Jaime conducts Enigma Variations

CONCERT PROGRAM

JAIME CONDUCTS

ENIGMA VARIATIONS

2–3 MAY

Monash and Melbourne Town Hall

Sir Andrew Davis 1944–2024

The MSO dedicates this evening’s performance to Sir Andrew Davis, who passed away on 20 April.

Sir Andrew was the MSO Chief Conductor (2013–2019) and Conductor Laureate (2020–2024).

We miss him terribly.

ARTISTS

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Jaime Martín conductor

Tair Khisambeev violin

PROGRAM

BRITTEN The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra [18']

VAUGHAN WILLIAMS The Lark Ascending [13']

– Interval –

ELGAR Enigma Variations [29']

Our musical Acknowledgment of Country, Long Time Living Here by Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO, will be performed at these concerts.

CONCERT EVENTS

2 May at 6.45pm at Robert Blackwood Foyer

Want to learn more about the music being performed? Arrive early for an informative and entertaining pre-concert talk with Carlos Del Cueto.

3 May at 6.30pm at Melbourne Town Hall.

Arrive early to enjoy a recital performed by Calvin Bowman on the mighty Grand Organ, free for ticket holders.

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

Duration: 1 hour and 30 minutes including interval.

Timings listed are approximate.

In consideration of your fellow patrons, the MSO thanks you for silencing and dimming the light on your phone.

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.

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.

This new work [2024] will become the second in a suite of compositions I am creating for the MSO, known simply as Long Time Living Here.

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 Trevelyan-Jones, 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.

MUSICIANS PERFORMING IN THIS CONCERT

FIRST VIOLINS

Vesa-matti Leppänen*

Guest Concertmaster

Tair Khisambeev

Acting Associate Concertmaster

Di Jameson and Frank Mercurio#

Peter Edwards

Assistant Principal

Margaret Billson and the late Ted Billson#

Peter Fellin

Deborah Goodall

Karla Hanna

Lorraine Hook

Mark Mogilevski

Michelle Ruffolo

Kathryn Taylor

Anna Skalova

Donica Tran^

Madeleine Jevons*

Michael Loftus-Hills*

SECOND VIOLINS

Matthew Tomkins Principal

The Gross Foundation#

Monica Curro

Assistant Principal Dr Mary Jane Gething AO#

Mary Allison

Isin Cakmakçioglu

Tiffany Cheng

Glenn Sedgwick#

Freya Franzen

Cong Gu

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield#

Andrew Hall

Patrick Wong

Roger Young

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan#

Jacqueline Edwards*

VIOLAS

Tom Chawner*

Guest Principal

Lauren Brigden

Katharine Brockman

William Clark

Aidan Filshie

Jenny Khafagi

Fiona Sargeant

Ceridwen Davies°

Molly Collier-O’Boyle*

CELLOS

David Berlin

Principal

Rohan de Korte

Andrew Dudgeon AM#

Angela Sargeant

Caleb Wong

Alexandra Partridge°

Jonathan Chim*

Anna Pokorny*

DOUBLE BASSES

Jonathan Coco

Principal

Rohan Dasika

Acting Assistant Principal

Caitlin Bass

Benjamin Hanlon

Di Jameson and Frank Mercurio#

Suzanne Lee

Emma Sullivan°

Correct as of 23 April 2024

Learn more about our musicians on the MSO website

*

FLUTES

Prudence Davis

Principal Anonymous#

Sarah Beggs

PICCOLO

Andrew Macleod Principal

OBOES

Michael Pisani

Acting Principal

Ann Blackburn

CLARINETS

David Thomas Principal

Craig Hill

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher#

BASSOONS

Jack Schiller

Principal Dr Harry Imber#

Elise Millman

Associate Principal

Natasha Thomas

Patricia Nilsson and Dr Martin Tymms#

CONTRABASSOON

Brock Imison Principal

HORNS

Nicolas Fleury Principal

Margaret Jackson AC#

Saul Lewis

Principal Third

The late Hon Michael Watt KC and Cecilie Hall#

Josiah Kop

Rachel Shaw

Gary McPherson#

TRUMPETS

Owen Morris Principal

Rosie Turner

John and Diana Frew#

Adam Davis^

TROMBONES

Richard Shirley

Mike Szabo

Principal Bass Trombone

TUBA

Timothy Buzbee Principal

TIMPANI

Matthew Thomas Principal

PERCUSSION

Shaun Trubiano Principal

John Arcaro

Tim and Lyn Edward#

Robert Cossom

Drs Rhyl Wade and Clem Gruen#

Robert Allan*

Hugh Tidy*

HARP

Delyth Stafford* Guest Principal

ORGAN

Calvin Bowman*

* Denotes Guest Musician

^ Denotes MSO Academy

° Denotes Contract Musician

# Position supported by

JAIME MARTÍN CONDUCTOR

Chief Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra since 2022, Jaime Martín is also Chief Conductor of the National Symphony Orchestra (Ireland) and Music Director of the Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra. He is the Principal Guest Conductor of the Orquesta y Coro Nacionales de España (Spanish National Orchestra) for the 22/23 season and was Artistic Director and Principal Conductor of Gävle Symphony Orchestra from 2013 to 2022.

