2020 Annual Report
Our Donors In this most difficult year, our thanks go to you, our loyal and generous Patrons and donors who rallied around our great Orchestra donating the value of thousands of cancelled tickets, renewing annual gifts, and supporting our efforts to keep the music going, despite the venue closures and extended lockdowns. Engaging audiences here in Victoria, Australia and across the globe, in 2020 the MSO received donations from more than 3,000 new donors from 15 countries. Our many trusts and foundations remained flexible and agile in their incredible funding support of existing MSO programs and were equally passionate about supporting our digital innovation with new grants. Our gratitude also extends to the MSO Board who together with Chair Michael Ullmer AO generously came together to donate more than $600,000. Together with our musicians’ working group, our new philanthropy team have worked hard to stay connected with you over the phone, email and on Zoom to share ideas and updates, and to check in as best we could while we were all at home. The introduction of presale periods for Patrons
MSO PATRON The Honourable Linda Dessau AC, Governor of Victoria
HONORARY APPOINTMENTS Life Members Marc Besen AC and Eva Besen AO John Gandel AC and Pauline Gandel AC Sir Elton John CBE Harold Mitchell AC Lady Potter AC CMRI Mrs Jeanne Pratt AC MSO Ambassador Geoffrey Rush AC Conductor Laureate HIiroyuki Iwaki AO† The MSO honours the memory of John Brockman OAM Life Member The Honourable Alan Goldberg AO QC Life Member Roger Riordan AM Life Member Ila Vanrenen Life Member
CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE Marc Besen AC and Eva Besen AO Gandel Philanthropy The Gross Foundation Di Jameson◊ David Li AM and Angela Li Harold Mitchell AC Lady Potter AC CMRI
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† Deceased ◊ Signifies Adopt An MSO Musician supporter
was well received ahead of the launch of our 2021 season in October, as were online sessions to hear about the planned artistic program and community engagement initiatives from musicians and staff. My thanks to Martin Shirley, the committee and members of the Geelong Friends for your support of the MSO, and to the wonderful MSO musicians for joining with us so openly and collaboratively to help us achieve the positive results we needed. I am also grateful for the honest and transparent conversations I have had with so many of you in my first year in the role as Director of Philanthropy and External Affairs. You have welcomed me and my team into your homes, albeit virtually in 2020, and we look forward to continuing to meet with you in person now that we are back in the concert hall. As we saw after the Great Depression, it is the generosity of our philanthropic community that once again provided the most important of lifelines so that we could keep the music going. Thank you. Suzanne Dembo Director, Philanthropy & External Affairs
The Cybec Foundation The Pratt Foundation The Ullmer Family Foundation Anonymous (1)
ARTIST CHAIR BENEFACTORS Cybec Assistant Conductor Chair Nicholas Bochner The Cybec Foundation Concertmaster Chair Sophie Rowell The Ullmer Family Foundation◊ Young Composer in Residence Jordan Moore The Cybec Foundation
PROGRAM BENEFACTORS Cybec Young Composer in Residence The Cybec Foundation Digital Transformation Perpetual Foundation – Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment, Telematics Trust East meets West The Li Family Trust Meet the Orchestra The Ullmer Family Foundation MSO.LIVE Online Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation MSO Capacity Building Di Jameson (Senior Manager, Philanthropy and External Affairs), The Alison Puzey Charitable Fund as part of Equity Trustees Sector Capacity Building Fund supporting Musicians’ iPADs MSO Education Margaret Ross AM and Dr Ian Ross
MSO For Schools Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation, The Department of Education and Training, Victoria, through the Strategic Partnerships Program and the Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) MSO Regional Touring Creative Victoria, Freemasons Foundation Victoria, Robert Salzer Foundation, Sir Andrew & Lady Fairley Foundation, The Ray & Joyce Uebergang Foundation The Pizzicato Effect City of Hume, Flora & Frank Leith Charitable Trust, The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust, Scobie and Claire Mackinnon Trust, Jenny Anderson, Australian Decorative and Fine Arts Society, Barbara Bell in memory of Elsa Bell, Janet H Bell, Richard and Janet Chauvel, Caroline Davies, Alex and Liz Furman, Robert and Janet Green, Jean Hadges, Hilary Hall in memory of Wilma Collie, Jenkins Family Foundation, Jeanette King, Christopher and Anna Long, H E McKenzie, Shirley McKenzie, Marjorie McPherson, Kerryn Pratchett, Opalgate Foundation, Joanne Soso, Margaret Ross AM and Dr Ian Ross, Jenny Tatchell, (Anonymous) Sidney Myer Free Concerts Supported by the Sidney Myer MSO Trust Fund and the University of Melbourne
