What the World Needs Now: A Celebration of Burt Bacharach

What the World Needs Now

Welcome

In recent years we have lost many contemporary music icons including George Michael, Tina Turner, Tony Bennett and Olivia Newton-John. Last year the world lost one of the most important and influential figures of 20th Century popular music, Mr Burt Bacharach.

Considered one of the greatest songwriters of all time, Burt Bacharach, along with long-time collaborator Hal David, provided the soundtrack to our lives. The Oscar®, GRAMMY® and Emmy Award winner has written some of the world’s most beloved songs.

During my career I had the privilege of working with Burt on a few occasions, when he toured Australia with orchestras in 2007, 2008 and 2012. I fondly remember standing in his dressing room prior to his first concert at the Sydney Opera House and listening to him as he played on the grand piano warming up. Just him, me and that iconic music.

Burt was warm, generous and had surrounded himself with his extended touring family, including his band, singers and Manager Sue Main, who has been instrumental in assisting with the creation of this show.

When Burt passed on 8 February 2023, I was inspired to honour his legacy in a concert which celebrates his life and music. What the World Needs Now brings together the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra under the baton of Leonard Weiss and our wonderful cast which includes David Campbell, Caroline O’Connor, Emma Pask and Thndo.

We hope you enjoy this selection from Burt’s vast song catalogue and invite you to sit back, as we offer a musical tribute to the talent of this extraordinary artist.

What the World Needs Now forms part of the MSO Icon Series presented by Ryman Healthcare.

Thank you for joining us.

Mark Sutcliffe Creative Director & Executive Producer

A celebration of What the World Needs Now

MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

LEONARD WEISS conductor

MARK SUTCLIFFE creative director

DAVID CAMPBELL

CAROLINE O’CONNOR

EMMA PASK

THNDO

CHANTELLE ORMANDY backing vocals

SIOBHAN ORMANDY backing vocals

MICHAEL TYACK AM keys

TROY DOWNWARD guitar

CRAIG NEWMAN bass

KIERAN RAFFERTY drums

World Premiere with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Saturday 22 June 2024

Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall

What the World Needs Now is a Make My Mark Production.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

MAKE MY MARK

Executive Producer

Mark Sutcliffe

MSO PRESENTS

Producer

Erika Noguchi

Artist Liaison

Stephen McAllan

Production Coordinator

Renn Picard

WHAT THE WORLD NEEDS NOW

Creative Director

Mark Sutcliffe

Lighting Designer

Peter Rubie

Audio Engineer

Brett Galvin,

Arts Centre Melbourne

Monitor Engineer

Duncan Miller,

Arts Centre Melbourne

Hair & Make Up Artists

Otis Fantauzzo

Elisa Clark

Select Wardrobe

Linda Britten

With thanks to:

Sue Main for all of her invaluable assistance with the creation of this show.

Nicholas Buc, Melanie Hiluta, Jessica Wells, Jeremy Sharp, Barrie Shaw, Joel Heywood, Jimmy Kleiner and Natalie De Biasi.

These concerts may be recorded for future broadcast on MSO.LIVE

Duration: approx. 2 hours including 20 min interval

What the World Needs Now is proudly presented by MSO Premier Partner Ryman Healthcare.

Act 1

Overture

Arranged by Nicholas Buc

Always Something There to Remind Me

Cast

Arranged by Jessica Wells

Do You Know the Way to San Jose?

Emma Pask

Arranged by Jessica Wells

What’s New Pussycat?

David Campbell

Arranged by Jessica Wells

Anyone Who Had a Heart

Caroline O’Connor

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

Don’t Make Me Over

Thndo

Arranged by Jessica Wells

I’ll Never Fall in Love Again

David Campbell and Caroline O’Connor

Arranged by Nicholas Buc

Wives & Lovers

Emma Pask

Arranged by Nicholas Buc

Alfie

Chantelle Ormandy

Arranged by Jessica Wells

This Guy’s in Love with You/ I Just Don’t Know What to do with Myself

David Campbell

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

Only Love Can Break a Heart

Thndo

Arranged by Jessica Wells

Knowing When to Leave

Caroline O’Connor

Arranged by Jessica Wells

INTERVAL

Act 2

God Give Me Strength

David Campbell

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

On My Own

David Campbell and Emma Pask

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

Falling Out of Love

Emma Pask

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

You’ll Never Get to Heaven If You Break My Heart

Caroline O’Connor

Arranged by Jessica Wells

Arthur’s Theme

David Campbell

Arranged by Jessica Wells

One Less Bell/House is Not a Home

Caroline O’Connor and Emma Pask

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

Close to You

Thndo

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

Make it Easy on Yourself

David Campbell and Thndo

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

The Look of Love

Emma Pask

Arranged by Nicholas Buc

I Say a Little Prayer

Thndo

Additional arrangements by Nicholas Buc

Walk on By

Caroline O’Connor

Arranged by Jessica Wells

What the World Needs Now

Cast

Arranged by Nicholas Buc

All songs written by Burt Bacharach & Hal David.

With the exception of the following: On My Own

Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager

God Give Me Strength

Burt Bacharach & Elvis Costello

Arthur’s Theme

Burt Bacharach, Peter Allen, Carole Bayer Sager & Christopher Cross

“Never be ashamed to write a melody that people remember.”

– Burt Bacharach

12 MAY 1928 –8 FEBRUARY 2023

Photo credit: Jeremy Shaw

Has one song title been more prescient and representative of an artist’s body of work? It was like a predictive text, a forecast of the future.

(There’s) Always Something There To Remind Me.

As you walk on by, wherever you go, chances are you’ll be greeted by a Burt Bacharach song. On the radio or at the supermarket, sometimes when you least expect it. A reminder of a past relationship. Falling in or out of love. A hallmark of heartbreak, or a harbinger of hope.

All it takes is one Bacharach song for the memories to come flooding back.

What’s it all about, Alfie?

Burt Bacharach made genius sound effortless.

Who would have thought a young Jewish kid in New York, who hated doing his piano lessons and was a poor school student – ranking 360th in a class of 372 – would end up becoming one of the greatest songwriters in the history of popular music?

He was named after his dad, Bert, but his family called him Happy. “Though,” he pointed out, “I don’t think I was happy as a kid – in fact, I was lonely most of the time.”

His mum loved music but told her son: “Music is not a career I want you to have. I just want you to play for your own pleasure, the way I do.”

Fortunately, Burt ignored her advice. Using the name Happy Baxter, Burt joined a band to meet girls. Sneaking into jazz clubs when he was 15, he discovered the great Dizzy Gillespie. “That was when I knew for the first time how much I loved music and wanted to be connected to it in some way.”

At college, Burt wrote his first song, Night Plane To Heaven. “On a night plane to heaven on flight number seven/ Along the milky way/ In a world full of moon glow/ Above where the stars go.”

“It was never recorded or performed,” Burt noted in his autobiography Anyone Who Had A Heart, “because it wasn’t very good.”

As his fledgling songwriting career was floundering, Burt was drafted to the Korean War, but his service didn’t extend beyond entertaining officers in America and Germany. “I was such a terrible soldier,” he admitted.