Having spent many years as a highly regarded flautist, Jaime turned to conducting full-time in 2013, and has become very quickly sought after at the highest level. Recent and future engagements include appearances with the London Symphony Orchestra, Dresden Philharmonic, Netherlands Philharmonic, Royal Stockholm Philharmonic, Colorado Symphony, Dallas Symphony, Antwerp Symphony, Orquesta Sinfónica y Coro de RTVE (ORTVE) and Galicia Symphony orchestras, as well as a nine-city European tour with the London Philharmonic Orchestra.

Martín is the Artistic Advisor and previous Artistic Director of the Santander Festival. He was also a founding member of the Orquestra de Cadaqués, where he was Chief Conductor from 2012 to 2019.

JAIME

TAIR KHISAMBEEV VIOLIN

Having a passion for travel, Tair has worked in many different countries, exploring the diversity of the world’s cultures and the performing arts inherent in every place he visited. Before settling in Melbourne in 2019, he graduated from the Moscow Conservatory, where he studied with Prof. Eduard Grach (violin), Prof. Andrey Shishlov (string quartet), Prof. Alexander Rudin and Prof. Alexander Bonduriansky (chamber ensemble). Tair has performed with the Russian State Symphony Orchestra, the Hyogo Performing Arts Center Orchestra in Japan, and tried the rhythm of orchestras of England and Finland, as well as taking part in numerous festivals and competitions, both as a soloist and chamber musician.

A special place in Tair’s heart belongs to chamber music. In 2010 he helped found a piano quintet, which under his leadership performed in Russia and Europe for six years.

For the relatively short period of time spent in Australia since his arrival, Tair has already been deeply integrated into the cultural life of Melbourne and other Australian cities, including as Assistant Concertmaster at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and actively taking part in various music festivals and projects outside the MSO.

Tair’s position as Acting Associate Concertmaster is supported by Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio.

THE MEASURE OF A FUN NIGHT OUT IS SLEEPING IN AS LONG AS YOU LIKE TOMORROW

Go out with new friends to one of our dining rooms, or have a big night out on the town. Then spend the next morning in your luxurious Ryman apartment, knowing it’s nothing but you and 1000 thread count cotton for as long as you like.

Drop in to rymanhealthcare.com.au

Guests of Note DINNER SERIES

We warmly invite you to share an intimate evening of conversation, fine food, wine – and of course music! – with some of the biggest superstars from our 2024 Season. Best of all, every ticket raises funds to support the Orchestra’s core artistic program – helping the MSO continue presenting the best artists, thrilling repertoire, and worldclass orchestral performances.

COMING UP

An evening with Jaime Martín & William Barton

Saturday 6 July 2024

An evening with Roderick Williams & Siobhan Stagg

Friday 30 August 2024

For more information and to book your ticket, please scan the QR code or email MSO Philanthropy team at philanthropy@mso.com.au

PROGRAM NOTES

BENJAMIN BRITTEN (1913–1976)

The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra

When the British Ministry of Education decided in 1944 to commission an educational film to teach children about the orchestra, Benjamin Britten was an obvious choice to compose the score. As well as being a passionate advocate for children’s musical education, Britten had been writing music for documentaries since the mid-1930s, and he had a growing international profile in orchestral composition. The British government had discovered the potential of educational films early in World War Two, and by the mid-1940s, films like Instruments of the Orchestra directed by Muir Mathieson and accompanied by a set of resources for teachers—were contributing to a larger project of social and political reform by broadening access to ‘high’ culture.

After accepting the commission, Britten chose a short dance theme—a Rondeau composed by Henry Purcell in 1695— as the foundation of the work. The 250th anniversary of Purcell’s death in 1945 may have inspired Britten’s choice of reference material, but he also had a longstanding interest in the composer, considering him ‘the last important international figure of English music’. Many English musicians of the era felt insecure about the characterisation of England as das Land ohne Musik (the land without music), an idea that had been pervasive since the nineteenth century. As a result, there was a tendency to romanticise the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries as a distant ‘golden age’ for music, but this also stimulated the push for national cultural

‘improvement’ seen in the commissioning of Instruments of the Orchestra.

