Tchaikovsky, Rachmaninov and Smetana + Quick Fix at Half Six

15–18 September

Arts Centre Melbourne, Hamer Hall

CONCERT PROGRAM

Artists

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Xian Zhang conductor

Joyce Yang piano Program

TCHAIKOVSKY Eugene Onegin: Polonaise*

RACHMANINOV Piano Concerto No.3

– Interval –

SMETANA Má vlast (Vltava, Blaník* and Šárka)

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

*These pieces will only be performed on September 15 and September 16.

Concert Events

Want to learn more about the music being performed?

15–16 September at 6.45pm in the Stalls Foyer on Level 2 at Hamer Hall.

Arrive early for an informative and entertaining pre-concert talk with Dr John Gabriel, Lecturer in Musicology at the University of Melbourne.

18 September at 7.45pm in the Stalls Foyer on Level 2 at Hamer Hall. Stay back after the performance for an informative and entertaining post-concert talk with soloist Joyce Yang and MSO Head of Artistic Planning, Katharine BartholomeuszPlows.

Duration

15–16 September: 2 hours including interval.

18 September: 1 hour with no interval.^

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

^ Quick Fix at Half Six is proudly presented by TarraWarra Estate

Acknowledging Country

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.

from a land which has been nurtured by the traditional owners for more than 2000 generations. When we acknowledge country we pay respect to the land and to the people in equal measure.

As a composer I have specialised in coupling the beauty and diversity of our Indigenous languages with the power and intensity of classical music. In order to compose the music for this Acknowledgement of Country Project I have had the great privilege of working with no fewer than eleven ancient languages from the state of Victoria, including the language of my late Grandmother, Yorta Yorta woman Frances McGee. I pay my deepest respects to the elders and ancestors who are represented in these songs of acknowledgement and to the language custodians who have shared their knowledge and expertise in providing each text.

I am so proud of the MSO for initiating this landmark project and grateful that they afforded me the opportunity to make this contribution to the ongoing quest of understanding our belonging in this land.

— Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

Established in 1906, the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is Australia’s pre-eminent orchestra and a cornerstone of Victoria’s rich, cultural heritage.

Each year, the MSO engages with more than 5 million people, presenting in excess of 180 public events across live performances, TV, radio and online broadcasts, and via its online concert hall, MSO.LIVE, with audiences in 56 countries.

With a reputation for excellence, versatility and innovation, the MSO works with culturally diverse and First Nations leaders to build community and deliver music to people across Melbourne, the state of Victoria and around the world.

In 2023, the MSO’s Chief Conductor, Jaime Martín continues an exciting new phase in the Orchestra’s history. Maestro Martín joins an Artistic Family that includes Principal Guest Conductor, Xian Zhang, Principal Conductor in Residence, Benjamin Northey, Conductor Laureate, Sir Andrew Davis CBE, Cybec Assistant Conductor Fellow, Carlo Antonioli, MSO Chorus Director, Warren Trevelyan-Jones, Soloist in Residence, Siobhan Stagg, Composer in Residence, Mary Finsterer, Ensemble in Residence, Gondwana Voices, Cybec Young Composer in Residence, Melissa Douglas and Young 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.