Back home, he got a job writing songs at the famous Brill Building, alongside Phil Spector, Jerry Leiber, Mike Stoller and Jerry Moss. “I got a lot of rejections.”

And then Burt Bacharach met Hal David.

Hal was also working at the Brill Building on Broadway, though they didn’t have much else in common.

Burt was 27 and single; Hal was 35 and married. “The best way I can describe Hal is to say that he was a regular guy,” Burt explained. “Sammy Cahn once said I was the only songwriter who didn’t look like a dentist, and if you had met Hal at a party back then, that was exactly what you would have said he did for a living.”

Hal believed in structure. “I work between 10 and 5,” he told Burt. “And then I get on the train and go home.”

bad songs together”, like Peggy’s in The Pantry and Underneath The Overpass. But then they came up with Magic Moments – which Perry Como recorded – and The Story of My Life, which became a chart-topping country hit for Marty Robbins.

“Collaboration,” noted Burt, “is key to creating something truly unique and special.”

Burt toured the world as Marlene Dietrich’s conductor and she pushed one of his songs, Warm and Tender, to Frank Sinatra. He turned it down. She told him he’d made a big mistake, that Burt would be a big songwriter. “One day you’ll see,” she told Sinatra. “You’ll see!”

Burt and Hal would write in their cramped office; Hal chain-smoking Chesterfield cigarettes while Burt sat at the piano. They wrote “some really

Though he wrote the instrumental theme for the Steve McQueen movie The Blob, Burt’s first big movie hit was The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance, which he wrote with Hal David. A string of soundtrack smashes followed, including A House is Not A Home, What’s New Pussycat?, Alfie, The Look of Love (Casino Royale), Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid) and That’s What Friends Are For (Night Shift), which Burt wrote with his third wife, Carole Bayer Sager.

Burt and Carole were also responsible for Arthur’s Theme (Best That You Can Do), a song that features Australia’s own Peter Allen in the credits (he was responsible for the unforgettable line, “When you get caught between the moon and New York City”).

The Bacharach catalogue has been recorded by The Beatles, Aretha Franklin, Tom Jones, The Carpenters, Dusty Springfield and more than a thousand other artists. But his interpreter

of choice was Dionne Warwick. When they met in 1962, he noted she had a “special kind of grace and elegance”. Later, he described her talent: “To me, her voice had all the delicacy and mystery of sailing ships in bottles.”

Dionne Warwick had six Top 40 hits in Australia with songs written by Burt and Hal. Australia – like the rest of the world – has had an enduring love affair with the work of Burt Bacharach.

Burt toured Australia five times, with his final live album happening right here –2008’s Live at The Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Our biggest solo star, John Farnham, scored his second number one single

with his version of the Oscar-winning Raindrops Keep Fallin’ On My Head, which topped the charts at the start of 1970. Burt was unaware of the cover until he first toured Australia in 1973. When 3XY played it to him, he responded, “I like the record very much. I give it three-and-a-half stars – it would have been four stars if he hadn’t changed the bridge.”

Farnham perfectly captured the wideeyed optimism of Hal’s lyric, countered by the melancholic ache of Burt’s orchestration. “But there’s one thing I know,” the lyric runs, “the blues they send to meet me won’t defeat me. It won’t be long till happiness steps up to greet me.”

Photo credit: Olaf Heine

There have been many other “magic moments” locally: The Reels had their biggest hit with This Guy’s in Love With You in 1982.

Director Richard Lowenstein called his first movie post-Dogs in Space after Dionne Warwick’s 1967 hit Say A Little Prayer.

Jack Howard from Hunters & Collectors regularly does a Bacharach tribute show, Jack Howard & The Ambassadors of Love Play Bacharach & David. “As horn and string arranger with Hunters & Collectors, my own stuff and with heaps of others, Burt has been a very big influence,” Jack says.

In 2007, John Foreman gathered a swag of local stars, including Kate Ceberano, Katie Noonan and Diesel, to perform with Burt for a TV special. “I was completely starstruck when I met Burt Bacharach as I idolised his work,” John remembers. “I’m thrilled to say that as well as being a genius, he was down-to-earth, friendly, easygoing and just a lovely person.”

Rick Price did a beautiful version of Walk On By on his 2021 album of soul covers Soulville. “It stands apart from the other songs on this album in that it’s not a classic soul song, but I loved having the opportunity to include it,” Rick explained. “This song is a heartbreaker that could move a statue to tears. Bacharach and David’s composition and arrangement, combined with the unique and exquisite vocals of Dionne Warwick, is pure genius.”

Photo credit: Chris Cuffaro

Colin Hay called his Covid-inspired collection of covers I Just Don’t Know What To Do With Myself.

And in 1998, a bunch of Australian artists, including The Whitlams, Tex Perkins, Dave Graney, Leonardo’s Bride and Regurgitator, released an entire album of Bacharach songs. Appropriately, it was called To Hal and Bacharach, acknowledging the significant contribution of Burt’s songwriting partner.

Paul Kelly says he wishes he could go back in time to witness Burt and Hal at work. “How did they get the words to fit those idiosyncratic, shifting time signatures?”

As Burt noted, Hal wrote “great, great lyrics”. He highlighted these lines: What’s it all about, Alfie?/ Is it just for the moment we live?/ What’s it all about when you sort it out, Alfie?/ Are we meant to take more than we give?/ Or are we meant to be kind?

“That,” said Burt, “is one of the best lyrics anyone has ever written.”

Burt was touring Australia in 2012 when a journalist from The Washington Post called to ask what it was like to receive the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, an award that had just three previous winners: Paul McCartney, Stevie Wonder and Paul Simon. Burt said it meant more than an Oscar.

“The Academy Award is for just one song or one score. This award was for all my work.”

When he accepted the honour at the Library of Congress, Burt acknowledged his songwriting partner’s absence – Hal David would die four months later, aged 91. “I salute you, Hal,” Burt said. “I was very careful on my Australian tour with every step and every shower I took because I was determined that one of us had to get here.”

When his key collaborator died, Burt wrote an obituary for the Los Angeles Times. The final sentence was: “Hal, we had a great run and I’m so grateful we ever met.”

Burt’s second wife, Angie Dickinson, believed a secret of their success was “the fact that Hal was old-fashioned, which let him write so many of those lyrics from what seemed like a woman’s point of view – the old-fashioned way people loved and lived; they kissed, they fell in love, they got married, they had babies.”

Curmudgeonly critic Lester Bangs – immortalised in Cameron Crowe’s Almost Famous – was not a fan of Burt’s work, referring to him as “the master of the superficial”. But the master tunesmith dismissed the criticism with one single sentence: “Never be ashamed to write a melody that people remember.”

Burt’s work was often derided as “easy listening” or “elevator music”. But then suddenly in the ’90s something happened: Burt became cool.

Oasis released their debut album, Definitely Maybe, featuring a picture of Burt on the cover (check out the poster leaning against the couch at the bottom left-hand corner), and Noel Gallagher joined Burt on stage in London to perform This Guy’s in Love With You. (Fun fact: Noel always thought the song was a trippy, psychedelic piece called The Sky’s in Love With You.)

