2 012 S E A S O N

Fri 5 October 8pmSat 6 October 8pmMon 8 October 7pm

Dancing with the Saxophone

Amy Dickson & Ravel’s Bolero

Kaleidoscope

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Monday night’s performance will be broadcast live across Australia on ABC Classic FM.

Monday’s performance will also be webcast live via BigPond, available for later viewing on demand. Visit bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony

Pre-concert talk by Yvonne Frindle in the Northern Foyer, 45 minutes before each performance. Visit sydneysymphony.com/talk-bios for speaker biographies.

Estimated durations: 8 minutes, 25 minutes, 20-minute interval, 8 minutes, 12 minutes, 13 minutesThe concert will conclude at approximately 9.45pm (8.45pm Monday).

Dancing with the SaxophoneMiguel Harth-Bedoya CONDUCTOR

Amy Dickson SAXOPHONE

Giuseppe Verdi (1813–1901)Overture to the opera La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny)

Ross Edwards (born 1943)Full Moon Dances – Saxophone Concerto

Mantra with night birds and dark moon blossoms –First Ritual Dance –Water-Moon –Sanctus –Second Ritual DanceThe fi ve movements are played without pause.

SYDNEY PREMIERE

INTERVAL

Maurice Ravel (1875–1937)

Alborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester)

La Valse – Poème chorégraphique

Bolero

2012 seasonkaleidoscopeFriday 5 October, 8pmSaturday 6 October, 8pm

mondays @ 7Monday 8 October, 7pm

Sydney Opera House Concert Hall

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Headdress designed by Sydney milliner Suzy O’Rourke for Full Moon Dances. www.suzyorourke.com.au

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INTRODUCTION

Dancing with the SaxophoneNearly all the performing arts have a theatrical aspect: drama, opera, musicals, ballet, modern dance, physical theatre, puppetry, cabaret, the arena rock concert… Attend one of these and you’re attending a show.

Classical concerts can seem diff erent – sometimes playing down the theatre in favour of a pure listening experience. Which might be why composer Ross Edwards is seeking to ‘reconnect music with elemental forces and restore its traditional association with ritual and dance’.

For Edwards, the idea goes back nearly 30 years, when he considered the possibility of supporting a hypnotic and contemplative work with subdued lighting in a darkened hall. Yarrageh, a nocturne (‘night music’) for percussion and orchestra, was his fi rst work to carry lighting instructions. Since then, he’s never looked back. Lighting, staging and movement, costumes… Edwards’ pieces are conceived as almost theatrical entities in which his unique sound-world is supported by visual elements. He recognises that we go to see concerts as much as hear them.

The ‘theatre’ of concert music covers a range as diverse as the many functions of music itself. There is contemplation and meditation; there is healing and relaxation; there is story-telling; and dancing. Then there is the ritual aspect of concert conventions, which can seem almost church-like at times, and which Edwards sometimes likes to subvert by reaching back to much older conventions or traditions from other cultures.

Which is a long way of getting to the point of tonight’s concert: it has a program that embraces the theatrical side of music. It begins with an overture to a tragic opera. Ross Edwards’ new saxophone concerto forms the dramatic and visual highlight. And we end with thrilling pieces by Maurice Ravel, two of which were conceived for the ballet stage, La Valse and Bolero. Enjoy the show!

Not everything the orchestra does takes place on the Sydney Opera House concert platform – for Sydney Symphony news and profi les of the musicians, turn to Bravo!, a regular feature at the back of the program books, with nine issues a year. If you miss an issue, visit sydneysymphony.com/bravo

COVER IMAGE: Torn Cloud Cover by Full Moon, watercolour on blue vellum by Friedrich Nerly (1807–1878). akg-images

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ABOUT THE MUSIC

Keynotes

VERDIBorn near Parma, 1813Died Milan, 1901

Giuseppe Verdi is without doubt Italy’s greatest composer of the 19th century and the grand master of Romantic Italian opera. He composed nearly 30 operas, many of which remain staples of the repertoire: La Traviata, Rigoletto, Aida, Otello, Un ballo in maschera and La forza del destino, to name just some. ‘Va pensiero’, the moving Chorus of the Hebrew Slaves from Nabucco, resonated with Italian patriots in the mid-19th century and was so closely associated with Verdi that mourners sang it as his funeral cortège passed through the streets of Milan.

La forza was composed for St Petersburg in 1862, after a four-year lull following Un ballo in maschera (A Masked Ball). The overture dates from the 1869 revision of the work for La Scala in Milan.

Giuseppe Verdi Overture to the opera La forza del destino (The Force of Destiny)

Insofar as the 19th-century opera overture was both an attention-getter for a noisy audience and a ‘trailer’ for the evening ahead, the Force of Destiny Overture fi ts the bill perfectly. The arresting opening introduces a medley of themes, including Leonora’s prayer from Act II, with its Verdian trademark of high, shimmering violins. Its festive ending casts off tragedy and ask us, unashamedly, to admire the brilliance of the orchestra.

At the same time, the dramatic weight of the opera’s tragedy is echoed in Verdi’s overture, right from the stark, ominous notes of the opening. The opera’s victim of fate, Leonora, gives us the overture’s musical substance, an agitated theme from Act I, when she is cursed by her dying father. This sinister ‘fate’ theme recurs throughout the opera, but in the overture it takes on a dramatic life of its own.

La forza del destino, composed by Verdi in 1862, is an expansive opera based on a Spanish tragedy by Rivas about the murder of the Marquis di Calatrava and the consequent deaths of the other principal characters: his son, Don Carlo; his daughter, Leonora; and Leonora’s lover, Don Alvaro.

The Marquis is accidentally killed by Don Alvaro when he discovers that Leonora and her lover are about to elope. Don Carlo swears to avenge his father’s death, and his pursuit of Don Alvaro ends in a duel in which Don Carlo is mortally wounded. Leonora casts herself sobbing upon her brother’s body but, remembering his vow, he stabs her and a grim destiny is fulfi lled.

ADAPTED IN PART FROM A NOTE BY YVONNE FRINDLE © 2005

The overture to La forza del destino calls for flute, piccolo, and pairs of oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and cimbasso (a low brass instrument); timpani and percussion; two harps and strings.

The Sydney Symphony first performed the overture in 1949, conducted by Franco Ghione, and most recently in 2008, conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti. Giuseppe Verdi: Pastel portrait

by Giovanni Boldini

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Keynotes

EDWARDSBorn Sydney, 1943

Ross Edwards is one of Australia’s best-known and most widely performed composers. He has created a unique sound-world, seeking to restore music’s traditional association with ritual and dance. His music is universal in its concern for age-old mysteries surrounding humanity. It’s also deeply connected to its roots in Australia, whose cultural diversity it celebrates, and from whose natural environment it draws inspiration, especially birdsong and the mysterious patterns and drones of insects.

Edwards studied with Peter Sculthorpe and Richard Meale, and in Adelaide and London with Peter Maxwell Davies. His compositions include five symphonies, concertos, choral, chamber and vocal music, children’s music, film scores, a chamber opera and music for dance.