TCHAIKOVSKY, RACHMANINOV AND SMETANA

Musicians Performing in this Concert

FIRST VIOLINS

Tair Khisambeev

Assistant Concertmaster

Di Jameson and Frank Mercurio#

Kirsty Bremner

Sarah Curro

Peter Fellin

Karla Hanna

Anne-Marie Johnson

David Horowicz#

Mark Mogilevski

Michelle Ruffolo

Kathryn Taylor

Zoe Black*

Jacqueline Edwards*

Michael Loftus-Hills*

Susannah Ng*

SECOND VIOLINS

Matthew Tomkins Principal

The Gross Foundation#

Robert Macindoe

Associate Principal

Mary Allison

Isin Cakmakcioglu

Cong Gu

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield#

Andrew Hall

Isy Wasserman

Philippa West

Andrew Dudgeon AM#

Patrick Wong

Hyon Ju Newman#

Roger Young

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan#

Meg Cohen*

Madeleine Jevons*

Jos Jonker*

VIOLAS

Lauren Brigden

Katharine Brockman

Anthony Chataway

Dr Elizabeth E Lewis AM#

Gabrielle Halloran

Jenny Khafagi

Fiona Sargeant

Molly Collier-O’Boyle*

Ceridwen Davies*

Isabel Morse*

CELLOS

David Berlin Principal

Rachael Tobin

Associate Principal

Anonymous#

Elina Faskhi

Assistant Principal

Di Jameson and Frank Mercurio#

Rohan de Korte

Andrew Dudgeon AM#

Rebecca Proietto

Angela Sargeant

Caleb Wong

Jonathan Chim*

Anna Pokorny*

DOUBLE BASSES

Stephen Newton

Acting Principal

Sophie Galaise and Clarence Fraser#

Rohan Dasika

Benjamin Hanlon

Di Jameson and Frank Mercurio#

Suzanne Lee

Luca Arcaro*

Caitlin Bass*

Emma Sullivan*

FLUTES

Prudence Davis

Principal

Anonymous#

Wendy Clarke

Associate Principal

Alyse Faith^

Sarah Beggs

Andrew Macleod

Principal Piccolo

OBOES

Emmanuel Cassimatis*

Guest Principal

Rachel Curkpatrick*

Acting Principal Cor Anglais

CLARINETS

David Thomas Principal

Craig Hill

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher#

BASSOONS

Jack Schiller

Principal

Elise Millman

Associate Principal

CONTRABASSOON

Andre Oberleuter*

Correct as of 7 September 2023

Learn more about our musicians on the MSO website

* Denotes Guest Musician # Position supported by

HORNS

Abbey Edlin

Nereda Hanlon and Michael Hanlon AM#

Josiah Kop

Andrew Young

Alex Hogan*

Robert McMillan*

TRUMPETS

Shane Hooton

Associate Principal

Glenn Sedgwick and Dr Anita Willaton#

Darcy O’Malley*

TROMBONES

Mark Davidson Principal

Richard Shirley

Mike Szabo

Principal Bass Trombone

TUBA

Timothy Buzbee

Principal

TIMPANI

Matthew Thomas

PERCUSSION

Shaun Trubiano

Principal

John Arcaro

Tim and Lyn Edward#

Greg Sully*

HARP

Yinuo Mu

Principal

* Denotes Guest Musician

^ Denotes MSO Academy

# Position supported by

TCHAIKOVSKY, RACHMANINOV AND SMETANA

PRINCIPAL GUEST CONDUCTOR

2023/24 will mark Zhang’s eighth season as Music Director of the New Jersey Symphony, who celebrated their centennial last season. Zhang is also Principal Guest Conductor of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Conductor Emeritus of Orchestra Sinfonica di Milano where she was previously Music Director between 2009–2016.

This season, Zhang debuts at the Metropolitan Opera in New York, conducting Anthony Minghella’s acclaimed production of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly. Having recently conducted Boston Symphony at Tanglewood, her upcoming highlights include Philadelphia Orchestra, Seattle Symphony, Orquestra Sinfônica do Estado de São Paulo, Houston Symphony, Orchestra of St Luke’s, and National Symphony Orchestra DC. She remains popular with the likes of London Symphony Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, San Francisco Symphony, Montreal Symphony, Orchestre National du Capitole de Toulouse.

Letters for The Future, Zhang’s recent Deutsche Grammophon recording with Philadelphia Orchestra and Time for Three, won multiple GRAMMY® awards for Best Contemporary Classical Composition (Kevin Puts’ Contact) and Best Classical Instrumental Solo.

Zhang previously served as Principal Guest Conductor of the BBC National Orchestra & Chorus of Wales, the first female titled conductor across the BBC. In 2002, she won first prize in the Maazel-Vilar Conductor’s Competition. She was appointed New York Philharmonic’s Assistant Conductor in 2002, subsequently becoming their Associate Conductor and the first holder of the Arturo Toscanini Chair.

Xian Zhang conductor

Joyce Yang piano

Blessed with “poetic and sensitive pianism” (Washington Post) and a “wondrous sense of color” (San Francisco Classical Voice), GRAMMY®-nominated pianist Joyce Yang captivates audiences with her virtuosity, lyricism, and interpretive sensitivity.

She first came to international attention in 2005 when she won the silver medal at the 12 th Van Cliburn International Piano Competition. The youngest contestant at 19 years old, she took home two additional awards: Best Performance of Chamber Music (with the Takàcs Quartet), and Best Performance of a New Work. She received an Avery Fisher Career Grant in 2010 and her first Grammy nomination in 2017 (Best Chamber Music/Small Ensemble Performance) for her recording of Franck, Kurtág, Previn & Schumann with violinist Augustin Hadelich.

In the last decade, Yang has blossomed into an “astonishing artist” (Neue Zürcher Zeitung), showcasing her colorful musical personality in solo recitals and collaborations with the world’s top orchestras and chamber musicians through more than 1,000 debuts and re-engagements. She has performed with the New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Chicago Symphony, San Francisco Symphony, Los Angeles Philharmonic, and BBC Philharmonic, among many others. She has appeared in recital at New York’s Lincoln Center and Metropolitan Museum, Washington D.C.’s Kennedy Center, Chicago’s Symphony Hall, and Zurich’s Tonhalle.

She graduated from Juilliard with special honor as the recipient of the school’s 2010 Arthur Rubinstein Prize. She is a Steinway artist.

Are you our next Guardian of the MSO?

A great Orchestra takes us on a voyage, an exploration of art, ideas and stories. And having your support makes all the difference in ensuring we achieve the standards of excellence we live by.

As we look to the future, and all the amazing possibilities ahead, we look to the vital role you play in building the MSO.

We ask you to consider becoming an MSO Guardian by leaving a gift in your Will. Even just leaving 1% to the Orchestra you love can make an incredible impact, allowing us to invest in learning and access programs, groundbreaking collaborations, revered classics and support the brilliance of our performers, and ensure that MSO is part of Melbourne for the decades to come.