“What a dude,” the Oasis guitarist remarked after performing with Burt. “And what a songbook. Like really, really amazing. If I could ever write a song half as good as This Guy’s in Love With You or Anyone Who Had A Heart I’d die a happy man.”

Burt also popped up in the Austin Powers movies. “His song The Look of

Photo credit: Eric Ray Davidson

Love was the inspiration for this film,” Mike Myers revealed. “And it was amazing working with Burt, it was like having Gershwin appear in your movie.” And I Say A Little Prayer lit up the big screen in 1997’s My Best Friend’s Wedding (directed by Australia’s P.J. Hogan).

And when Burt made an album with Elvis Costello in 1998, the English singer reminded us of the timeless beauty of Burt’s songs. “It’s fine to say that Burt is a hip guy,” Elvis pointed out, “but do you actually know anything about the songs? This has nothing to do with kitsch. The songs are enormously resonant, completely outside of time and fashion concerns.”

And that’s the thing about Burt Bacharach: a great song never goes out of style.

The playwright Neil Simon once reminded Burt that athletes have a limited career, but creative people can always create. And Burt remained a creative force until his passing in 2023, aged 94.

He might be gone, but his songs will live forever.

“I really believe that what you write is what you are,” Burt said. And the cold, hard stats are mind-blowing: he’s written 73 Top 40 hits in the US. But the real story is in these remarkable songs. Songs for every emotion, with a message that is simple and timeless:

What the world needs now is love, sweet love

What the world needs now is love, sweet love

No, not just for some but for everyone

For proof of Burt Bacharach’s genius, all you have to do is listen. There’s always something there to remind me.

– Jeff Jenkins

Music journalist Jeff Jenkins is the author of several books, including 50 Years of Rock in Australia and Ego Is Not A Dirty Word, The Skyhooks Story, and is the co-author of Ian “Molly” Meldrum’s memoirs, The Never, Um, Ever Ending Story and Ah Well, Nobody’s Perfect.

It’s the only thing that there’s just too little of

ACKNOWLEDGING COUNTRY

In the first project of its kind in Australia, the MSO has developed a musical Acknowledgment of Country with music composed by Yorta Yorta composer Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, featuring Indigenous languages from across Victoria. Generously supported by Helen Macpherson Smith Trust and the Commonwealth Government through the Australian National Commission for UNESCO, the MSO is working in partnership with Short Black Opera and Indigenous language custodians who are generously sharing their cultural knowledge.

The Acknowledgement of Country allows us to pay our respects to the traditional owners of the land on which we perform in the language of that country and in the orchestral language of music.

About Long Time Living Here

As a Yorta Yorta/Yuin composer the responsibility I carry to assist the MSO in delivering a respectful acknowledgement of country is a privilege which I take very seriously. I have a duty of care to my ancestors and to the ancestors on whose land the MSO works and performs.

As MSO continues to grow its knowledge and understanding of what it means to truly honour the First people of this land, the musical acknowledgment of country will serve to bring those on stage and those in the audience together in a moment of recognition as as we celebrate the longest continuing cultures in the world.

– Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO

MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA

Committed to shaping and serving the state it inhabits, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is Australia’s preeminent orchestra and a cornerstone of Victoria’s rich, cultural heritage.

Each year, the MSO and MSO Chorus present more than 180 public events across live performances, TV, radio and online broadcasts, and via its online concert hall, MSO.LIVE, engaging an audience of more than five million people in 56 countries. In 2024 the organisation will release its first two albums on the newly established MSO recording label.

With an international reputation for excellence, versatility and innovation, the MSO works with culturally diverse

and First Nations artists to build community and deliver music to people across Melbourne, the state of Victoria and around the world.

In 2024, Jaime Martín leads the Orchestra for his third year as MSO Chief Conductor. Maestro Martín leads an Artistic Family that includes Principal Conductor Benjamin Northey, Cybec Assistant Conductor Leonard Weiss, MSO Chorus Director Warren TrevelyanJones, Composer in Residence Katy Abbott, Artist in Residence Erin Helyard, MSO First Nations Creative Chair Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, Young Cybec Young Composer in Residence Naomi Dodd, and Artist in Association Christian Li.

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra respectfully acknowledges the people of the Eastern Kulin Nations, on whose un‑ceded lands we honour the continuation of the oldest music practice in the world.

LEONARD WEISS CF*^ conductor

*CYBEC ASSISTANT CONDUCTOR

^CHURCHILL FELLOW

Leonard Weiss CF is an Australian conductor and educator. He is proud to be the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s Cybec Assistant Conductor. Leonard previously held the position of 2022 New Zealand Assistant Conductor in Residence, and the Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s 2020-21 BSO-Peabody Fellow.

Highlights of Leonard’s past season include Riccardo Muti’s Italian Opera Academy in Tokyo, the Tanglewood Conducting Seminar with Andris Nelsons, observing Salzburg Festival rehearsals at the selection of Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra musicians, and return engagements with the Auckland Philharmonia.

In addition to a busy MSO schedule this year, Leonard returns to National Opera for Suor Angelica. He also conducts all Australian symphony orchestras as part of the 2023–24 Australian Conducting Academy.

Leonard studied conducting with Marin Alsop at the Peabody Institute of Johns Hopkins University. There he was acclaimed as Peabody’s “rising star” and conducted the National Symphony Orchestra in a masterclass with Gianandrea Noseda.

Leonard’s recent awards include the Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New Churchill Fellowship, an Australia Council Career Development Grant, and an Ars Musica Australis Arts Fellowship. Leonard was a finalist for 2016 Young Australian of the Year, and was named 2016 Young Canberra Citizen of the Year for Youth Arts and Multimedia.

MARK SUTCLIFFE creative director

Mark Sutcliffe is a Creative Director and Executive Producer who has spent over 25 years working in the entertainment and performing arts industry and in that time has worked on some of the biggest cultural events in Australia.

Organisations include Sydney 2000 Olympic Arts Festival, Sydney Opera House, Sydney Cricket & Sports Ground Trust, Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Michael Cassel Group, Opera Australia, Live Nation, Art Gallery of NSW, Sydney Theatre Company, Sydney Festival, National Gallery of Australia, Powerhouse Museum, Global Creatures and the Almeida Theatre in London.

Events have ranged from the Edinburgh Military Tattoo to the Paris Opera Ballet, Sydney Festival to Picasso, Vienna Philharmonic to Strictly Ballroom –The Musical.

Through his company Make My Mark he has produced and created To Barbra, With Love, Hopelessly Devoted, What the World Needs Now and co-created George Michael: Freedom! and David Bowie: Nothing Has Changed (with Amanda Pelman) – all celebrating icons in music.

As well as honouring Burt Bacharach, Mark dedicates these performances to his mother Bernice Sutcliffe, who passed away in 2023.

DAVID CAMPBELL

David Campbell OAM is one of Australia’s most popular and versatile entertainers. A proven television and radio host, he also headlines theatre, cabaret and concert performances, as well as being an ARIA winning, Helpmann Award winning, multiplatinum recording artist and author.