FULL MOON DANCES

In a number of his concert works – beginning with the percussion concerto Yarrageh (1989) – Edwards has called for special lighting, movement, costume and visual accompaniment. A notable example is the oboe concerto Bird Spirit Dreaming, which Diana Doherty premiered with the Sydney Symphony. Full Moon Dances, a concerto for saxophonist Amy Dickson, is similar, with specially designed capes and headdresses, dynamic use of the concert platform and lighting to create a musical experience that is visual as well as aural.

The concerto is in five distinct movements or sections, played in an unbroken sequence.

www.rossedwards.com

Ross EdwardsFull Moon Dances – Saxophone ConcertoMantra with night birds and dark moon blossoms –First Ritual Dance –Water-Moon –Sanctus –Second Ritual Dance

Amy Dickson saxophone

The composer writes…

Some years ago, extra-musical associations began to infi ltrate my compositions, especially those in concerto form, and such works as Bird Spirit Dreaming (2002) and The Heart of Night (2004) contain, or at least make provision for, elements of theatre and ritual.

In my saxophone concerto, Full Moon Dances, a female soloist is proff ered the role of universal Moon Goddess incarnate, source of plant life and protector of the environment, in which she performs a series of ritual healing ceremonies. Serene and mysterious, she nonetheless has power to unleash ecstasy and terror beyond the bounds of reason.

The work unfolds in an unbroken sequence of fi ve movements:

1. Mantra with night birds and dark moon blossomsAn ancient Vedic mantra grows into a chant-like melody which invokes the Goddess, whose appearance is accompanied by eerie night sounds symbolising the powerful psychic forces of the unconscious. The mantra persists in the background, eventually dissolving into moments of moon-drenched phantasmagoria.

2. First Ritual DanceThis cleansing ritual is driven by self-abandoning rhythms whose function is to purge negative thoughts and feelings. After a central climax, the dance abruptly returns to its source and resurges, gathering intensity.

3. Water-MoonGuan Yin, the Chinese Goddess of Compassion (who may be compared with the Christian Mary), is venerated in her various guises throughout Southeast Asia. She is often depicted as a beautiful, graceful woman in a white robe, sometimes with a halo of moonlight. In a Tang dynasty poem by Po Chu-I she is symbolised by the moon’s refl ection ‘fl oating in pure, clear water’. This dance pays homage to her.

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4. SanctusThe stage is transformed into a sacred space. Over an accompaniment of trance-like stillness scored for bell and muted strings, the Goddess sings serenely as she receives and transmits gentle moon radiance. This movement draws, as does its successor, on material from my Mass of the Dreaming (2009) and makes oblique reference to fragments of plainchant.

5. Second Ritual DanceThe fi nale joyously celebrates the earth with drone-based shapes and rhythms that recall Australian Aboriginal chant. The melody that bloomed from the mantra now returns accompanied by a blazing darbuka (small, goblet-shaped North African hand drum), after which a refl ective passage leads to a restatement of the insistent, dance-like hymn to the earth.

ROSS EDWARDS © 2012

The concerto calls for a large orchestra of three flutes, three oboes, three clarinets and three bassoons; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion; harp and strings.

Full Moon Dances was commissioned for Amy Dickson, the Sydney Symphony and the Australian symphony orchestras by Andrew Kaldor and Renata Kaldor AO with the support of Symphony Services International. The concerto received its premiere on 7 June 2012 with Amy Dickson as soloist and the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra conducted by Andrew Grams. It has since been performed by the West Australian and Tasmanian symphony orchestras, and will be performed by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in February 2013. This is the Sydney premiere.

In recent years, Sydney Symphony performances of Edwards’ music have included the violin concerto Maninyas; and the oboe concerto Bird Spirit Dreaming, Earth Spirit Songs (Symphony No.2) and The Promised Land (Symphony No.5), the last three commissioned with the assistance of the Kaldors.

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The Moon and IAbridged from an article by Ross Edwards

Amy Dickson started writing to me after she won the Symphony Australia Young Performers’ Award in 2004. Amy is a performer in the Diana mould. [Ross Edwards composed Bird Spirit Dreaming for Sydney Symphony principal oboe Diana Doherty in 2002; when she performed the concerto in New York she was billed as the ‘dancing oboist’.] Wonderfully musical, Amy has a fl awless technique, a riveting stage presence and is game for anything. When we were getting serious about my writing her a concerto I asked her did she like to dance? Yes! Would she like to be a Moon Goddess? Oh yes!!!

I completed the score of Full Moon Dances last November. Amy and I had communicated by email most of the time I was composing, occasionally meeting when she happened to be in Sydney. I’d send her bits of the solo part as it evolved, and nothing seemed to faze her.

Having mastered the solo part, Amy turned her attention to the visual aspect of the performance. In Sydney she modelled a prototypal Moon Goddess costume for my wife Helen and me. From London we had an email describing a new white dress especially chosen for her by Armani, with colourful, reversible capes and hoods which were Helen’s brilliant and highly practical concept. Sydney milliner Suzy O’Rourke has designed capes and special headdresses. Then there were the practicalities of lighting and movement. Since it’s not possible to actually dance with so weighty an instrument as an alto sax, we’re settling for a more dignifi ed presence, as befi ts a Goddess – actually a series of Goddess avatars: mysterious, demonic, serene and celebratory, each with music and costume and lighting variations to match.

Read more about the concerto and its creation at bit.ly/FullMoonDancesRE

Amy Dickson

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Keynotes

RAVELBorn Ciboure, 1875Died Paris 1937

Ravel was born to Swiss and Basque parents in a French village just a stone’s throw from Spain. Although short in stature, he was the best-dressed of all the French composers of his day, and he delighted in collecting mechanical toys and exotic ornaments for his home. (‘This room,’ he would say to his guests, ‘is all fake Japanese!’) His music shows a corresponding enthusiasm for jewel-like surface detail, delicacy of expression and exotic effect. And above all, he had an enduring fascination for Spain.

His other passions included dance and times past. These loves take different forms and are sometimes combined, as in La Valse. The music itself covers the spectrum of physical expression: from aloof elegance to the hypnotic repetition and overwhelming surge of Bolero.

MORNING SONG OF THE JESTER

An Alborada is a morning song or serenade (‘aubade’ in French) and this one is sung by a gracioso, one of the jesters who populated the courts of 17th century Spain and the paintings of Velázquez. It is volatile and moody music evoking an imaginary Spain and it originally formed part of a piano suite. In 1918 Ravel orchestrated the music, turning the orchestra into a giant guitar with strumming harps and strings.

Ravel: Portrait by Achille Ouvre, c.1907

Maurice RavelAlborada del gracioso (Morning Song of the Jester)

Like many French composers in the 19th and early 20th centuries, Ravel was fascinated by Spain, a fact refl ected in many of his works (from the one-act opera L’Heure espagnole and the Rapsodie espagnole to the celebrated Bolero). This fascination was not primarily the result of personal experience. The Spain of Alborada del gracioso (or, for that matter, of Bizet’s Carmen or Debussy’s Ibéria) was not a real country, but rather an exotic, mysterious ideal of heady perfumes and vibrant colours, populated by passionate gypsies and dashing bullfi ghters: the Spain of travel brochures.