To learn more about becoming an MSO Guardian, or to have a confidential discussion on including a gift in your Will, please contact MSO Philanthropy on (03) 8646 1551 or by scanning the QR code.

Program Notes

PETER ILYICH TCHAIKOVSKY (1840–1893)

Eugene Onegin: Polonaise

Eugene Onegin was first suggested to Tchaikovsky as the basis for an opera by the singer Yelizaveta Lavrovskaya on 6 June 1877 [in the new-style calendar]. Initially, Tchaikovsky baulked at the suggestion. Like many Russians, he loved Alexander Pushkin’s novel for its superb use of language; the tale itself was slender. After a sleepless night, however, Tchaikovsky came up with a scenario. He had rightly perceived that the sort of music he wrote was uniquely equipped to replicate Pushkin’s narrative voice. After he and Konstantin Shilovsky had prepared a libretto which retained a great deal of Pushkin’s original verse, Tchaikovsky began composing the Act I scene where Tatiana ill-advisedly pours out her heart to the cad, Onegin. This is ‘Tatiana’s Letter Scene’, an occasional feature of concert programs.

The real brilliance of Tchaikovsky’s opera has only recently been critically recognised. Richard Taruskin, writing in the New Grove Dictionary of Opera, praises the way Tchaikovsky’s affected artlessness supports ‘the essence of an opera that celebrated the triumph of innocence over guile’, and the way Tchaikovsky couches his music in idioms redolent not of Tchaikovsky’s own period but of the domestic, theatrical and ballroom style of the period in which Pushkin located his story. In this, as in many other ways, Tchaikovsky transformed the orchestra into an effective narrative voice.

Tchaikovsky avoided calling this work an opera, preferring instead to describe it as lyric scenes. He told Madame von Meck, his patron, that ‘there are no scenic effects, the music lacks brilliance

and rhetorical effectiveness.’ Anybody who listens to these brilliant dances would doubt that. The composer of those theatrical staples Swan Lake and The Nutcracker is not far away. He never is: not even in the symphonic works.

The Polonaise is from the beginning of Act III. The bored and world-weary Onegin, who years before had coldly rejected Tatiana’s declaration of love, now meets her again at a ball at Prince Gremin’s house. This time it is Onegin who falls head over heels in love with Tatiana, but since their last meeting, Tatiana has met and married Prince Gremin, and although she still loves Onegin, she will not leave her husband.

Symphony Australia © 2000/2003

SERGEI RACHMANINOV (1873–1943)

Piano Concerto No.3 in D minor, Op.30

I. Allegro ma non tanto

II. Intermezzo (Adagio) –

III. Finale (Alla breve)

Joyce Yang piano

The Piano Concerto No.3 was composed at Rachmaninov’s summer estate at Ivanovka in 1909. Rachmaninov wanted a new concerto for his forthcoming American tour. He hadn’t been keen on going to America at first, but was persuaded to go because the income from a concert tour would provide him with the necessary funds to purchase a car.

This was a busy period in Rachmaninov’s life, and as a result he was unable to spend much time practising prior to embarkation. It is extraordinary, therefore, considering the difficulties in the solo part of this work (almost mythologised in the movie Shine), that he practised much of the piano part on a dumb keyboard aboard ship.

The work was first performed in New York City under Walter Damrosch that same year. It was followed not much later by a second New York performance under Gustav Mahler of whom Rachmaninov later said, ‘He touched my composer’s heart straight away by devoting himself to my concerto until the accompaniment, which is rather complicated, had been practised to the point of perfection…’

The Third Piano Concerto is, in the words of critic John Culshaw, ‘a masterpiece of conciseness’. For one thing, there are thematic relationships between the first and third movements, which may explain why the second movement is called an intermezzo. Though the Third Piano Concerto lacks none of Rachmaninov’s typical lyricism, much of the melodic material is derived from the opening rhythm, played by clarinet and bassoon and accompanied by strings.

The piano enters with a simple melody which Rachmaninov’s friend, the American composer and conductor Joseph Yasser, believed was derived from a Russian orthodox chant sung at the Monastery of the Cross at Kiev. Although Rachmaninov denied the connection, it is possible that he could have heard the melody as a youngster and absorbed it subconsciously. The theme is next stated in full in a faster tempo by the violas and horns while the piano accompanies.

Some of the structural subtlety of this work is apparent in the next section. After a short piano cadenza and a slowing of the tempo, a variant of the piano’s opening theme is played on bassoons and lower strings. The woodwinds lead in a new direction and the music builds to a big new theme. This, however, is not the second subject, as we might expect. In fact we will hear no more of it until the finale. It is one of those ‘premonitions’ of future themes,

as Culshaw calls them, which gradually add meaning to the work.

The true second subject soon appears, a characteristically Romantic Rachmaninov melody, first introduced very clearly as a variation of the dotted rhythm of the opening. The piano has become more and more dominant and the movement actually culminates in the cadenza. Rachmaninov wrote two of these, leaving it up to the soloist to choose which is performed. Since the cadenza provides the culmination of the material presented so far, as well as providing the necessary virtuoso display, there is little left for the formal recapitulation to do. Another straightforward statement of the simple opening piano theme, and then a sudden ending, almost breathless, promises more.