David is the popular co-host of the national Today Extra show for the Nine Network, as well as the beloved annual Christmas Eve broadcast of Carols by Candlelight. For radio, David presents his own top rating, national weekend afternoon radio show on Smooth FM and in print, David is a regular featured columnist in Stellar, News Corp’s popular Sunday magazine.

David is one of our leading musical theatre stars and has achieved similar success on the international stage, most notably captivating New York with his award-winning cabaret show. His production credits include North By Northwest, Dream Lover — The Bobby Darin Musical, Les Misérables, Company, Shout!, Assassins and more.

David has previously performed with the Sydney Symphony and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras in concerts celebrating George Michael and is happy to be honouring Burt Bacharach in this production.

CAROLINE O’CONNOR

Caroline O’Connor is a multi-awardwinning actress who has worked across three continents during her illustrious musical theatre career.

In 2020 she was awarded an AM (Order of Australia) for her extraordinary service to Theatre. In Australia, Caroline’s credits are firmly stamped in theatrical history. Velma Kelly in Chicago, Reno Sweeney in Anything Goes, Rose in Gypsy, Judy Garland in the World Premiere of End of The Rainbow, Anita in West Side Story, Piaf, Man of La Mancha, Funny Girl, Dreamlover, Kiss of the Spiderwoman, The Boy from Oz, Candide, 9 to 5 and the one woman play Bombshells.

Broadway credits include the musical Chicago, Anastasia (Drama League Nomination, Outer Critics Circle Nomination) A Christmas Story the Musical, which transferred to Madison

Square Garden. She was a featured performer at the 2013 Tony Awards at Radio City Music Hall. West End: Mabel Normand in Mack and Mabel (Olivier Award nomination) Street Scene, On the Town, Romance Romance, Life of the Party, Matador, Me and My Girl, Cabaret, The Rink, Bombshells (Olivier Award nomination). UK: Gypsy, Chicago, West Side Story, Showboat, Baby, Damn Yankees, A Chorus Line, Into the Woods. USA: Follies and Assassins. Paris: On the Town and Sweeney Todd.

Numerous concerts worldwide including Stephen Sondheim’s 80th Birthday Concert and The Proms at the Royal Albert Hall and her one woman show at the legendary Birdland in New York.

Film: Ethel Merman in the Cole Porter biopic De Lovely and Nini Legs in the Air in Baz Luhrmann’s film Moulin Rouge.

EMMA PASK

Award winning vocalist Emma Pask has firmly established herself as one of Australia’s favourite voices in Jazz. Her effortless honest stage presence combined with her powerful vocal ability, leaves audiences spellbound and inspired whenever she takes to the stage.

While Emma’s voice and style are unique, and individually her own, her performances are reminiscent of the classic era of jazz, when swing was top of the charts. Her talent was first spotted by internationally renowned Jazz great James Morrison, when she was just 16 years old. She joined his band as the lead vocalist at 16 and went on to spend a solid 20 years touring the world with Morrison.

Some career highlights include performing the Bridal Waltz for Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban at their wedding; supporting legendary guitarist/ vocalist George Benson and Kurt Elling

on their respective Australian tours; and working with superstar Ricky Martin on series two of The Voice Australia.

Her new album Dream of Life was released in 2022, and it landed in the ARIA chart top 10 Jazz and Blues albums on its first week of release.

Emma has toured her band throughout Europe, Asia and Australia. She has sung in London at Queen Elizabeth Hall with the BBC Concert Orchestra, the Sydney Opera House with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, and performed in China with the Shanghai Symphony Orchestra, Auckland with the NZ Philharmonic, and with the WA Symphony Orchestra in Perth. She has received rave reviews for her performances in Uruguay, South America, and is a regular at the prestigious Ascona Jazz Festival in Switzerland.

THNDO

For many Australian audiences, the ‘First Lady of Soul and R&B’ is a description that takes stunning form in Thndo. Since 2016, Thndo’s music has woven stories of strength, openness and conflict, with those of love, empowerment and sensuality – with flair.

It is this sense of self and identity that has led Thndo to dominate stages around Australia. Whether it be in theatre, headlining her own acclaimed shows, commanding festival crowds at events including WOMADelaide, Groovin The Moo, Woodford Folk Festival and BIGSOUND, or establishing herself as a popular household name with millions of Australians as a finalist of the 2022 season of The Voice Australia.

Her most defining work released in 2022, Life In Colour highlighted Thndo’s power as a songwriter and a boldness in stepping forward and presenting observations from life lived growing up black in Australia, through her own unique lens.

Her notable recent highlights include appearances on Channel 7 and 9’s televised Carols, appearances on ABC’s Spicks & Specks, and Foxtel’s RocKwiz. She shared the stage with Icehouse at the T20 Cup, and performed with household names as part of a tour paying homage to the incredible Aretha Franklin. In 2024, she joined the cast of Rent The Musical in the role of Joanne, touring nationally.

BAND

CHANTELLE ORMANDY backing vocals

Described by the late Maestro Geoff Harvey OAM as “The Singer’s Singer”, Chantelle is a widely respected vocalist, musician, voice and performance coach who has worked as a backing singer, soloist and featured artist in the Australian and International music, media and entertainment industry for many years.

With extensive and diverse experience as a singer on live television and stages and in recording studios and cabaret rooms, Chantelle has met, performed, recorded or toured with George Benson, Chubby Checker, Glenn Campbell, Kris Kristofferson, Yellow Wiggle Greg Page, Olivia Newton-John, John Farnham, James Taylor, Macy Gray, Lisa Marie Presley, Elvis Presley’s TCB Band, Jimmy Webb, Dolly Parton, Tina Arena, Guy Sebastian, Petula Clark, Michael Bublé, The Village People, KC and the Sunshine Band and Burt Bacharach (to name a few).

As a Burt Bacharach superfan and treasuring the memories of spending time with the great man himself on no less than eight occasions, Chantelle and her bass-player husband David Stratton named their fifth child Alfie (who was also lucky enough to meet Burt twice!). Chantelle is thrilled to be part of What the World Needs Now providing backing vocals for these wonderful artists and singing alongside her sister Siobhan.

SIOBHAN ORMANDY backing vocals

Siobhan’s rich performing background spans various platforms, including recording studios, television, radio, theatre, and opera. Holding a Bachelor of Music and a Grad Dip Ed from Adelaide, she has showcased her talent across Australia, sharing the stage with renowned artists like Paul Kelly, Renee Geyer, Mark Seymour, Vika and Linda Bull and The Bamboos. Her performances at the Adelaide Festival and Vibes on a Summers Day, as well as supporting international acts such as Brian Ferry and American rapper Guru, have earned her recognition in the industry.

Singing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus for many years has enabled her to perform with esteemed conductors and soloists such as Sir Andrew Davis CBE, Simone Young, Markus Stenz, and Bramwell Tovey OC, OM.

To say Siobhan is delighted is an understatement….she is ecstatic to be part of What the World Needs Now backing such incredible artists and musicians and singing alongside her sister Chantelle!