Alborada del gracioso was originally written for piano, as part of a set entitled Miroirs (Mirrors), which appeared in 1905. Several of Ravel’s orchestral works are transcribed from piano pieces: such is his genius as an orchestrator, however, that the orchestral and piano versions both have

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the status of originals. Each version is so perfectly conceived for its scoring that it seems impossible to imagine it in any other medium. Alborada is particularly interesting, in that its whole harmonic and rhythmic fabric is a powerful evocation of a guitar, being played by a virtuoso in the Spanish tradition – an ‘original version’, which does not exist and yet appears to predate the other two!

The timbres featured in Ravel’s orchestration (from 1918) make the guitar references explicit, with much use of harp, string pizzicato and harmonics, and an extensive percussion section, with prominent parts for side drum and castanets. There are a number of specifi c genres in Spanish folk music which bear the name Alborada (literally ‘dawn song’), but Ravel was perhaps thinking more of the romantic mediæval idea of a farewell serenade sung by a lover, as he rides away from his beloved at dawn. The complete title, ‘Morning Song of the Jester’, aptly suggests the music’s volatile nature, by turns melancholy, playful and extravagant.

ELLIOTT GYGER © SYMPHONY AUSTRALIA

In its orchestrated form, the Alborada del gracioso calls for three flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, cor anglais, two clarinets, two bassoons and contrabassoon, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones and tuba, timpani and percussion (bass drum, cymbals, snare drum, triangle, tambourine, xylophone, crotales, castanets), two harps and strings.

The Sydney Symphony first performed the Alborada in 1952 under Eugene Goossens, and most recently in 2008 in an all-Ravel concert conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti.

…a powerful evocation of a guitar…

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Keynotes

LA VALSE

Ravel wrote La Valse (The Waltz) in the years 1919–20. World War I had crushed the society that danced in three-quarter time, and the waltz had become a thing of the past – this music is the apotheosis of the Viennese waltz.

La Valse is a ‘choreographic poem for orchestra’: a concert piece, but a ballet too. Ravel imagined it this way:

‘Swirling clouds afford glimpses, through rifts, of waltzing couples. The clouds scatter little by little; one can distinguish an immense hall with a whirling crowd. The scene grows progressively brighter. The light of the chandeliers bursts forth at the fortissimo. An imperial court, around 1855.’

Ravel wanted to create ‘the impression of a fantastic, fatal whirling’, and he achieves the effect through the simplest of devices: the crescendo, or building of sound from soft to loud. In this respect it is not unlike Bolero, but instead of one long overwhelming crescendo, La Valse offers two.

La Valse – poème chorégraphique

La Valse begins with a grumble – a muted double bass section divided into three separate groups that share eerie tremolos and ominous plucked notes. (It has more than a passing resemblance to the famous motif from Jaws.) Ravel’s scenario describes eddying clouds that part from time to time, off ering fl eeting glimpses of waltzing couples. Bassoons, horns and clarinets join in…harps and more trembling strings…all is low and all is muted. This is the waltz viewed from a distance, each intimate couple in its own private world.

But we cannot stay voyeurs for long – the mists gradually disperse to reveal a huge ballroom in red and gold, brilliantly lit with chandeliers, and the waltzing couples have become a whirling crowd. The music embarks on a chain of waltzes that capture the verve of Johann Strauss, the opulence of Richard Strauss, and the frenzy of the ballroom. ‘I’m waltzing frantically,’ wrote Ravel when working on the piece.

The themes are sophisticated and volatile by turn – one moment the crowd of dancers is all glittering elegance, the next it is caught up in the fatal whirling that Ravel imagined. The fantastic melodic invention is matched by scintillating orchestral eff ects such as sweeping glissandos from the harps and the division of the string groups into as many as 16 separate parts. But the potential of Ravel’s huge orchestra of more than 90 players is kept in reserve – we’re overwhelmed by its exquisite colours before we’re overwhelmed by its sheer power. By the time Ravel brings on his second crescendo, shorter and more turbulent, we’re completely intoxicated.

Not everyone was intoxicated, however. Sergei Diaghilev of the Ballets Russes was off ered this spectacular music for a ballet but rejected it as too symphonic and lacking in choreographic variety. In doing so he lost the friendship of the composer who’d written Daphnis et Chloé for his company in 1912. In the end it was Ida Rubinstein who produced La Valse, nine years later, with choreography by Bronislava Nijinska. But the music was fi rst performed in the concert hall and that’s where its exhilarating momentum and surging climaxes continue to sweep us away. Pre-war Vienna may have waltzed itself into fatal oblivion but La Valse whirls on.

ADAPTED FROM A NOTE BY YVONNE FRINDLE © 2005

La Valse calls for a large orchestra of three flutes (one doubling piccolo), three oboes (one doubling cor anglais), two clarinets, bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani and percussion; two harps and strings.

The Sydney Symphony first performed La Valse in 1939 with Antal Doráti, and most recently in 2008 in an all-Ravel concert conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti.

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Bolero

Ida Rubinstein wanted to create a Spanish ballet and she invited Ravel to orchestrate music from Albéniz’s piano work Iberia. But one of Ravel’s friends pointed out that such a ballet was already in the making (it was 1928) and that neither he nor Rubinstein would be able to obtain the necessary permissions to repeat the exercise: the ballet, the scenario and the music were ‘covered by a network of agreements, signatures and copyrights that could not be broken’.

Thwarted and put out, Ravel came up with something ‘rather unusual’. He said it had no true form, no development, hardly any modulation and a vulgar theme, but plenty of rhythm and orchestration. Bolero was born.

For this radiant music, Rubinstein created a tableau in the manner of Goya: a moody interior, in which a fl amenco dancer performs a stylised bolero on table ‘amid the encouragement and impassioned quarrels of the spectators’, a languid beginning building to a representation of infl amed desire.

Ravel accepted her interpretation, but its orgiastic sensuality was not what he had in mind. (His own choreographic visions had included factory assembly lines to mirror the mechanistic repetition and chain-like linking of themes in the music.) And he off ered what is perhaps the most famous disclaimer in music:

I am particularly desirous that there should be no misunderstanding as to my Bolero. It is an experiment in a very special and limited direction… Before the fi rst performance, I issued a warning to the eff ect that what I had written was a piece lasting 17 minutes and consisting wholly of orchestral tissue without music…

Ravel goes on to point out that there are no contrasts, the themes are ‘impersonal’, and there is ‘practically no invention except in the plan and the manner of the execution’. And he was not exaggerating when he described Bolero as one long crescendo: the music builds inexorably in colour, texture and sheer volume – from the voice of a lone snare drum to the overwhelming eff ect of the full orchestra. Whatever Ravel might say, Bolero is a tour de force.

YVONNE FRINDLE, SYDNEY SYMPHONY © 2008/2012

Bolero calls for two flutes (one doubling piccolo), piccolo, two oboes (one doubling oboe d’amore), cor anglais, two clarinets (one doubling E flat clarinet), bass clarinet, two bassoons and contrabassoon; four horns, four trumpets, three trombones and tuba; soprano and tenor saxophones; timpani and percussion; harp, celesta, and strings.

The Sydney Symphony first performed Bolero in 1946, conducted by Bernard Heinze, and most recently in 2008 in an all-Ravel concert conducted by Gianluigi Gelmetti.