Rachmaninov initially holds the piano in reserve in the second movement, which begins with some of the saddest music ever to come from the pen of a composer whose characteristic mood, even at the best of times, was one of melancholy. When the piano enters, it gives two versions of its opening theme. The first section builds to an impassioned climax and then slips smoothly into the scherzo middle section. This fast section provides some relief from the gloom, but the tragic atmosphere soon returns.

The Finale breaks in with great urgency. The piano’s opening tattoo is derived from the theme of the very opening of the concerto, and Culshaw sees in the linking of the second and third movements further evidence of the tight structural binding of the concerto. The ‘dotted rhythm’ feel underlies the second subject, which in its melodic shape recalls the theme which has not been heard since the first movement. The largely episodic nature of the development gives the movement a rhapsodic, formless

impression. The piano presents two light-hearted versions of its opening melody which strike the listener as diversions from the main thrust of the movement, particularly as they arrest the predominantly fast flow.

Eventually, however, we are shepherded back on track with the return of the opening material from the first movement in the lower strings, which is joined by a hint of the first movement’s second subject. The urgent material and the main tempo of the movement return, picking up hints of the second subject of this and the first movement in its momentum. Just as we sense that the wires are being tightened, the concerto’s signature rhythm sounds from the depths of the orchestra, and leads us to a coda in which the ‘mystery’ theme planted in the first movement finally blooms into a broad Romantic statement.

Much is made of the difficulties of this concerto. ‘Oh, the Rach Three!’ says Sir John Gielgud, in awe, in Shine, but the greatness of the concerto lies not merely in its technical hurdles. It lies in the way the material organically grows - and in the way the immense technical challenges never swamp the lyrical purposes of the work.

Gordon Kalton Williams Symphony Australia © 1998

BEDŘICH SMETANA (1824–1884)

Selections from Má Vlast (My Fatherland)

II. Vltava (The Moldau)

III. Blaník

VI. Šárka

Before the mid-19 th century, the musical culture of Bohemia overlapped seamlessly with that of Austria. Mozart, for instance, was practically adopted by Prague in the late 1780s, writing his Prague Symphony, and premiering Don Giovanni there. “My Praguers understand me,” he is quoted as saying. And Czech composers like Jan Václav Voříšek made their careers in Vienna, writing in the same general style as Beethoven or Schubert. Both nations were part of the Habsburg monarchy (later the Austrian Empire). And most educated Czechs spoke German as a first language, the Habsburgs having suppressed Czech as all but a peasant language for more than 100 years.

In 1848 a wave of revolutions swept through Europe, and Czech factions rallied for increased freedoms and democratic reforms. For seven days Prague was the site of an armed uprising. A young composer and pianist named Bedřich Smetana supported the revolt, writing marches for revolutionary units, and in some accounts manning a barricade on the Charles Bridge. The Austrian Army crushed the rebellion, arrested its leaders, and Smetana fled to his parents’ home in the countryside.

Two decades later, Smetana was an established composer in Prague. He had spent a number of years abroad in Göteborg, Sweden, working as a music teacher, and established a friendship with Franz Liszt during his travels. In the meantime, Bohemia had grown more open and a National Revival was in the air, belatedly fulfilling some of

the ideals of 1848. Bourgeois Czechs began to draw cultural distinctions between themselves and their Austrian neighbors, and they established a Provisional Theater and other purely Czech institutions. Smetana – who had always spoken German – worked to improve his feeble Czech, eventually gaining fluency. He wrote nationalistic operas including The Bartered Bride, becoming the main musical contributor to the Revival, and was appointed conductor of the Provisional Theater in 1866.

Personal disaster struck Smetana in July 1874 when he not only lost his hearing, but began to suffer from unbearable tinnitus (likely symptoms of syphilis). He had to step down from conducting, but, like Beethoven, continued to compose with his mind’s ear. He worked on a series of orchestral tone poems on Czech themes, ultimately collected as a six-piece cycle called Má Vlast (My Fatherland). On today’s concert we hear three: Vltava (1874), Šárka (1875), and Blaník (1879).

Smetana’s friend Liszt had invented the symphonic poem, and this picturesque, narrative form was a perfect vehicle for a new national Czech canon. Not to mention that by aligning with Liszt’s progressive circle, Smetana further differentiated himself from the conservative Viennese lineage by then exemplified by Johannes Brahms (though Brahms had no issue championing a younger Czech nationalist, Antonín Dvořák.) No longer was Czech music indistinguishable from that of its neighbor.

Vltava

Vltava depicts a trip up the longest river in Bohemia (sometimes known in English by its German name, the Moldau). The music churns and grows, introducing a sweeping, folklike melody. In his own outline of the piece, Smetana described:

The work tells of the flow of the Vltava, beginning from its first two tiny sources – the cold and warm Vltava, the joining of the two little streams into one, then the sweep of the Vltava through the groves and along the meadows, through the countryside where harvest festivals are being celebrated; in the light of the moon the dance of the water-nymphs; on the nearby rocks proud castles rear up, wide mansions and ruins; the Vltava swirls in the St John’s rapids, then flows in a broad sweeping current on to Prague, where the Vyšehrad comes into sight and finally disappears in the distance with its majestic sweep into the Elbe.