MICHAEL TYACK AM keys

Michael began working as a professional musician for J.C. Williamsons in Melbourne. He moved to Sydney to conduct the STC’s production of Chicago then was MD for their productions of The Stripper, Four Lady Bowlers, Jonah, Company, Merrily We Roll Along, Falsettos, Miracle City and Summer Rain as well as providing music for several of their plays. He has been involved with many major musicals including Cats, Phantom Of The Opera, Les Miserables, Miss Saigon, Singing In The Rain, The Lion King, Wicked and others. He has been Musical Director of many shows including Side By Side By Sondheim, Chess, The Wizard of Oz, Jerry’s Girls, Joseph and His Amazing

Technicolor Dreamcoat, High School Musical, The Boy From Oz, Tivoli, The Witches of Eastwick (for which he was awarded a Green Room Award), and the Hugh Jackman tour of The Boy From Oz. He was also musical director for The Production Company’s Dusty, Brigadoon. and The Boy From Oz. He was awarded a Green Room Award and a Helpmann Award for the musical direction of the Disney / Cameron Mackintosh production of Mary Poppins. Michael has been musical director for many shows at the Hayes Theatre including the new Australian musicals The Detective’s Handbook and Melba. Recently he was musical director for the national tour of Come From Away. Michael’s cabaret and concert credits are extensive, having worked with Australian and overseas artists including Megan Hilty, Jennifer Holiday, Sutton Foster, Betty Buckley, Aaron Tveit, Conchita Wurst, Trevor Ashley,Toni Lamond, Nancye Hayes, Philip Quast, David Campbell, Caroline O’Connor, Tim Draxl and Judi Connelli both here and abroad.

In 2020 he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the Performing Arts.

TROY DOWNWARD guitar

Based in Melbourne, Troy is fast establishing himself as a guitarist of high calibre. His experience covers a broad range of styles from jazz improvisation to rock. He is highly in demand for his ability to accompany artists and is currently working with the legendary Russell Morris, enjoying great success – with sell out symphonic shows across the country, live broadcasts, and an album release reaching number 1 on the ARIA charts. He has also received 15 million streams with newly found indie band Tekoa.

As a sideman he is considered a first call musician with credits including Tina Arena, Daryl Braithwaite, Katie Noonan, John Barrowman, The Book of Mormon, Tim Rogers, Dannii Minogue, Kate Ceberano, Paul Grabowsky, Moulin Rouge!, &Juliet, The Boy From Oz and Beautiful. Being versatile as a musician has seen Troy perform with various orchestras around the country including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, John Foreman’s Pops Orchestra, The Helpmann Awards, and renowned conductors such as Benjamin Northey, Nicholas Buc, John Foreman, and Vanessa Scammell. Troy is equally comfortable as a recording artist, continuing to refine his recording and production technique, having worked at the famous Abbey Road Studios in London in 2023.

CRAIG NEWMAN bass

Craig began musical studies of the age of 12 when he began playing trumpet. At 16, he had developed a keen interest in bass guitar. Craig has toured and worked extensively with many artists, including Kylie Minogue, Eric Burdon, Judith Durham, The Seekers, Thelma Houston, David Hobson, Glenn Shorrock, Olivia Newton-John, Anthony Warlow, Tom Jones, Elvis in concert –2017 Australian tour, George Michael: Listen to your Heart – Australian Tour with Grammy winning L.A. guitarist –Larry Carlton.

TV bands include, Young Talent Time, Hey Hey It’s Saturday, Logies, Carols By Candlelight, Dancing With The Stars to name a few.

Craig’s musical theatre credits include Sweet Charity, Dancing Man, The Full Monty, Dirty Dancing, King Kong, Jesus Christ Superstar, Lazarus, Moulin Rouge, Beautiful, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat, Come From Away, Miss Saigon and many more.

Craig has been a permanent member of the John Farnham band touring and recording since 2001.

Current projects for 2023 include the third run of Rolling thunder Vietnam, Dirty Dancing Concert tour and the sell out Russell Morris Symphonic tour and double live album.

Early 2024 saw Craig working as bassist and Musical Director for the Melbourne season direct from the UK of “The Choir Of Man” which ran for a six week season at Arts Centre Melbourne, until mid February.

KIERAN RAFFERTY drums

Kieran Rafferty studied a Bachelor of Music at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music at Monash University under the instruction of Tony Floyd and Dave Beck, and in 2013 competed and took first prize in the open category of Australia’s Best Up And Coming Drummer Competition. He instantly received endorsements from four international companies, as well as the opportunity to perform at the 2015 Australia’s Ultimate Drummers Weekend. He was also featured in issue 80 of the renowned Drumscene magazine.

Encore Writing Credits

That’s What Friends Are For

Burt Bacharach & Carole Bayer Sager

Raindrops Keep Fallin’ on My Head

Burt Bacharach & Hal David

He performs regularly at a range of different venues across the country from jazz clubs, pubs, concert halls (including Sydney Opera House) and stadiums (where he played to 85,000 people for Dreamtime at the G), and has performed as part of the Melbourne International Jazz Festival, Wangaratta Festival of Jazz and Blues, Sydney Festival and Adelaide Festival.

Kieran’s recent career has seen him performing with the alternative rock band Rival Fire at Rod Laver Arena to support US rock band Kiss on their 2022 world tour; playing with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra as part of their Performance of a Lifetime concert at Sidney Myer Music Bowl; and playing on hit shows such as Hamilton, Moulin Rouge, and The Who’s Tommy.

In 2023, Kieran travelled across the country playing over 200 performances for the Rocky Horror Show’s 50th Anniversary Australian tour, starring Jason Donovan and Myf Warhurst.

MUSICIANS PERFORMING IN THIS CONCERT

FIRST VIOLINS

Peter Edwards

Assistant Principal

Margaret Billson and the late Ted Billson#

Sarah Curro

Dr Harry Imber#

Peter Fellin

Lorraine Hook

Kirstin Kenny

Eleanor Mancini

Anne Neil#

Anna Skalova

Kathryn Taylor

Jos Jonker°

Jacqueline Edwards*

SECOND VIOLINS

Monica Curro

Assistant Principal

Dr Mary-Jane Gething AO#

Mary Allison

Isin Cakmakçioglu

Cong Gu

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield#

Robert Macindoe

Isy Wasserman

Patrick Wong

Roger Young

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan#

VIOLAS

Lauren Brigden

Anthony Chataway

Ceridwen Davies°

Andrew Crothers*

Trevor Jones*

CELLOS

Rachael Tobin

Associate Principal Anonymous#

Rebecca Proietto

Peter T Kempen AM#

Angela Sargeant

Jonathan Chim*

Anna Pokorny*

DOUBLE BASSES

Stephen Newton

Acting Associate Principal

Sophie Galaise and Clarence Fraser#

Emma Sullivan°

Benjamin Saffir*

FLUTES

Wendy Clarke Associate Principal

PICCOLO

Andrew Macleod Principal

Correct as of 17 June 2024.

Learn more about our musicians on the MSO website.