Keynotes

BOLERO

Whether it brings to mind images of Bo Derek or Torvill and Dean, Bolero needs little introduction. It begins with a snare drum rhythm, then builds irresistibly and hypnotically to a frenzied climax. Along the way Ravel demonstrates his absolute mastery of ‘orchestral tissue’, in this order:

solo flutesolo clarinetbassoonthe high E-flat clarinetoboe d’amoreflutemuted trumpettenor saxophonesoprano saxophone

then groups of instruments…two piccolos, horn and celestathe oboe family, clarinet and

bass clarinetsolo trombone (with its

characteristic slide)woodwindsjoined by the first violinsthen the second violins and

tenor saxophoneflutes, oboes, violins and

trumpetjoined by a hornclarinets, trombone and

soprano sax return to the mix, together with violas and cellos

and ultimately the full ensemble, including a second snare drum

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MORE MUSIC

VERDIWant to hear more from the master of Italian opera? Look for The Number One Verdi Album, which lives up to its name with a selection from Verdi’s best-known overtures, arias and choruses in some top-notch performances from the Universal back catalogue. The 2CD set begins with ‘La donna è mobile’ from Rigoletto (sung by Pavarotti) and never looks back.ELOQUENCE 476 5897

EDWARDSLook for the premiere recording of Edwards’ violin concerto, Maninyas, with dedicatee and Sydney Symphony concertmaster Dene Olding as soloist and the Sydney Symphony conducted by Stuart Challender. On the same disc David Porcelijn conducts Symphony Da Pacem Domine and Yarrageh – Nocturne for solo percussion and orchestra with Ian Cleworth. (Nearly 20 years old and possibly out of print but available for download through iTunes.)ABC CLASSICS 438 6102

The TSO Australian Composer Series includes an appealing selection, all performed by the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra with Richard Mills conducting: White Ghost Dancing, Veni Creator Spiritus, Mountain Village in a Clearing Mist, Enyato I and the Guitar Concerto with Karin Schaupp.ABC CLASSICS 476 2270

Sydney Symphony principal Diana Doherty is the star on an all-Edwards recording featuring Bird Spirit Dreaming’. Two shorter works for oboe and orchestra complete the disc: Yanada and Ulpirra. Arvo Volmer conducts the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.ABC CLASSICS 476 7173

RAVELIf you’re looking for tonight’s selection of Ravel pieces, seek out the recent re-release of Lorin Maazel’s 1982 recording with the ORTF (French Radio) National Orchestra. Alborada del gracioso in its orchestral version is followed by Bolero and La Valse. The bonus treat is Rapsodie espagnole.SONY 771 0922

To hear a thrilling rendition of Alborada in its piano version, look no further than Dinu Lipatti.EMI CLASSICS 07318

MIGUEL HARTH-BEDOYALast November saw the release of Nazareno, with Miguel Harth-Bedoya conducting the Orquesta Sinfónica de Castilla y León in music by Golijov with Ginastera’s Estancia and Revueltas’ La noche de los mayas. The title work, Nazareno, by Golijov features French duo pianists, Katia and Marielle Labèque. It can be found on the Spotify and MOG streaming services (search “Nazareno”) and is also available for purchase through the Australian iTunes Store.Also among Harth-Bedoya’s most recent releases is the Grammy-nominated Traditions and Transformations:

Sounds of the Silk Road Chicago, an eclectic program featuring cellist Yo-Yo Ma and his Silk Road Ensemble with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. The disc includes Bloch’s poignant Schelomo for cello and orchestra and a performance with pipa virtuoso Wu Man, who’ll be appearing with the Sydney Symphony in 2013.CSO RESOUND 901801

AMY DICKSONAmy Dickson has two albums available on the RCA Victor Red Seal label, both released in 2009. On Smile she plays a diverse program that includes Rachmaninoff , Pärt, Debussy, Ginastera and, of course, Charlie Chaplin. Catherine Milledge is the pianist.RCA VICTOR RED SEAL 720307

The second album showcases her arrangement for soprano saxophone of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto. Mikel Toms conducts the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra.RCA VICTOR RED SEAL 737679

And fresh out of the studio is the premiere recording of Holbrooke’s beguiling Saxophone Concerto from 1927. Dickson also plays in Country Dances by Richard Rodney Bennett, and the disc begins with Holbrooke’s Aucassin and Nicolette suite. George Vass conducts the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.DUTTON/VOCALION 7277

Broadcast DiaryOctober

abc.net.au/classic

Monday 8 October, 7pmdancing with the saxophoneSee this program for detailsThursday 11 October, 8pmbeauty and turmoilVladimir Ashkenazy conductorJian Wang celloDvorák, ShostakovichFarewell concert before the orchestra departs for ChinaThursday 25 October, 1.05pmharmony from heaven (2010)Matthew Coorey conductorDiana Doherty oboeAlexandre Oguey cor anglaisBeethoven, Lentz, Stravinsky, SibeliusWith introductions by Andrew Ford

Fine Music 102.5sydney symphony 2012Tuesday 9 October, 6pmMusicians, staff and guest artists discuss what’s in store in our forthcoming concerts.

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Webcasts

Selected Sydney Symphony concerts are webcast live on BigPond and Telstra T-box and made available for later viewing On Demand. Our next webcast:dancing with the saxophone

Visit: bigpondmusic.com/sydneysymphony

Sydney Symphony Live

The Sydney Symphony Live label was founded in 2006 and we’ve since released more than a dozen recordings featuring the orchestra in live concert performances with our titled conductors and leading guest artists, including the Mahler Odyssey cycle, begun in 2010. To purchase, visit sydneysymphony.com/shop

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Glazunov & ShostakovichAlexander Lazarev conducts a thrilling performance of Shostakovich 9 and Glazunov’s Seasons. SSO 2

Strauss & SchubertGianluigi Gelmetti conducts Schubert’s Unfi nished and R Strauss’s Four Last Songs with Ricarda Merbeth. SSO 200803

Sir Charles MackerrasA 2CD set featuring Sir Charles’s fi nal performances with the orchestra, in October 2007. SSO 200705

Brett DeanBrett Dean performs his own viola concerto, conducted by Simone Young, in this all-Dean release. SSO 200702

RavelGelmetti conducts music by one of his favourite composers: Maurice Ravel. Includes Bolero. SSO 200801

Rare Rachmaninoff Rachmaninoff chamber music with Dene Olding, the Goldner Quartet, soprano Joan Rodgers and Vladimir Ashkenazy at the piano. SSO 200901

MAHLER ODYSSEY ON CDDuring the 2010 and 2011 concert seasons, the Sydney Symphony and Vladimir Ashkenazy set out to perform all the Mahler symphonies, together with some of the song cycles. These concerts were recorded for CD, with nine releases so far and more to come.

Mahler 9 OUT NOW

In March, Mahler’s Ninth, his last completed symphony, was released. SSO 201201

ALSO CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

Mahler 1 & Songs of a WayfarerSSO 201001

Mahler 8 (Symphony of a Thousand)SSO 201002

Mahler 5 SSO 201003

Song of the Earth SSO 201004

Mahler 3 SSO 201101

Mahler 4 SSO 201102

Mahler 6 SSO 201103

Mahler 7 SSO 201104

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Miguel Harth-Bedoya CONDUCTOR

Miguel Harth-Bedoya was born in Peru and studied conducting at the Curtis Institute and then the Juilliard School. After graduating in 1993, he founded the Lima Philharmonic and a partner opera company, and other early posts included music director roles with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra, Eugene Symphony (Oregon) and the New York Youth Symphony. He is currently in his 12th season as Music Director of the Fort Worth Symphony Orchestra, and will take up the post of Chief Conductor of the Norwegian Radio Orchestra in 2013.