Blaník

Blaník is a mountain southeast of Prague that is said to conceal an underground army that will one day defend the Czech lands in a moment of great danger. In some versions of the legend this army is led by Saint Wenceslaus, in others it is made up of Hussites (a movement of religious reformers founded in the 15th century). For this piece, Smetana drew on the Hussite hymn “Ye Who Are God’s Warrior,” and described:

After their defeat the Hussite heroes hide in Blaník hill and wait, in profound sleep, for the moment when they are to come to the help of their country… On the basis of this melody (the Hussite motif) the resurrection of the Czech nation, its future happiness and glory develops.… As a small intermezzo there is also a short idyll contained in this work, a sketch of the landscape around Blaník, a little shepherd-boy rejoices and plays (oboe) and the echo answers him.

Šárka

Šárka is a character from The Maidens’ War, a 12 th century Czech legend about a group of Amazon-like female warriors who revolt against men. The music here is almost Wagnerian, with descriptive instrumental touches: clinking armor

(percussion), snoring soldiers (bassoon), and calls to arms (trumpet). In Smetana’s words:

It begins with a description of a maddened girl [Šárka], who swears revenge on the entire male generation for the infidelity of her lover. From afar the arrival of Ctirad [a knight] and his weapon-bearers can be heard, as they march forth to humiliate and castigate the women. From afar they hear the (dissembling) cries of a maiden who is tied to a tree. On catching sight of her, Ctirad is struck by her beauty, and, filled with passionate love for her he frees her; she then hands him and his weaponbearers a potion which makes them merry and intoxicates them, and they fall asleep. A bugle call resounds and is answered from where the women are hidden in the distance, and they dash up to do their bloodthirsty deed. The horrors of a mass slaughter, the rage of Šárka, her thirst for revenge now slaked –that is the end of the composition.

© Benjamin Pesetsky 2023

CHAIRMAN’S CIRCLE

Mr Marc Besen AC and the late Mrs Eva Besen AO

Gandel Foundation

The Gross Foundation

Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

Harold Mitchell Foundation

Lady Potter AC CMRI

Cybec Foundation

The Pratt Foundation

The Ullmer Family Foundation

Anonymous

ARTIST CHAIR BENEFACTORS

Cybec Assistant Conductor Chair

Carlo Antonioli Cybec Foundation

Concertmaster Dale Barltrop

David Li AM and Angela Li

Assistant Concertmaster

Tair Khisambeev Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

Young Composer in Residence

Melissa Douglas Cybec Foundation

2023 Composer in Residence

Mary Finsterer Kim Williams AM

PROGRAM BENEFACTORS

MSO 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

MSO Live Online Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation

MSO Education Anonymous

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

MSO For Schools Crown Resorts Foundation, Packer Family Foundation, Department of Education, Victoria, through the Strategic Partnerships Program

Melbourne Music Summit Department of Education, Victoria, through the Strategic Partnerships Program

MSO Regional Touring Angior Foundation, William & Lindsay Brodie Foundation

Creative Victoria, The Sir Andrew & Lady Fairley Foundation, Freemasons Foundation Victoria, The Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, Robert Salzer Foundation, Ray and Joyce Uebergang Foundation

The Pizzicato Effect Hume City Council’s Community Grants program, The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust, Flora & Frank Leith Charitable Trust, Australian Decorative And Fine Arts Society, Anonymous

Sidney Myer Free Concerts Sidney Myer

MSO Trust Fund and the University of Melbourne

PLATINUM PATRONS $100,000+

Mr Marc Besen AC and the late Mrs Eva Besen AO

Lady Primrose Potter AC

The Gandel Foundation

The Gross Foundation

David Li AM and Angela Li

Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio Anonymous (1)

VIRTUOSO PATRONS

Packer Family Foundation

$50,000+

The Ullmer Family Foundation

Weis Family Anonymous (1)

IMPRESARIO PATRONS $20,000+

The Aranday Foundation

H Bentley

The Hogan Family Foundation

David Krasnostein AM and Pat Stragalinos

Elizabeth Proust AO and Brian Lawrence

Lady Marigold Southey AC

Kim Williams AM

The Yulgilbar Foundation

Anonymous (2)

MAESTRO PATRONS $10,000+

Mark and Christine Armour

Margaret Billson and the late Ted Billson

Krystyna Campbell-Pretty AM

Andrew Dudgeon AM

Dr Mary-Jane H Gething AO

Colin Golvan AM KC and Dr Debbie Golvan

Danny Gorog and Lindy Susskind

David R Lloyd

Peter Lovell

Maestro Jaime Martin

Farrel and Wendy Meltzer

Nereda Hanlon and Michael Hanlon AM

Opalgate Foundation

Ian and Jeannie Paterson

Christopher Robinson and the late Joan P Robinson

Yashian Schauble

Glenn Sedgwick

The Sun Foundation

Gai and David Taylor

Athalie Williams and Tim Danielson

Lyn Williams AM

The Wingate Group

Jason Yeap OAM – Mering Management Corporation

Anonymous (2)