OBOES

Emmanuel Cassimatis* Guest Principal

CLARINETS

David Thomas Principal

HORNS

Nicolas Fleury Principal

Margaret Jackson AC#

Josiah Kop

TRUMPETS

Shane Hooton

Associate Principal

Glenn Sedgwick#

Tim Keenihan*

Darcy O’Malley*

TROMBONES

Don Immel°

Acting Principal

Richard Shirley

Mike Szabo Principal Bass Trombone

TIMPANI

Matthew Thomas Principal

PERCUSSION

John Arcaro

Tim and Lyn Edward#

Robert Cossom

Drs Rhyl Wade and Clem Gruen#

SAXOPHONE

Tim Wilson*

* Denotes Guest Musician

^ Denotes MSO Academy

° Denotes Contract Musician

# Position supported by

MSO SUPPORTERS

MSO PATRON

Her Excellency Professor, the Honourable

Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

The Gandel Foundation

The Gross Foundation

Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

Harold Mitchell Foundation

Lady Primrose Potter AC CMRI

Cybec Foundation

The Pratt Foundation

The Ullmer Family Foundation

Anonymous (1)

ARTIST CHAIR BENEFACTORS

Concertmaster Chair

David Li AM and Angela Li

Cybec Assistant Conductor Chair

Leonard Weiss Cybec Foundation

Acting Associate Concertmaster

Tair Khisambeev Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

Cybec Young Composer in Residence

Naomi Dodd Cybec Foundation

PROGRAM BENEFACTORS

Now & Forever Fund: International Engagement Gandel Foundation

Cybec 21st Century Australian Composers Program Cybec Foundation

Digital Transformation Perpetual Foundation – Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment

First Nations Emerging Artist Program

The Ullmer Family Foundation

East meets West The Li Family Trust, National Foundation for Australia-China

Relations

Community and Public Programs

AWM Electrical, City of Melbourne, Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation

Live Online and MSO Schools Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation

Student Subsidy Program Anonymous

MSO Academy Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio, Mary Armour, Christopher Robinson in memory of Joan P Robinson

Jams in Schools Department of Education, Victoria, through the Strategic Partnerships Program, AWM Electrical, Marian and E.H. Flack Trust, Flora & Frank Leith Charitable Trust, Hume City Council

Regional Touring Angior Family Foundation, AWM Electrical, Creative Victoria, Freemasons Foundation Victoria, Robert Salzer Foundation

Sidney Myer Free Concerts Sidney Myer

MSO Trust Fund and the University of Melbourne, City of Melbourne Event Partnerships Program

PLATINUM PATRONS $100,000+

AWM Electrical

The Gandel Foundation

The Gross Foundation

Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

David Li AM and Angela Li

Lady Primrose Potter AC CMRI

Anonymous (1)

VIRTUOSO PATRONS $50,000+

Jolene S Coultas

Dr Harry Imber

Margaret Jackson AC Packer Family Foundation

The Ullmer Family Foundation Anonymous (1)

IMPRESARIO PATRONS $20,000+

H Bentley

The Hogan Family Foundation

Elizabeth Proust AO and Brian Lawrence

Lady Marigold Southey AC

Weis Family

The Yulgilbar Foundation Anonymous (2)

MAESTRO PATRONS $10,000+

Christine and Mark Armour

John and Lorraine Bates

Margaret Billson and the late Ted Billson

Jannie Brown

Mary Davidson and the late Frederick Davidson AM

Andrew Dudgeon AM

Jaan Enden

Bill Fleming

Kim and Robert Gearon

Dr Mary-Jane H Gething AO

Hanlon Foundation

David Horowicz

David R Lloyd

Peter Lovell

Dr Ian Manning

Maestro Jaime Martin

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher

Farrel and Wendy Meltzer

Paul Noonan

Opalgate Foundation

Ian and Jeannie Paterson

Hieu Pham and Graeme Campbell

Janet Matton AM & Robin Rowe

Liliane Rusek and Alexander Ushakoff

Yashian Schauble

Glenn Sedgwick

The Sun Foundation

Gai and David Taylor

Athalie Williams and Tim Danielson

Lyn Williams AM

PRINCIPAL PATRONS $5,000+

The Aranday Foundation

Mary Armour

Alexandra Baker

Barbara Bell in memory of Elsa Bell

Bodhi Education Fund

Julia and Jim Breen

Nigel and Sheena Broughton

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan

Lynne Burgess

Ken Ong Chong OAM

John Coppock OAM and Lyn Coppock

Ann Darby in memory of Leslie J. Darby

The Dimmick Charitable Trust

Tim and Lyn Edward

Equity Trustees

John and Diana Frew

Sophie Galaise and Clarence Fraser

Carrillo Gantner AC and Ziyin Gantner

Geelong Friends of the MSO

Dr Rhyl Wade and Dr Clem Gruen

Cecilie Hall and the late Hon Michael Watt KC

Louis J Hamon OAM

Dr Alastair Jackson AM

John Jones

Merv Keehn and Sue Harlow

Peter T Kempen AM

Suzanne Kirkham

Lucas Family Foundation

Dr Jane Mackenzie

Gary McPherson

The Mercer Family Foundation

Anne Neil in memory of Murray A. Neil

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield

Bruce Parncutt AO

David Ponsford

Jan and Keith Richards

Professor Sam Ricketson and Dr Rosemary Ayton

Andrew and Judy Rogers

The Rosemary Norman Foundation

Guy Ross

Helen Silver AO and Harrison Young

Brian Snape AM

Dr Michael Soon

P & E Turner

Mary Waldron

Janet Whiting AM and Phil Lukies

Dawna Wright and Peter Riedel

Igor Zambelli

Anonymous (3)

ASSOCIATE PATRONS

$2,500+

Carolyn Baker

Marlyn Bancroft and Peter Bancroft OAM

Sascha O Becker

Janet H Bell

Alan and Dr Jennifer Breschkin

Dr Lynda Campbell

Oliver Carton

Janet Chauvel and the late Dr Richard Chauvel

Sage Foundation

Kaye Cleary

Michael Davies and Drina Staples

Leo de Lange

Sandra Dent

Sophie E Dougall in memory of Libby Harold

Barry Fradkin OAM and Dr Pam Fradkin

Janette Gill

R Goldberg and Family

Goldschlager Family Charitable Foundation

Colin Golvan AM KC and Dr Deborah Golvan

Charles & Cornelia Goode Foundation

Jennifer Gorog

C M Gray

Marshall Grosby and Margie Bromilow

Mr Ian Kennedy AM & Dr Sandra Hacker AO

Susan and Gary Hearst

Dr Keith Higgins and Dr Jane Joshi

Hartmut and Ruth Hofmann

Doug Hooley

Gillian Hund OAM and Michael Hund

Geoff and Denise Illing

Paul and Amy Jasper

Sandy Jenkins

Ann Lahore

Carolynne Marks

Margaret and John Mason OAM

Ian McDonald

H E McKenzie

Dr Isabel McLean

Christopher Menz and Peter Rose

Ian Merrylees

Dr Paul Nisselle AM

Alan and Dorothy Pattison

Ruth and Ralph Renard

Peter and Carolyn Rendit

James Ring

Tom and Elizabeth Romanowski

Christopher Menz and Peter Rose

Liliane Rusek and Alexander Ushakoff

Marshall Segan in memory of Berek Segan

OBE AM and Marysia Segan

Jeffrey Sher KC and Diana Sher OAM

Steinicke Family

Caroline Stuart

Jenny Tatchell

Robert and Diana Wilson

Shirley and Jeffrey Zajac

Anonymous (4)