As a guest conductor he appears throughout North America with orchestras such as the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Los Angeles Philharmonic, Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and the Toronto Symphony Orchestra. Recent European engagements have included the Helsinki Philharmonic, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Spanish National Orchestra, the MDR Orchestra in Leipzig, Dresden Philharmonic and the Orchestre de la Suisse Romande, as well as a Scandinavian tour with soprano Renée Fleming.

Equally at home in the theatre, he has conducted Jonathan Miller’s new production of La Bohème for English National Opera (also recorded for DVD), and has appeared with the Canadian Opera Company, Minnesota Opera, Santa Fe Opera and Cincinnati Opera.

His recordings include an all-Tchaikovsky disc, the fi rst bilingual recording of Prokofi ev’s Peter and the Wolf (Spanish and English), and Sentimiento Latin with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Flóres. In 2009 his recording Traditions and Transformations with Yo-Yo Ma and the Chicago Symphony Orchestra was nominated for Grammy Awards in two categories. Last year he recorded Golijov’s Nazareno with pianists Katia and Marielle Labèque, and will conduct this work here in Sydney in 2013.

A champion of new music, he has conducted many world premieres, including music by Jimmy López and works by FWSO composers-in-residence such as Jennifer Higdon. He is also the creator and conductor of Caminos del Inka, a multimedia project with the goal of rediscovering forgotten musical gems and commissioning new works from composers associated with the South American countries through which the Inca Trail winds.

Miguel Harth-Bedoya’s most recent appearance with the Sydney Symphony was in 2010.

miguelharth-bedoya.com

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ABOUT THE ARTISTS

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Amy Dickson is an ambassador of the Prince’s Trust and the Australian Children’s Music Foundation. She is a Selmer Paris Performing Artist, is dressed by Armani, and is endorsed by REN skincare.

Amy Dickson SAXOPHONE

These concerts represent Amy Dickson’s fi rst appearance with the Sydney Symphony in the Sydney Opera House following her win here in the grand fi nal of the 2004 ABC/Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards. Since then, she has become a leader in her fi eld, internationally recognised for her distinctive tone and exceptional musicality and technique.

Amy Dickson appears as a recitalist and concerto soloist throughout Europe, as well as in Australasia, where she has appeared with nearly all the major symphony orchestras. Highlights have included concerts with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, the Philharmonia Orchestra and the Vienna Chamber Orchestra, and appearances at the Wigmore Hall, London, as well as in Prague, Amsterdam, Harare, Beirut and Hong Kong. As a chamber musician, she is collaborating with the Mandelring and Chilingrian string quartets, and her festival engagements include the Cheltenham Festival and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.

She has recorded for ABC Classic FM, Fine Music 102.5 and the BBC, and her discography includes Smile (2008) and a recording featuring her own arrangement of the Philip Glass Violin Concerto. Last year she made the world premiere recording of Holbrooke’s saxophone concerto with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra.

Amy Dickson regularly commissions new works for saxophone as well as arranging music from other instrumental repertoire. Composers writing for her include Peter Sculthorpe, Geoff rey Gordon, Piet Swerts and Jessica Wells, and Ross Edwards and Graeme Koehne have arranged their oboe concertos for saxophone performance. She is equally a champion of the established saxophone repertoire, performing concertos by composers such as Glazunov, Villa-Lobos, Ibert and Milhaud.

Amy Dickson was born in Sydney and studied at London’s Royal College of Music, the Amsterdam Conservatorium and the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, where her teachers have included Kyle Horch, Arno Bornkamp and Mark Walton. Her association with the Sydney Symphony has included participation in the James Fairfax Young Artist program, and recordings of Dubois’ Divertissement and the Larsson concerto. In 2006 she performed the Binge concerto with the orchestra in Blacktown, Orange and Bathurst.

www.amydickson.com

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MUSICIANS

FIRST VIOLINS

Kirsten Williams Associate Concertmaster

Sun Yi Associate Concertmaster

Fiona Ziegler Assistant Concertmaster

Julie BattyJennifer BoothMarianne BroadfootBrielle ClapsonSophie ColeAmber DavisJennifer HoyNicola LewisAlexander NortonLéone ZieglerClaire Herrick°Elizabeth Jones°Lucy Warren†

Dene Olding Concertmaster

SECOND VIOLINS

Kirsty Hilton Alexander ReadEmily Long A/Assistant Principal

Susan Dobbie Principal Emeritus

Maria DurekEmma HayesShuti HuangStan W KornelBenjamin LiPhilippa PaigeBiyana RozenblitMaja VerunicaRebecca Gill*Emily Qin°Marina Marsden Emma West Assistant Principal

Nicole Masters

VIOLAS

Roger Benedict Tobias Breider Anne-Louise Comerford Robyn BrookfieldSandro CostantinoJane HazelwoodStuart JohnsonJustine MarsdenFelicity TsaiLeonid VolovelskyJacqueline Cronin°Tara Houghton*David Wicks*Justin Williams Assistant Principal

Graham Hennings

CELLOS

Leah Lynn Assistant Principal

Kristy ConrauTimothy NankervisElizabeth NevilleChristopher PidcockAdrian WallisDavid WickhamEleanor Betts†Rowena Macneish°Rachael Tobin°Catherine Hewgill Fenella Gill

DOUBLE BASSES

Kees Boersma Alex Henery Neil Brawley Principal Emeritus

David CampbellSteven LarsonRichard LynnDavid MurrayBenjamin Ward

FLUTES

Janet Webb Carolyn HarrisRosamund PlummerPrincipal Piccolo

Emma Sholl

OBOES

Shefali Pryor Alexandre Oguey Principal Cor Anglais

Rachel Cashmore†

Diana Doherty David Papp

CLARINETS

Lawrence Dobell Christopher TingayCraig Wernicke Principal Bass Clarinet

Francesco Celata

BASSOONS

Matthew Wilkie Fiona McNamaraNoriko Shimada Principal Contrabassoon

SAXOPHONES

Christina Leonard*James Nightingale*

HORNS

Ben Jacks Geoffrey O’Reilly Principal 3rd

Marnie SebireEuan HarveyRachel Shaw°Robert Johnson

TRUMPETS

David Elton Paul Goodchild Anthony HeinrichsCraig Ross*John Foster

TROMBONES

Ronald Prussing Nick ByrneColin Burrows*Scott Kinmont Christopher Harris Principal Bass Trombone

TUBA

Steve Rossé

TIMPANI

Richard Miller

PERCUSSION

Rebecca Lagos Colin PiperMark Robinson John Douglas*Kevin Man*Brian Nixon*

HARP

Louise Johnson Genevieve Lang*

Bold = PrincipalItalics = Associate Principal* = Guest Musician° = Contract Musician† = Sydney Symphony FellowGrey = Permanent member of the Sydney Symphony not appearing in this concert

To see photographs of the full roster of permanent musicians and find out more about the orchestra, visit our website: www.sydneysymphony.com/SSO_musiciansIf you don’t have access to the internet, ask one of our customer service representatives for a copy of our Musicians flyer.