PRINCIPAL PATRONS $5,000+

Mary Armour

John and Lorraine Bates

Barbara Bell in memory of Elsa Bell

Bodhi Education Fund

Julia and Jim Breen

Shane Buggle and Rosie Callanan

John Coppock OAM and Lyn Coppock

Perri Cutten and Jo Daniell

Ann Darby in memory of Leslie J. Darby

Mary Davidson and the late Frederick Davidson AM

The Dimmick Charitable Trust

Tim and Lyn Edward

Mrs Jaan Enden

Equity Trustees

Bill Fleming

Susan Fry and Don Fry AO

Sophie Galaise and Clarence Fraser

Carrillo Gantner AC and Ziyin Gantner

Dr Rhyl Wade and Dr Clem Gruen

Cecilie Hall and the late Hon Michael Watt KC

Louis J Hamon OAM

Merv Keehn and Sue Harlow

David Horowicz

Dr Alastair Jackson AM

Paul and Amy Jasper

John and Diana Frew

Suzanne Kirkham

Hyon-Ju Newman

Dr Elizabeth A Lewis AM

Sherry Li

Lucas Family Foundation

Dr Jane Mackenzie

The Cuming Bequest

Gary McPherson

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher

The Mercer Family Foundation

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield

Ken Ong OAM

Bruce Parncutt AO

David Ponsford

Dr Rosemary Ayton and Professor Sam Ricketson AM

Andrew and Judy Rogers

The Rosemary Norman Foundation

Guy Ross

The Kate and Stephen Shelmerdine Family Foundation

Helen Silver AO and Harrison Young

Anita Simon

Brian Snape AM

Dr Michael Soon

Janet Whiting AM

Anonymous (2)

Supporters

ASSOCIATE PATRONS $2,500+

Carolyn Baker

Marlyn Bancroft and Peter Bancroft OAM

Sascha O Becker

Janet H Bell

Alan and Dr Jennifer Breschkin

Patricia Brockman

Nigel and Sheena Broughton

Stuart Brown

Dr Lynda Campbell

Oliver Carton

Janet Chauvel and the late Dr Richard Chauvel

Breen Creighton and Elsbeth Hadenfeldt

Katherine Cusack

Leo de Lange

Sophie E Dougall in memory of Libby Harold

Elaine Walters OAM

Barry Fradkin OAM and Dr Pam Fradkin

Kim and Robert Gearon

Steinicke Family

Gillian Hund OAM and Michael Hund

R Goldberg and Family

Goldschlager Family Charitable Foundation

Colin Golvan AM KC and Dr Deborah Golvan

Jennifer Gorog

C M Gray

Ian Kennedy AM & Dr Sandra Hacker AO

Susan and Gary Hearst

Hartmut and Ruth Hofmann

Doug Hooley

Margaret Jackson AC

Sandy Jenkins

Jenny Tatchell

John Jones

Ann Lahore

Mrs Qian Li

Carolynne Marks

Margaret and John Mason OAM

H E McKenzie

Dr Isabel McLean

Christopher Menz and Peter Rose

Ian Merrylees

Michael Davies and Drina Staples

Alan and Dorothy Pattison

David and Nancy Price

Peter Priest

Ruth and Ralph Renard

Peter and Carolyn Rendit

James Ring

Tom and Elizabeth Romanowski

Christopher Menz and Peter Rose

Jan Ryan

Jeffrey Sher KC and Diana Sher OAM

Barry Spanger

Peter J Stirling

Caroline Stuart

Shirley and Jeffrey Zajac

Anonymous (4)