PLAYER PATRONS

($1,000+)

Dr Sally Adams

Jessica Agoston Cleary

Helena Anderson

Margaret Astbury

Robbie Barker

Justine Battistella

Michael Bowles & Alma Gill

Allen and Kathryn Bloom

Joyce Bown

Professor Ian Brighthope

Drs John D L Brookes and Lucy V Hanlon

Stuart Brown

Suzie Brown OAM and the late Harvey Brown

Jill and Christopher Buckley

Dr Robin Burns and Dr Roger Douglas

Shayna Burns

Ronald and Kate Burnstein

Peter A Caldwell

Alexandra Champion de Crespigny

Joshua Chye

Breen Creighton and Elsbeth Hadenfeldt

Mrs Nola Daley

Panch Das and Laurel Young-Das

Caroline Davies

Rick and Sue Deering

John and Anne Duncan

Jane Edmanson OAM

Diane Fisher

Grant Fisher and Helen Bird

Alex Forrest

Chris Freelance

Applebay Pty Ltd

David and Esther Frenkiel

Mary Gaidzkar

Simon Gaites

Anthony Garvey and Estelle O’Callaghan

David I Gibbs AM and Susie O’Neill

Sonia Gilderdale

Dr Celia Godfrey

Dr Marged Goode

Hilary Hall, in memory of Wilma Collie

David Hardy

Tilda and the late Brian Haughney

Cathy Henry

Anthony and Karen Ho

Rod Home

Lorraine Hook

Jenny and Peter Hordern

Katherine Horwood

Penelope Hughes

Jordan Janssen

Shyama Jayaswal

Basil and Rita Jenkins

Emma Johnson

Sue Johnston

John Kaufman

Angela Kayser

Drs Bruce and Natalie Kellett

Dr Anne Kennedy

Akira Kikkawa

Dr Judith Kinnear

Dr Richard Knafelc and Mr Grevis Beard

Tim Knaggs

Professor David Knowles and Dr Anne McLachlan

Dr Jerry Koliha and Marlene Krelle

Jane Kunstler

Kerry Landman

Janet and Ross Lapworth

Bryan Lawrence

Dr Jenny Lewis

Phil Lewis

Dr Kin Liu

Andrew Lockwood

Elizabeth H Loftus

Chris and Anna Long

Wayne McDonald and Kay Schroer

Lois McKay

Lesley McMullin Foundation

Dr Eric Meadows

Sylvia Miller

Ian Morrey and Geoffrey Minter

Drs Anna and Anthony Morton

Barry Mowszowski

Dr Judith S Nimmo

Laurence O’Keefe and Christopher James

Roger Parker and Ruth Parker

Susan Pelka

Ian Penboss

Kerryn Pratchett

Peter Priest

John Prokupets

Professor Charles Qin OAM and Kate Ritchie

Eli and Lorraine Raskin

Cathy Rogers OAM and Dr Peter Rogers AM

Dr Ronald and Elizabeth Rosanove

Marie Rowland

Viorica Samson

Martin and Susan Shirley

P Shore

Janet and Alex Starr

Dr Peter Strickland

Dr Joel Symons and Liora Symons

Russell Taylor and Tara Obeyesekere

Geoffrey Thomlinson

Frank Tisher OAM and Dr Miriam Tisher

Andrew and Penny Torok

Christina Turner

Ann and Larry Turner

Sandra and the late Leon Velik

Jayde Walker

Edward and Paddy White

Nic and Ann Willcock

Lorraine Woolley

Dr Kelly and Dr Heathcote Wright

C.F. Yeung & Family Philanthropic Fund

Demetrio Zema

Anonymous (13)

OVERTURE PATRONS $500+

Jane Allan and Mark Redmond

Mario M Anders

Jenny Anderson

Doris Au

Lyn Bailey

Mr Robin Batterham

Peter Berry and Amanda Quirk

Dr William Birch AM

Richard Bolitho

Miranda Brockman

Dr Robert Brook

Roger and Coll Buckle

Daniel Bushaway

Jungpin Chen

Dr John Collins

Gregory Crew

Sue Cummings

Dr Oliver and Matilda Daly

Suzanne Dembo

Carol des Cognets

Bruce Dudon

Margaret Flatman

Brian Florence

M C Friday

David and Geraldine Glenny

Hugo and Diane Goetze

Louise Gourlay OAM

Christine Grenda

Dawn Hales

George Hampel AM KC and Felicity Hampel AM SC

Dr Jennifer Henry

William Holder

Gillian Horwood

Oliver Hutton

Rob Jackson

Wendy Johnson

Irene Kearsey & Michael Ridley

John Keys

Lesley King

Dr Kim Langfield-Smith

Pauline and David Lawton

Paschalina Leach

Kay Liu

David Loggia

Helen Maclean

Eleanor & Phillip Mancini

Joy Manners

Morris and Helen Margolis

In memory of Leigh Masel

Janice Mayfield

Gail McKay

Shirley A McKenzie

Marie Misiurak

Adrian and Louise Nelson

Marian Neumann

Ed Newbigin

Valerie Newman

Amanda O’Brien

Brendan O’Donnell

Jillian Pappas

Phil Parker

Sarah Patterson

The Hon Chris Pearce and Andrea Pearce

William Ramirez

Geoffrey Ravenscroft

Dr Christopher Rees

Professor John Rickard

Michael Riordan and Geoffrey Bush

Fred and Patricia Russell

Carolyn Sanders

Dr Marc Saunders

Julia Schlapp

Hon Jim Short and Jan Rothwell Short

Madeline Soloveychik

Tom Sykes

Allison Taylor

Reverend Angela Thomas

Mely Tjandra

Chris and Helen Trueman

Rosemary Warnock

Amanda Watson

Michael Whishaw

Deborah and Dr Kevin Whithear OAM

Adrian Wigney

Charles and Jill Wright

Anonymous (13)

FUTURE

MSO ($1,000+)