The men of the Sydney Symphony are proudly outfitted by Van Heusen.

Vladimir AshkenazyPrincipal Conductor and Artistic Advisor supported by Emirates

Dene OldingConcertmaster

Jessica CottisAssistant Conductor supported by Premier Partner Credit Suisse

sydney symphony 21

SYDNEY SYMPHONYVladimir Ashkenazy, Principal Conductor and Artistic AdvisorPATRON Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir AC CVO

Founded in 1932 by the Australian Broadcasting Commission, the Sydney Symphony has evolved into one of the world’s fi nest orchestras as Sydney has become one of the world’s great cities.

Resident at the iconic Sydney Opera House, where it gives more than 100 performances each year, the Sydney Symphony also performs in venues throughout Sydney and regional New South Wales. International tours to Europe, Asia and the USA have earned the orchestra worldwide recognition for artistic excellence, most recently in the 2011 tour of Japan and Korea.

The Sydney Symphony’s fi rst Chief Conductor was Sir Eugene Goossens, appointed in 1947; he was followed by Nicolai Malko, Dean Dixon, Moshe Atzmon, Willem van Otterloo, Louis Frémaux, Sir Charles Mackerras, Zdenek Mácal, Stuart Challender, Edo de Waart and Gianluigi Gelmetti. David Robertson will take up the post of Chief Conductor in 2014. The orchestra’s history also boasts collaborations with legendary fi gures such as George Szell, Sir Thomas Beecham, Otto Klemperer and Igor Stravinsky.

The Sydney Symphony’s award-winning education program is central to its commitment to the future of live symphonic music, developing audiences and engaging the participation of young people. The orchestra promotes the work of Australian composers through performances, recordings and its commissioning program. Recent premieres have included major works by Ross Edwards, Liza Lim, Lee Bracegirdle, Gordon Kerry and Georges Lentz, and the orchestra’s recording of works by Brett Dean was released on both the BIS and Sydney Symphony Live labels.

Other releases on the Sydney Symphony Live label, established in 2006, include performances with Alexander Lazarev, Gianluigi Gelmetti, Sir Charles Mackerras and Vladimir Ashkenazy. The orchestra has recently completed recording the Mahler symphonies, and has also released recordings with Ashkenazy of Rachmaninoff and Elgar orchestral works on the Exton/Triton labels, as well as numerous recordings on the ABC Classics label.

This is the fourth year of Ashkenazy’s tenure as Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor.

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BEHIND THE SCENES

MANAGING DIRECTOR

Rory JeffesEXECUTIVE TEAM ASSISTANT

Lisa Davies-Galli

ARTISTIC OPERATIONS

DIRECTOR OF ARTISTIC PLANNING

Peter Czornyj

Artistic AdministrationARTISTIC ADMINISTRATION MANAGER

Elaine ArmstrongARTIST LIAISON MANAGER

Ilmar LeetbergRECORDING ENTERPRISE MANAGER

Philip Powers

Education ProgramsHEAD OF EDUCATION

Kim WaldockEMERGING ARTISTS PROGRAM MANAGER

Mark LawrensonEDUCATION COORDINATOR

Rachel McLarin

LibraryLIBRARIAN

Anna CernikLIBRARY ASSISTANT

Victoria GrantLIBRARY ASSISTANT

Mary-Ann Mead

ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

DIRECTOR OF ORCHESTRA MANAGEMENT

Aernout KerbertORCHESTRA MANAGER

Chris Lewis ORCHESTRA COORDINATOR

Georgia StamatopoulosOPERATIONS MANAGER

Kerry-Anne CookTECHNICAL MANAGER

Derek CouttsPRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Tim DaymanPRODUCTION COORDINATOR

Ian SpenceSTAGE MANAGER

Peter Gahan

SALES AND MARKETING

DIRECTOR OF SALES & MARKETING

Mark J ElliottMARKETING MANAGER, SUBSCRIPTION SALES

Simon Crossley-MeatesA/SENIOR MARKETING MANAGER, SALES

Matthew RiveMARKETING MANAGER, BUSINESS RESOURCES

Katrina RiddleONLINE MARKETING MANAGER

Eve Le Gall

John C Conde ao ChairmanTerrey Arcus amEwen CrouchRoss GrantJennifer HoyRory JeffesAndrew KaldorIrene LeeDavid LivingstoneGoetz Richter

Sydney Symphony Board

Sydney Symphony Council

Sydney Symphony StaffMARKETING & ONLINE COORDINATOR

Kaisa HeinoGRAPHIC DESIGNER

Lucy McCulloughDATA ANALYST

Varsha KarnikMARKETING ASSISTANT

Jonathon Symonds

Box OfficeMANAGER OF BOX OFFICE SALES & OPERATIONS

Lynn McLaughlinMANAGER OF BOX OFFICE OPERATIONS

Tom DowneyCUSTOMER SERVICE REPRESENTATIVES

Steve Clarke – Senior CSRMichael DowlingDerek ReedJohn RobertsonBec Sheedy

COMMUNICATIONS

HEAD OF COMMUNICATIONS & SPONSOR RELATIONS

Yvonne ZammitPUBLIC RELATIONS MANAGER

Katherine StevensonCOMMUNICATIONS COORDINATOR

Janine Harris DIGITAL CONTENT PRODUCER

Ben Draisma

PublicationsPUBLICATIONS EDITOR & MUSIC PRESENTATION MANAGER

Yvonne Frindle

DEVELOPMENT

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT

Caroline SharpenEXTERNAL RELATIONS MANAGER

Stephen AttfieldPHILANTHROPY, PATRONS PROGRAM

Ivana JirasekDEVELOPMENT MANAGER

Amelia Morgan-Hunn

BUSINESS SERVICES

DIRECTOR OF FINANCE

John HornFINANCE MANAGER

Ruth TolentinoACCOUNTANT

Minerva PrescottACCOUNTS ASSISTANT

Emma FerrerPAYROLL OFFICER

Laura Soutter

HUMAN RESOURCES

HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES

Michel Hryce

Geoff Ainsworth amAndrew Andersons aoMichael Baume aoChristine BishopIta Buttrose ao obePeter CudlippJohn Curtis amGreg Daniel amJohn Della BoscaAlan FangErin FlahertyDr Stephen FreibergDonald Hazelwood ao obeDr Michael Joel amSimon JohnsonYvonne Kenny amGary LinnaneAmanda LoveHelen Lynch amDavid MaloneyDavid Malouf aoJulie Manfredi-HughesDeborah MarrThe Hon. Justice Jane Mathews aoDanny MayWendy McCarthy aoJane MorschelGreg ParamorDr Timothy Pascoe amProf. Ron Penny aoJerome RowleyPaul SalteriSandra SalteriJuliana SchaefferLeo Schofield amFred Stein oamGabrielle TrainorIvan UngarJohn van OgtropPeter Weiss amMary WhelanRosemary White