While The Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra began its life on film, it was concurrently transformed into the concert work heard here. It is structured in a way that allows Britten to systematically demonstrate the different capacities and timbres of the orchestra’s instruments, taking ‘the great musical box to pieces’ as Malcolm Sargent describes it in the film’s narration. After an initial statement of Purcell’s majestic theme by the whole ensemble, the melody is passed around the sections —woodwind, strings, brass and percussion—with each presenting an idiomatic reading of the material before a second statement by the full orchestra closes the opening section.

The variations then proceed through the individual instruments, working from the highest pitch in each section to the lowest. For instance, the first group of variations explores the woodwinds, from the piccolo and flutes, to the oboes, clarinets, and finally the bassoon. Britten then treats the string, brass and percussion families similarly. While all fundamentally based on the same material, every variation demonstrates Britten’s ingenuity as he gives each instrument a distinct character, from the quick march of the bassoons to the violins ‘alla polacca’ (‘in the Polish manner’), the sinuously coaxing cellos, or the ‘pompous’ trombones and tuba. The piece ends with a newly-composed fugue—not based on Purcell—which rebuilds the ensemble, reintroducing each instrument one by one. Then follows a final statement of Purcell’s theme, blasted by the brass section and set almost jarringly against the still unfolding fugue, before the grand final cadence.

The educational potential of this work is readily apparent: the structure is

unambiguous even when presented in concert without the narrator’s guidance; the variations are snappy, each lasting roughly only a minute; and the repetition of Purcell’s theme gives audience members who may be new to orchestral music ample opportunity to become acquainted with the material. But the genius of Britten’s work is that it also caters to seasoned listeners. As the piece progresses, increasingly complex chromaticism is introduced into the variations, accompanied by unexpected harmonic shifts, and intricate polyrhythms emerge through the juxtaposition of the final fugue against Purcell’s stately theme.

Although Britten’s Young Person’s Guide to the Orchestra has remained a much-loved work among players and audiences since its premier, its accessibility has in some ways hampered its reception, producing what British musicologist Kate Guthrie describes as ‘an anxiety among critics that the music was at risk of being too entertaining’! The apparent need to ‘defend’ the work against allegations that it was mere ‘children’s music’, or simply a utilitarian educational tool, saw many commentators across its history referring to it only by its subtitle, ‘Variations and Fugue on a Theme of Henry Purcell’, in an attempt to draw a sense of gravity to the work. Britten, however, was adamant that the original title be kept, ‘so that the reference to its origin always remains preserved’.

Program notes by Sarah Kirby 2024

RALPH VAUGHAN WILLIAMS (1872–1958)

The Lark Ascending – Romance for violin and orchestra

Tair Khisambeev violin

He rises and begins to round, He drops the silver chain of sound, Of many links without a break, In chirrup, whistle, slur and shake.

***

For singing till his heaven fills, ‘Tis love of earth that he instils, And ever winging up and up, Our valley is his golden cup, And he the wine which overflows To lift us with him when he goes.

***

Till lost on his aerial rings In light, and then the fancy sings.

The Lark Ascending [excerpts] by George Meredith (1828–1909)

The Lark Ascending has undoubtedly become Vaughan Williams’ most popular work. It was fully drafted in 1914 as a work for violin and piano, but the composition had to be set aside due to the outbreak of the First World War. Vaughan Williams’ professional musical life ceased completely for the next four years, as he served as an ambulance driver during the war, shuttling wounded and dying soldiers from the battlefront to temporary field hospitals in France and Greece. It was only after the war ended that he was able to return home to England and to his compositional work.

One of his first tasks was to revise

The Lark Ascending. It was eventually premiered in its violin and piano form in December 1920 by the English violinist Marie Hall, to whom the work is dedicated. The orchestration of the

score was completed in early 1921, and Hall gave the first performance of this, the more frequently played version, shortly afterwards in London’s Queen’s Hall with the British Symphony Orchestra under Adrian Boult.

Despite the work’s lengthy gestation period and the harrowing, lifechanging experiences endured by the composer at the time, none of the terror or anguish of war is evident in the music. It is, in fact, an ideal example of Vaughan Williams’ contemplative and nostalgic musical style. The solo violin spins unbroken arches of melody and swirling arabesques almost continually throughout, and there is no contrasting material or abrupt formal changes to disturb the organic unfolding and rapturous atmosphere. The orchestration is restrained, gently supporting the solo violin for most of the work’s duration. The ‘Romance’ of the subtitle, perhaps a reference to Beethoven’s two violin Romances, alludes to Vaughan Williams’ long-standing love and adoration of nature.