Justine Battistella

Shayna Burns

Jessica Agoston Cleary

Alexandra Champion de Crespigny

Josh Chye

Barry Mowszowski

Jayde Walker

Demetrio Zema

MSO GUARDIANS

Jenny Anderson

David Angelovich

Lesley Bawden

Peter Berry and Amanda Quirk

Joyce Bown

Patricia A Breslin

Jenny Brukner and the late John Brukner

Peter A Caldwell

Luci and Ron Chambers

Sandra Dent

Sophie E Dougall in memory of Libby Harold

Alan Egan JP

Gunta Eglite

Marguerite Garnon-Williams

Dr Clem Gruen and Dr Rhyl Wade

Louis J Hamon OAM

Charles Hardman and Julianne Bambacas

Carol Hay

Dr Jennifer Henry

Graham Hogarth

Rod Home

Lyndon Horsburgh

Katherine Horwood

Tony Howe

Lindsay and Michael Jacombs

John Jones

Pauline and David Lawton

Robyn and Maurice Lichter

Christopher Menz and Peter Rose

Cameron Mowat

Laurence O’Keefe and Christopher James

David Orr

Matthew O’Sullivan

Rosia Pasteur

Penny Rawlins

Margaret Riches

Anne Roussac-Hoyne and Neil Roussac

Michael Ryan and Wendy Mead

Anne Kieni Serpell and Andrew Serpell

Jennifer Shepherd

Suzette Sherazee

Professors Gabriela and George Stephenson

Pamela Swansson

Tam Vu and Dr Cherilyn Tillman

Mr and Mrs R P Trebilcock

Peter and the late Elizabeth Turner

Michael Ullmer AO

The Hon Rosemary Varty

Francis Vergona

Terry Wills Cooke OAM and the late

Marian Wills Cooke

Mark Young

Anonymous (23)

The MSO gratefully acknowledges the support of the following Estates:

Norma Ruth Atwell

Angela Beagley

Barbara Bobbe

Michael Francois Boyt

Christine Mary Bridgart

Margaret Anne Brien

Ken Bullen

Deidre and Malcolm Carkeek

The Cuming Bequest

Margaret Davies

Blair Doig Dixon

Neilma Gantner

Angela Felicity Glover

The Hon Dr Alan Goldberg AO QC

Derek John Grantham

Delina Victoria Schembri-Hardy

Enid Florence Hookey

Gwen Hunt

Family and Friends of James Jacoby

Audrey Jenkins

Joan Jones

Pauline Marie Johnston

Christine Mary Kellam

C P Kemp

Jennifer Selina Laurent

Sylvia Rose Lavelle

Peter Forbes MacLaren

Joan Winsome Maslen

Lorraine Maxine Meldrum

Prof Andrew McCredie

Jean Moore

Joan P Robinson

Maxwell and Jill Schultz

Miss Sheila Scotter AM MBE

Marion A I H M Spence

Molly Stephens

Gwennyth St John

Halinka Tarczynska-Fiddian

Jennifer May Teague

Elisabeth Turner

Albert Henry Ullin

Jean Tweedie

Herta and Fred B Vogel

Daphne White

Joyce Winsome Woodroffe

Dorothy Wood

COMMISSIONING CIRCLE

Cecilie Hall and the late Hon Michael Watt KC

Tim and Lyn Edward

Weis Family

FIRST NATIONS CIRCLE

John and Lorraine Bates

Colin Golvan AM KC and Dr Deborah Golvan

Sascha O. Becker

Maestro Jaime Martín

Elizabeth Proust AO and Brian Lawrence

Guy Ross

The Sage Foundation

The Kate and Stephen Shelmerdine Family Foundation

Michael Ullmer AO and Jenny Ullmer

ADOPT A MUSICIAN

Margaret Billson and the late Ted Billson

Peter Edwards

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan

Roger Young

Andrew Dudgeon AM

Rohan de Korte, Philippa West

Tim and Lyn Edward

John Arcaro

Dr John and Diana Frew

Rosie Turner

Sophie Galaise and Clarence Fraser

Stephen Newton

Dr Mary-Jane Gething AO

Monica Curro

The Gross Foundation

Matthew Tomkins

Dr Clem Gruen and Dr Rhyl Wade

Robert Cossom

The late Hon Michael Watt KC and Cecilie Hall

Saul Lewis

The Hanlon Foundation

Abbey Edlin

David Horowicz

Anne-Marie Johnson

Dr Harry Imber

Sarah Curro, Jack Schiller

Margaret Jackson AC

Nicolas Fleury

Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

Elina Fashki, Benjamin Hanlon,

Tair Khisambeev, Christopher Moore

Peter T Kempen AM

Rebecca Proietto

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher

Craig Hill

Professor Gary McPherson

Rachel Shaw

Anne Neil

Eleanor Mancini

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield

Cong Gu

Patricia Nilsson

Natasha Thomas

Andrew and Judy Rogers

Michelle Wood

Glenn Sedgwick

Tiffany Cheng, Shane Hooton

Anonymous

Prudence Davis

Anonymous

Rachael Tobin

HONORARY APPOINTMENTS

Life Members

John Gandel AC and Pauline Gandel AC

Sir Elton John CBE

Lady Primrose Potter AC CMRI

Jeanne Pratt AC

Michael Ullmer AO and Jenny Ullmer

Anonymous

MSO Ambassador

Geoffrey Rush AC

The MSO honours the memory of Life Members

The late Marc Besen AC and the late Eva Besen AO

John Brockman OAM

The Honourable Alan Goldberg AO QC

Harold Mitchell AC

Roger Riordan AM

Ila Vanrenen

MSO ARTISTIC FAMILY

Jaime Martín

Chief Conductor

Benjamin Northey

Principal Conductor

Artistic Advisor – Learning and Engagement

Leonard Weiss

Cybec Assistant Conductor

Sir Andrew Davis CBE †

Conductor Laureate (2013–2024)

Hiroyuki Iwaki †

Conductor Laureate (1974–2006)

Warren Trevelyan-Jones

MSO Chorus Director

Erin Helyard

Artist in Residence

Karen Kyriakou

Artist in Residence, Learning and Engagement

Christian Li

Young Artist in Association

Katy Abbott

Composer in Residence

Naomi Dodd

Cybec Young Composer in Residence

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO

First Nations Creative Chair

Xian Zhang

East meets West Ambassador

Artistic Ambassadors

Tan Dun

Lu Siqing

MSO BOARD

Chairman

David Li AM

Co-Deputy Chairs

Margaret Jackson AC

Di Jameson OAM

Managing Director

Sophie Galaise Board Directors

Shane Buggle

Andrew Dudgeon AM

Martin Foley

Lorraine Hook

Gary McPherson

Farrel Meltzer

Edgar Myer

Glenn Sedgwick

Mary Waldron

Company Secretary

Demetrio Zema

The MSO relies on your ongoing philanthropic support to sustain our artists, and support access, education, community engagement and more. We invite our supporters to get close to the MSO through a range of special events.

The MSO welcomes your support at any level. Donations of $2 and over are tax deductible, and supporters are recognised as follows:

$500+ (Overture)

$1,000+ (Player)

$2,500+ (Associate)

$5,000+ (Principal)

$10,000+ (Maestro)

$20,000+ (Impresario)

$50,000+ (Virtuoso)

$100,000+ (Platinum)

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

PREMIER PARTNER

MAJOR PARTNERS

VENUE PARTNER

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM PARTNER

EDUCATION PARTNERS

ORCHESTRAL TRAINING PARTNER

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

Quest Southbank Ernst & Young

TRUSTS AND FOUNDATIONS

The Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation, The Angior Family Foundation, Flora & Frank Leith Trust, Perpetual Foundation – Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment, Sidney Myer MSO Trust Fund