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sydney symphony 23

SYDNEY SYMPHONY PATRONS

Sydney Symphony Leadership EnsembleDavid Livingstone, CEO, Credit Suisse, AustraliaAlan Fang, Chairman, Tianda GroupTony Grierson, Braithwaite Steiner PrettyInsurance Australia Grou pMacquarie Group FoundationJohn Morschel, Chairman, ANZ

Andrew Kaldor, Chairman, Pelikan ArtlineLynn Kraus, Sydney Office Managing Partner, Ernst & YoungShell Australia Pty LtdJames Stevens, CEO, Roses OnlyStephen Johns, Chairman, Leighton Holdings,

and Michele Johns

Maestro’s CirclePeter Weiss am – Founding President & Doris WeissJohn C Conde ao – ChairmanGeoff Ainsworth am & Vicki Ainsworth Tom Breen & Rachael KohnIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonAndrew Kaldor & Renata Kaldor aoRoslyn Packer ao

Penelope Seidler amMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetWestfield GroupBrian & Rosemary WhiteRay Wilson oam in memory of the late James Agapitos oam

01 Roger Benedict Principal Viola Kim Williams am & Catherine Dovey Chair

02 Lawrence Dobell Principal Clarinet Anne Arcus & Terrey Arcus am Chair

03 Diana Doherty Principal Oboe Andrew Kaldor & Renata Kaldor ao Chair

04 Richard Gill oam Artistic Director Education Sandra & Paul Salteri Chair

05 Catherine Hewgill Principal Cello The Hon. Justice AJ & Mrs Fran Meagher Chair

06 Robert Johnson Principal Horn James & Leonie Furber Chair

07 Elizabeth Neville Cello Ruth & Bob Magid Chair

08 Colin Piper Percussion Justice Jane Mathews ao Chair

09 Emma Sholl Associate Principal Flute Robert & Janet Constable Chair

For information about the Directors’ Chairs program, please call (02) 8215 4619.

Directors’ Chairs

01 02 03 04 05

06 07 08 09

Sydney Symphony VanguardVanguard CollectiveJustin Di Lollo – ChairKees BoersmaRose HercegDavid McKeanAmelia Morgan-HunnJonathan Pease

Ron ChristiansonMatthew ClarkBenoît CocheteuxGeorge CondousMichael CookPaul CousinsJustin Di LolloRose GalloSam GiddingsDerek HandRose HercegJennifer Hoy

Damian Kassagbi Chris KeherElizabeth LeeAntony Lighten Gary LinnaneDavid McKeanHayden McLeanAmelia Morgan-HunnHugh MunroFiona OslerPeter Outridge

MembersMatti AlakargasNikki AndrewsJames ArmstrongStephen AttfieldAndrew BaxterMar BeltranKees Boersma Peter BraithwaiteAndrea BrownIan BurtonJennifer BurtonHahn Chau

Archie PaffasJonathan Pease Seamus R QuickMichael ReedeJacqueline RowlandsBernard RyanAdam WandJon WilkieJonathan WatkinsonDarren WoolleyMisha Zelinsky

24 sydney symphony

PLAYING YOUR PART

The Sydney Symphony gratefully acknowledges the music lovers who donate to the orchestra each year. Each gift plays an important part in ensuring our continued artistic excellence and helping to sustain important education and regional touring programs. Donations of $50 and above are acknowledged on our website at www.sydneysymphony.com/patrons

Platinum Patrons $20,000+Brian AbelGeoff Ainsworth am & Vicki AinsworthRobert Albert ao & Elizabeth AlbertTerrey Arcus am & Anne ArcusTom Breen & Rachael KohnSandra & Neil BurnsMr John C Conde aoRobert & Janet ConstableMichael Crouch ao & Shanny CrouchJames & Leonie FurberDr Bruno & Mrs Rhonda Giuff reIn memory of Hetty & Egon GordonMs Rose HercegMr Andrew Kaldor & Mrs Renata Kaldor aoD & I KallinikosJames N Kirby FoundationMrs Joan MacKenzieJustice Jane Mathews aoMrs Roslyn Packer aoDr John Roarty oam in memory of Mrs June RoartyPaul & Sandra SalteriMrs Penelope Seidler amMrs W SteningMr Fred Street am & Mrs Dorothy StreetMr Peter Weiss am & Mrs Doris WeissWestfi eld GroupMr Brian & Mrs Rosemary WhiteRay Wilson oam in memory of James Agapitos oamKim Williams am & Catherine DoveyJune & Alan Woods Family Bequest

Gold Patrons$10,000–$19,999Mr C R AdamsonStephen J BellAlan & Christine BishopIan & Jennifer BurtonCopyright Agency Limited The Hon. Ashley Dawson-DamerEdward FedermanFerris Family FoundationNora GoodridgeMr Ross GrantThe Estate of the late Ida GuggerHelen Lynch am & Helen BauerRuth & Bob MagidThe Hon. Justice AJ Meagher & Mrs Fran MeagherMrs T Merewether oamMr B G O’ConorMrs Joyce Sproat & Mrs Janet CookeHenry & Ruth WeinbergAnonymous (2)

Silver Patrons $5000–$9,999Doug & Alison BattersbyMr Alexander & Mrs Vera BoyarskyMr Robert BrakspearMr David & Mrs Halina BrettMr Robert & Mrs L Alison Carr Bob & Julie ClampettHoward ConnorsEwen & Catherine CrouchIan Dickson & Reg HollowayColin Draper & Mary Jane BrodribbPenny EdwardsThe Greatorex Foundation Mrs Jennifer HershonThe Sherry Hogan FoundationMr Rory Jeff esStephen Johns & Michele BenderJudges of the Supreme Court of NSW Mr Ervin KatzThe Estate of the late Patricia LanceMr David LivingstoneTimothy & Eva PascoeWilliam McIlrath Charitable FoundationDavid Maloney & Erin FlahertyRodney Rosenblum am & Sylvia RosenblumManfred & Linda SalamonJF & A van OgtropMichael & Mary Whelan TrustMs Caroline WilkinsonJill WranAnonymous (2)

Bronze Patrons $2,500–$4,999Mr Marc Besen ao & Mrs Eva Besen aoJan BowenM BulmerFirehold Pty LtdStephen Freiberg & Donald CampbellAnthony Gregg & Deanne WhittlestonVic & Katie FrenchWarren GreenMrs Jennifer HershonAnn HobanIn memory of Bernard M H KhawGary LinnaneMatthew McInnesJ A McKernanR & S Maple-BrownGreg & Susan MarieAlan & Joy MartinMora MaxwellJames & Elsie MooreDrs Keith & Eileen OngIn memory of H St P ScarlettDavid & Isabel Smithers

Mrs Hedy SwitzerMarliese & Georges TeitlerDr Richard WingateMr & Mrs T & D YimAnonymous (2)

