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2023, with the score – by Christophe Beck, and songs by Robert Lopez and Kristen Anderson-Lopez – sure to have the young (and young at heart) singing along. Frozen in Concert, Saturday 17 June, 1pm and 7pm, Plenary, Melbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre.
A SNAPSHOT IN TIME
Europe, 1918-19. A period of time when the careers of some of the world’s most illustrious orchestral composers crossed over, and one that will be celebrated at Hamer Hall under the baton of MSO Principal Conductor in Residence, Benjamin Northey.
Elgar’s Cello Concerto sits at the centre of this specially curated program, performed by internationally acclaimed Australian cellist Li-Wei Qin. Ravel’s La Valse also features, the work often being interpreted as an allegory of Europe before, during and after WWI. Works by Prokofiev and Lili Boulanger round out the program, showcasing the music that was created during this turbulent period. A Snapshot in Time: Elgar’s Cello Concerto, Thursday 1 and Saturday 3 June, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne.
Ready to Book? Visit mso.com.au or call (03) 9929 9600 to find out more.
ENJOY THE SYMPHONY UNDER THE STARS
The MSO has performed a series of free outdoor concerts for the people of Melbourne and Victoria for nine-plus decades. The Sidney Myer Free Concert series has been held each summer in the Sidney Myer Music Bowl, and the 2023 event has a bold, diverse line-up in store.
A Tchaikovsky Spectacular will kick off the series, before a special performance called Mosaics, which celebrates the breadth and diversity of Melbourne. Benjamin Northey will conduct an array of artists, including local singers and rappers from GRID Series and Sangam.
The final performance sees the return of the MSO Chorus to The Bowl for a rousing rendition of Carmina Burana, as well as Prokofiev’s Piano Concerto No.3. Sidney Myer Free Concerts: A Tchaikovsky Spectacular, Wednesday 8 February; Mosaics, Wednesday 15 February; Carmina Burana, Saturday 18 February, Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Gates open at 4.30pm, performances start 7.30pm. The Sidney Myer Free Concerts are made possible by the MSO Sidney Myer Trust Fund, in association with The University of Melbourne, Arts Centre Melbourne and ABC Classic. For a decade now, the MSO has celebrated the diversity of Melbourne with its annual Chinese New Year concert. For 2023, the Year of the Rabbit, there’s something extra-special in store. Joining the MSO will be the Sichuan Orchestra of China’s Artistic Director/Chief Conductor, Darrell Ang. The GRAMMY-nominated conductor will lead a performance showcasing works from the western canon alongside pieces by Chinese and Australian composers.
Composer Julian Yu’s work is no stranger to MSO audiences, and his recent work Evolution – a piece both lush and bombastic, showcasing many of the MSO’s strengths – will prove an uplifting climax to a special evening. Chinese New Year, Saturday 4 February, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. Proudly supported by the Li Family Trust and the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations. See story, page 28.
STRAUSS, MAHLER, FINSTERER
Victorian-raised global superstar soprano Siobhan Stagg returns to her ‘orchestral home’ next year as the MSO’s 2023 Soloist in Residence. As part of her residence, Stagg will sing Strauss’ moving Four Last Songs, the first time it has been performed by the MSO since 2014. Also featured in this program is MYSTERIUM I, the latest work by MSO 2023 Composer in Residence, Mary Finsterer. Be among the first to hear the world premiere of this work.
Jaime Martín has not hidden his love for Mahler after the Orchestra delivered 4.5-star reviews of Mahler’s First in 2022, he returns with the majestic, lyrical Fifth Symphony. For the first time, the Season Opening Gala will be performed on a Friday evening as well as a Saturday matinee, offering more MSO lovers the chance to join the Orchestra in Hamer Hall. Season Opening Gala: Zenith of Life, Friday 24 and Saturday 25 February, Hamer Hall, Arts Centre Melbourne. Jaime Martín will conduct an Open Rehearsal on Thursday 23 February (all tickets $15). Read Stagg’s story, page 16.