PLAYER PATRONS $1,000+

Dr Sally Adams

Anita and Graham Anderson

Margaret Astbury

Australian Decorative & Fine Arts Society

Geoffrey and Vivienne Baker

Robbie Barker

Allen and Kathryn Bloom

Michael Bowles and Alma Gill

Joyce Bown

Youth Music Foundation

Miranda Brockman

Drs John D L Brookes and Lucy V Hanlon

Jill and Christopher Buckley

Dr Robin Burns and Dr Roger Douglas

Ronald and Kate Burnstein

Mrs Nola Daley

Panch Das and Laurel Young-Das

Caroline Davies

Natasha Davies, for the Trikojus Education Fund

Rick and Sue Deering

Suzanne Dembo

John and Anne Duncan

Jane Edmanson OAM

Diane Fisher

Grant Fisher and Helen Bird

Alex Forrest

Applebay Pty Ltd

David and Esther Frenkiel OAM

Simon Gaites

Anthony Garvey and Estelle O’Callaghan

David I Gibbs AM and Susie O’Neill

Sonia Gilderdale

Dr Celia Godfrey

Dr Marged Goode

Dawn Hales

Hilary Hall in memory of Wilma Collie

David Hardy

Tilda and the late Brian Haughney

Cathy Henry

Dr Jennifer Henry

Anthony and Karen Ho

Jenny and Peter Hordern

Katherine Horwood

Penelope Hughes

Jordan Janssen

Basil and Rita Jenkins

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

Kathleen and Coran Lang

Bryan Lawrence

Lesley McMullin Foundation

Dr Jenny Lewis

Phil Lewis

Dr Kin Liu

Andrew Lockwood

Elizabeth H Loftus

Chris and Anna Long

Gabe Lopata

John MacLeod

Eleanor & Phillip Mancini

Marshall Segan in memory of Berek Segan

OBE and Marysia Segan

Aaron McConnell

Ian McDonald

Wayne McDonald and Kay Schroer

Don and Anne Meadows

Dr Eric Meadows

Professor Geoffrey Metz

Sylvia Miller

Ian Morrey and Geoffrey Minter

Anthony and Anna Morton

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

Eli Raskin

Jan and Keith Richards

Roger Parker and Ruth Parker

Dr Peter Rogers and Cathy Rogers OAM

Dr Ronald and Elizabeth Rosanove

Marie Rowland

Viorica Samson

Martin and Susan Shirley

P Shore

John E Smith

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

Leon and Sandra Velik

The Reverend Noel Whale

Edward & Paddy White

Nic and Ann Willcock

Robert and Diana Wilson

Richard Withers

Lorraine Woolley

Anonymous (15)

OVERTURE PATRONS $500+

Margaret Abbey PSM

Jane Allan and Mark Redmond

Mario M Anders

Jenny Anderson

Dr Judith Armstrong and Robyn Dalziel

Doris Au

Benevity Australia Online Giving Foundation

Lyn Bailey

Mr Robin Batterham

Dr William Birch AM

Richard Bolitho

Dr Robert Brook

Elizabeth Brown

Suzie Brown OAM and the late Harvey Brown

John Brownbill

Roger and Coll Buckle

Jungpin Chen

Charmaine Collins

Dr John Collins

Dr Sheryl Coughlin and Paul Coughlin

Judith Cowden in memory of violinist

Margaret Cowden

Gregory Crew

Sue Cummings

Dr Oliver Daly and Matilda Daly

Merrowyn Deacon

Carol des Cognets

Bruce Dudon

Brian Florence

Chris Freelance

Mary Gaidzkar

David and Geraldine Glenny

Hugo and Diane Goetze

Louise Gourlay OAM

Jan and the late Robert Green

Christine Grenda

George Hampel AM KC and

Felicity Hampel AM SC

Neville Hathaway

Geoff Hayes

William Holder

Rod Home

Gillian Horwood

Noelle Howell and Judy Clezy

Geoff and Denise Illing

Rob Jackson

Wendy Johnson

Irene Kearsey & Michael Ridley

John Keys

Lesley King

Dr Kim Langfield-Smith

Janet and Ross Lapworth

Pauline and David Lawton

Paschalina Leach

Sharon Li

Dr Susan Linton

Kay Liu

The Podcast Reader

Morris and Helen Margolis

Sandra Masel in memory of Leigh Masel

Janice Mayfield

Gail McKay

Shirley A McKenzie

Alan Meads and Sandra Boon

Joan Mullumby

Marian Neumann

Ed Newbigin

Valerie Newman

Brendan O’Donnell

Jillian Pappas

Phil Parker

Sarah Patterson

The Hon Chris Pearce and Andrea Pearce

Peter Berry and Amanda Quirk

William Ramirez

Geoffrey Ravenscroft

Dr Christopher Rees

Professor John Rickard

Peter Riedel

Michael Riordan and Geoffrey Bush

Fred and Patricia Russell

Carolyn Sanders

Dr Nora Scheinkestel

Julia Schlapp

Hon Jim Short and Jan Rothwell Short

Madeline Soloveychik

Dr Alex Starr

Dyan Stewart

Ruth Stringer

Tom Sykes

Reverend Angela Thomas

Mely Tjandra

Rosemary Warnock

Amanda Watson

Michael Whishaw

Deborah and Dr Kevin Whithear OAM

Charles and Jill Wright

Anonymous (16)

CONDUCTOR’S CIRCLE

Jenny Anderson

David Angelovich

G C Bawden and L de Kievit

Lesley Bawden

Joyce Bown

Mrs Jenny Bruckner and the late Mr John Bruckner

Ken Bullen

Peter A Caldwell

Luci and Ron Chambers

Beryl Dean

Sandra Dent

Alan Egan JP

Gunta Eglite

Marguerite Garnon-Williams

Drs L C Gruen and R W Wade

Louis J Hamon AOM

Charles Hardman

Carol Hay

Jennifer Henry

Graham Hogarth

Rod Home

Lyndon Horsburgh

Tony Howe

Lindsay and Michael Jacombs

Laurence O’Keefe and Christopher James

John Jones

Sylvia Lavelle

Pauline and David Lawton

Cameron Mowat

Ruth Muir

David Orr

Matthew O’Sullivan

Rosia Pasteur

Penny Rawlins

Joan P Robinson

Anne Roussac-Hoyne and Neil Roussac

Michael Ryan and Wendy Mead

Andrew Serpell and Anne Kieni Serpell

Jennifer Shepherd

Suzette Sherazee

Dr Gabriela and Dr George Stephenson

Pamela Swansson

Lillian Tarry

Tam Vu and Dr Cherilyn Tillman

Mr and Mrs R P Trebilcock

Peter and Elisabeth Turner

Michael Ulmer AO

The Hon. Rosemary Varty

Terry Wills Cooke OAM and the late Marian Wills Cooke

Mark Young

Anonymous (19)