The Lark Ascending could be described as a musical reflection upon the poem of the same name written by the English novelist George Meredith in 1881. Only selected lines from the poem are printed in the musical score and the poetic content is used as a point of stimulus for the composer’s lyrical reverie. The solo violin clearly embodies the spirit of a bird singing and taking flight (with occasional bird calls also provided by the woodwind instruments), whilst the sustained chords, played by the strings, could be understood as the aural depiction of a flat pastoral landscape.

The form of the work is rhapsodic, with lengthy ornamental solo cadenzas beginning and concluding the piece. These are notated without bar lines and in no strict tempo, thus giving the interpreter considerable freedom and

liberty in interpretation. The floating quality of the harmony is partly due to Vaughan Williams’ characteristic use of a pentatonic (five-tone) mode, which weakens the strong directional pull of conventional tonality. This modality continues in the central dance-like section, which is initiated by the woodwinds. Throughout his life, Vaughan Williams collected and studied English folk-music, and although no specific folk tune is directly quoted here, its strong influence is apparent.

James Cuddeford © 2017

EDWARD ELGAR (1857–1934)

Variations on an Original Theme, Op.36

Enigma

Theme: Andante

Var. I. “C.A.E.” L’istesso tempo –Caroline Alice Elgar, the composer’s wife

II. “H.D.S. P.” Allegro – Hew David Steuart-Powell, pianist in Elgar’s trio

III. “R.B.T.” Allegretto – Richard Baxter Townshend, author

IV. “W.M.B.” Allegro di molto –William Meath Baker, nicknamed ‘the Squire’

V. “R.P.A.” Moderato – Richard Penrose Arnold, son of Matthew Arnold

VI. “Ysobel” Andantino – Isabel Fitton, viola player

VII. “Troyte” Presto – Arthur Troyte Griffith, architect

VII. “W.N.” Allegretto – Winifred Norbury

VIII. “Nimrod” Moderato – August Johannes Jaeger, reader for the publisher Novello & Co

IX. “Dorabella ‑ Intermezzo”

Allegretto – Dora Penny, later Mrs Richard Powell

X. “G.R.S.” Allegro di molto –Dr G.R. Sinclair, organist of Hereford Cathedral

XI. “B.G.N.” Andante – Basil G. Nevinson, cellist in Elgar’s trio

XII. “ *** Romanza” Moderato –Lady Mary Lygon, later Trefusis

XIII. “E.D.U. Finale” Allegro –Elgar himself (‘Edu’ being his nickname)

The Enigma Variations was a ‘timely’ success. Elgar had sought recognition in London in the late 1880s but there were few performances of his works, and he and his wife, Caroline Alice, had returned to Worcestershire. Elgar felt defeated. Self-conscious of his social status and provincial origins, he bitterly toyed with taking up a trade. But things began to look up with performances of his cantatas in the 1890s.

One night in October 1898, Elgar started doodling at the piano and chanced upon a brief theme. It was in G minor, the key of the Mozart symphony (No.40) which Elgar had once reworked bar-forbar into an original composition. In its almost arbitrary contour and halting mix of crotchets and quavers, the melody had great potential for wide-ranging development. Elgar started imagining how certain friends might have varied it. This work, when completed, would single-handedly turn around the composer’s career. It was premiered at St. James’s Hall, London on 19 June 1899 under the influential conductor Hans Richter.

In the variations, Elgar’s friends are identified only by their initials. Elgar said that their identity should not matter to the audience member who ‘nose nuffin’ (a typical piece of Elgarian humorous spelling), but it is enjoyable for modern-day audiences to think how Elgar has portrayed them. Elgar biographer Michael Kennedy says Elgar chose friends whose idiosyncrasies suggested music to him. Dora Penny, for example, had a stammer. Pianist H.D. Steuart-Powell would warm up with a diatonic scale pattern over the keyboard. Variation VII depicts Arthur Troyte Griffith’s drumming fortes.