The MSO gratefully acknowledges the support of the following Estates:

Norma Ruth Atwell

Angela Beagley

Christine Mary Bridgart

The Cuming Bequest

Margaret Davies

Neilma Gantner

The Hon Dr Alan Goldberg AO QC

Enid Florence Hookey

Gwen Hunt

Family and Friends of James Jacoby

Audrey Jenkins

Joan Jones

Pauline Marie Johnston

C P Kemp

Peter Forbes MacLaren

Joan Winsome Maslen

Lorraine Maxine Meldrum

Prof Andrew McCredie

Jean Moore

Joan P Robinson

Maxwell Schultz

Miss Sheila Scotter AM MBE

Marion A I H M Spence

Molly Stephens

Gwennyth St John

Halinka Tarczynska-Fiddian

Jennifer May Teague

Albert Henry Ullin

Jean Tweedie

Herta and Fred B Vogel

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

The Kate and Stephen Shelmerdine Family Foundation

Michael Ullmer AO and Jenny Ullmer

Jason Yeap OAM – Mering Management Corporation

ADOPT A MUSICIAN

Mr Marc Besen AC and the late Mrs Eva Besen AO

Chief Conductor Jaime Martín

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

Nereda Hanlon and Michael Hanlon AM

Abbey Edlin

David Horowicz

Anne-Marie Johnson

Margaret Jackson AC

Nicolas Fleury

Di Jameson OAM and Frank Mercurio

Elina Fashki, Benjamin Hanlon, Tair Khisambeev, Christopher Moore

Dr Elizabeth A Lewis AM

Anthony Chataway

David Li AM and Angela Li

Dale Barltrop

Rosemary and the late Douglas Meagher

Craig Hill

Gary McPherson

Rachel Shaw

Anne Neil

Eleanor Mancini

Hyon-Ju Newman

Patrick Wong

Newton Family in memory of Rae Rothfield Cong Gu

The Rosemary Norman Foundation

Ann Blackburn

Andrew and Judy Rogers

Michelle Wood

Glenn Sedgwick

Tiffany Cheng, Shane Hooton

Dr Martin Tymms and Patricia Nilsson

Natasha Thomas Anonymous

Prudence Davis

HONORARY APPOINTMENTS

Life Members

Mr Marc Besen AC

John Gandel AC and Pauline Gandel AC

Sir Elton John CBE

Harold Mitchell AC

Lady 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

Mrs Eva Besen AO

John Brockman OAM

Saul Lewis

The Honourable Alan Goldberg AO QC

Roger Riordan AM

Ila Vanrenen

MSO ARTISTIC FAMILY

Jaime Martín

Chief Conductor

Xian Zhang

Principal Guest Conductor

Benjamin Northey

Principal Conductor in Residence

Carlo Antonioli

Cybec Assistant Conductor

Sir Andrew Davis CBE

Conductor Laureate

Hiroyuki Iwaki †

Conductor Laureate (1974–2006)

Warren Trevelyan-Jones

MSO Chorus Director

Siobhan Stagg

Soloist in Residence

Gondwana Voices

Ensemble in Residence

Christian Li

Young Artist in Association

Mary Finsterer

Composer in Residence

Melissa Douglas

Cybec Young Composer in Residence

Christopher Moore

Creative Producer, MSO Chamber

Deborah Cheetham Fraillon AO

MSO First Nations Creative Chair

Dr Anita Collins

Creative Chair for Learning and Engagement

Artistic Ambassadors

Tan Dun

Lu Siqing

MSO BOARD

Chairman

David Li AM

Co-Deputy Chairs

Di Jameson OAM

Helen Silver AO

Managing Director

Sophie Galaise

Board Directors

Shane Buggle

Andrew Dudgeon AM

Martin Foley

Lorraine Hook

Margaret Jackson AC

Gary McPherson

Farrel Meltzer

Edgar Myer

Glenn Sedgwick

Mary Waldron

Company Secretary

Oliver Carton

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 Partners

Education Partner

Major Partners

Orchestral Training

Partner

Government Partners

Venue Partner

Supporting Partners

Quest Southbank

Bows for Strings

Ernst & Young

Media and Broadcast Partners

Trusts and Foundations

The Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation, The Angior Family Foundation, The William and Lindsay Brodie Foundation, Flora & Frank Leith Trust, The Gwen and Edna Jones Foundation, The Ray and Joyce Uebergang Foundation, Perpetual Foundation – Alan (AGL) Shaw Endowment, Sidney Myer MSO Trust Fund

East meets West

Program Supporters

Consulate General of the People’s Republic of China in Melbourne

Ministry of Culture and Tourism China

Supporting Partners Consortium Partners

Supporters

Xiaojian Ren & Qian Li

Mr Wanghua Chu & Dr Shirley Chu