Viola player Isabel Fitton, ‘Ysobel’, had trouble performing music where the strings had to be crossed. The Hereford Cathedral organist Dr G.R. Sinclair was actually represented by his dog,

Dan, falling down the steep bank into the river Wye, paddling upstream to a landing-place and barking joyously on landing. The cello features prominently in Variation 12—a tribute to Basil Nevinson who would later inspire Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Mendelssohn’s Calm Sea and Prosperous Voyage is quoted in Variation 13, said to depict Lady Mary Lygon’s departure for Australia where her brother, Earl Beauchamp, had been appointed Governor of NSW. The most famous variation, ‘Nimrod’, has perhaps the most interesting musical association. It is a musical portrait of Elgar’s publisher, A.E. Jaeger, and is called ‘Nimrod’ (‘the mighty hunter before the Lord’) because Jaeger means ‘hunter’ in German.

During one of Elgar’s regular slumps in morale, Jaeger had taken ‘Edu’ (from ‘Edoo’, Alice Elgar’s name for him) for a walk and reminded him that whenever Beethoven was troubled he poured his frustrations into still more beautiful compositions. He and Elgar agreed that Beethoven’s slow movements were incomparable and in the opening bars of Nimrod, Elgar quotes the slow movement from Beethoven’s Pathétique Sonata.

The final variation is Elgar himself. As for the ‘enigma’, the word written in later over the theme, Elgar said ‘Its “dark saying” must be left unguessed…’ In his book on the Variations, Julian Rushton says that it’s undoubtedly Elgar himself. He used the theme as signature in letters to Dora Penny. Elgar also hinted that you could play another more familiar tune over the top. Many have tried to guess this implied theme’s identity, but knowing or not knowing doesn’t affect enjoyment of the work.

The Enigma Variations, Elgar’s tribute to his friends, was the first work in which Elgar was wholly himself—he had written nothing of sustained originality when he first went to London—and it

spawned success. Great works such as the Sea Pictures and the oratorio The Dream of Gerontius quickly followed.

Gordon Kalton Williams © 2013

SUPPORTERS

MSO PATRON

Her Excellency Professor, the Honourable Margaret Gardner AC, Governor of Victoria

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

The Gandel Foundation

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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

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First Nations Emerging Artist Program

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

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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

Lesley McMullin Foundation

Dr Jenny Lewis

Phil Lewis

Dr Kin Liu

Andrew Lockwood

Elizabeth H Loftus

Chris and Anna Long

John MacLeod

Wayne McDonald and Kay Schroer

Lois McKay

Dr Eric Meadows

Professor Geoffrey Metz

Sylvia Miller

Ian Morrey and Geoffrey Minter

Dr Anthony and Dr Anna Morton

Barry Mowszowski

Dr Judith S Nimmo

Laurence O’Keefe and Christopher James

Susan Pelka

Ian Penboss

Kerryn Pratchett

Peter Priest

John Prokupets

Professor Charles Qin OAM and Kate Ritchie

Roger Parker and Ruth Parker

Dr Peter Rogers and Cathy Rogers OAM

Dr Ronald and Elizabeth Rosanove

Marie Rowland

Viorica Samson

Marshall Segan in memory of Berek Segan OBE and Marysia Segan

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

George Yeung

Demetrio Zema

Anonymous (13)

OVERTURE PATRONS $500+

Jane Allan and Mark Redmond

Mario M Anders

Jenny Anderson

Dr Judith Armstrong and Robyn Dalziel

Doris Au

Lyn Bailey

Mr Robin Batterham

Peter Berry and Amanda Quirk

Dr William Birch AM

Richard Bolitho

Dr Robert Brook

Elizabeth Brown

Roger and Coll Buckle

Daniel Bushaway

Jungpin Chen

Dr John Collins

Gregory Crew

Sue Cummings

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

John Hill

William Holder

Gillian Horwood

Noelle Howell and Judy Clezy

Oliver Hutton

Rob Jackson

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

Dr Morris and Helen Margolis

Sandra Masel in memory of Leigh Masel

Janice Mayfield

Gail McKay

Shirley A McKenzie

Alan Meads and Sandra Boon

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

Dr Nora Scheinkestel

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

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 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

Cecilie Hall and the late Hon Michael Watt KC

Saul Lewis

Nereda Hanlon and Michael Hanlon AM

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

The late Dr Elizabeth A Lewis AM

Anthony Chataway

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher

Craig Hill

Gary McPherson

Rachel Shaw

Anne Neil

Eleanor Mancini

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield

Cong Gu

Patricia Nilsson and Dr Martin Tymms

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

PRINCIPAL PARTNER

Thank you to our Partners

INTERNATIONAL LAW FIRM PARTNER VENUE PARTNER

GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

PREMIER PARTNERS

EDUCATION PARTNERS

ORCHESTRAL TRAINING PARTNER

MAJOR PARTNERS

SUPPORTING PARTNERS

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