Bronze Patrons $1,000–$2,499Charles & Renee AbramsMrs Antoinette AlbertAndrew Andersons aoMr Henri W Aram oamDr Francis J AugustusRichard and Christine Banks David BarnesMichael Baume ao & Toni BaumeNicole BergerMrs Jan BiberAllan & Julie BlighLenore P BuckleIn memory of RW BurleyEric & Rosemary CampbellThe Hon. Justice JC & Mrs CampbellDr John H CaseyJoan Connery oam & Maxwell Connery oamConstable Estate Vineyards Debby Cramer & Bill CaukillMr John Cunningham SCM & Mrs Margaret CunninghamGreta DavisLisa & Miro DavisMatthew DelaseyMr & Mrs Grant DixonJohn FavaloroMr Ian Fenwicke & Prof. Neville WillsMichael & Gabrielle FieldDr & Mrs C GoldschmidtMr James Graham am & Mrs Helen GrahamAkiko GregoryEdward & Deborah Griffi thJanette HamiltonDorothy Hoddinott aoThe Hon. David Hunt ao qc & Mrs Margaret HuntDr & Mrs Michael HunterMr Peter HutchisonMichael & Anna JoelAnna-Lisa KlettenbergMr Justin LamMr Peter Lazar amAssociate Professor Winston LiauwSydney & Airdrie LloydCarolyn & Peter Lowry oamDeirdre & Kevin McCannRobert McDougallIan & Pam McGaw

sydney symphony 25

Macquarie Group FoundationRenee MarkovicA NhanMs Jackie O’BrienMr R A OppenMr Robert OrrellMr & Mrs OrtisMr Andrew C PattersonIn memory of Sandra PaulPiatti Holdings Pty LtdAndy & Deirdre Plummer Robin PotterPottingerErnest & Judith RapeeKenneth R ReedPatricia H Reid Endowment Pty LtdCaroline SharpenDr Agnes E SinclairCatherine StephenJohn & Alix SullivanThe Hon. Brian Sully qcMildred TeitlerJohn E TuckeyMrs M TurkingtonIn memory of Joan & Rupert VallentineDr Alla WaldmanIn memory of Dr Reg WalkerThe Hon. Justice A G WhealyAnn & Brooks Wilson amGeoff Wood & Melissa WaitesMr Robert & Mrs Rosemary WalshMr R R WoodwardIn memory of Lorna WrightDr John YuAnonymous (14)

Bronze Patrons $500–$999Mr Peter J ArmstrongMr & Mrs Garry S AshBarlow Cleaning Pty LtdMrs Margaret BellMinnie BiggsPat & Jenny BurnettMr & Mrs CoatesDr & Mrs Hannes Boshoff Arnaldo BuchThe Hon. Justice JC & Mrs CampbellDr Rebecca ChinMrs Sarah ChissickMrs Catherine J Clark

R A & M J ClarkeMrs Joan Connery oamJen CornishMr David CrossPhil Diment am & Bill Zafi ropoulosElizabeth DonatiThe Dowe FamilyDr Nita & Dr James DurhamMalcolm Ellis & Erin O’NeillMrs Margaret EppsIn memory of Peter EverettMr & Mrs FarrellMr Tom FrancisTony Grierson Vivienne GoldschmidtMr Richard Griffi n amIan R L HarperKen HawkingsMrs A HaywardMr Roger HenningHarry & Meg HerbertMr Joerg HofmannMrs Kimberley HoldenMr Gregory HoskingAlex HoughtonBill & Pam HughesBeauty Point Retirement ResortNiki KallenbergerMrs W G KeighleyMrs Margaret KeoghDr Henry KilhamChris J KitchingMr Aron & Mrs Helen KleinlehrerMr & Mrs Gilles T KrygerSonia LalMr Luigi LampratiDr & Mrs Leo LeaderMargaret LedermanIrene LeeAnita & Chris LevyErna & Gerry Levy amMrs A LohanMrs Panee LowDr David LuisDr Jean MalcolmPhilip & Catherine McClellandMrs Flora MacDonaldMrs Helen MeddingsMrs Toshiko MericP J MillerDavid & Andree Milman

Kenneth N MitchellChris Morgan-HunnMrs Milja MorrisCoff s Airport Security Car ParkDr Mike O’Connor amMr Graham NorthDr A J PalmerJustice George Palmer amDr Kevin PedemontDr Natalie E PelhamLois & Ken RaeRenaissance ToursAnna RoPamela RogersLesley & Andrew RosenbergAgnes RossMrs Pamela SayersGarry Scarf & Morgie BlaxillWilliam SewellMrs Diane Shteinman amMs Stephanie SmeeMs Tatiana SokolovaDoug & Judy SotherenMrs Judith SouthamMargaret SuthersMr Lindsay & Mrs Suzanne StoneNorman & Lydia TaylorDr Heng Tey & Mrs Cilla TeyMrs Alma Toohey & Mr Edward SpicerKevin TroyJudge Robyn TupmanGillian Turner & Rob BishopProf Gordon E WallMrs Margaret WallisRonald WalledgeMr Palmer WangMs Elizabeth WilkinsonAudrey & Michael WilsonA Willmers & R PalDr Richard WingDr Peter Wong & Mrs Emmy K WongMr Robert WoodsMrs Everly WyssMrs Robin YabsleyAnonymous (15)

To find out more about becominga Sydney Symphony Patron, pleasecontact the Philanthropy Officeon (02) 8215 4625 or emailphilanthropy@sydneysymphony.com

26 sydney symphony

SALUTE

PRINCIPAL PARTNER GOVERNMENT PARTNERS

The Sydney Symphony is assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body

The Sydney Symphony is assisted by the NSW Government through Arts NSW

PREMIER PARTNER

Fine Music 102.5

MARKETING PARTNER

GOLD PARTNERS

REGIONAL TOUR PARTNERS

SILVER PARTNERS

executive search

EDUCATION PARTNER MAJOR PARTNERS

COMMUNITY PARTNER PLATINUM PARTNERS

We’re connecting the musical dots for people

‘But then Lawrence [Dobell, Principal Clarinet of the Sydney Symphony] rang to say there was a job coming up, and I had to audition.’

Twenty-two years later, Kees is breaking new ground for Sydney Symphony Vanguard, a member-ship program that takes classical music and fuses it with other genres, all in an intimate setting. It’s an informal and engaging, restless and sometimes irrever-ent approach to music making. ‘Vanguard seeks to find another subset of our audience,’ Kees explains. ‘We’re connecting the musical dots for people. If some-one’s interested, then they can find new ways to engage.’

On the home front, there’s more music in the family – his gorgeous wife Kirsty McCahon is also a bass player. ‘I get my most severe criticism from her, and also the most genuine com-pliments. She understands the lifestyle and the life. If there’s a big concert coming up for either of us, we have an innate under-standing about when not to push the buttons.’ There are draw-backs though. ‘I bought a beauti-ful Italian instrument some years ago, which she decided would be perfect for her, and now I don’t get to touch it!’ *Sigh*

sydneysymphony.com/vanguard

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How did the youngest son of eight children raised in rural South Australia come to be the Principal Double Bass of the Sydney Symphony? As Kees (rhymes with ‘bass’) Boersma jokes, ‘all the trades were taken care of, so I was given pretty free rein in what I wanted to do!’ Music was his preferred holiday activity, and involvement with youth music organisations even-tually led him to the Australian Youth Orchestra. Playing Mahler Six at the Perth Festival was a key moment. ‘You can have one experience like that that completely blows your mind, and makes you want to take the

jump.’ For Kees, the spark had ignited.

After studies, Kees made his way to Holland, the country of his ancestors, and played in the Concertgebouw Orchestra for a number of seasons. But military service loomed. ‘They did grant me a year’s grace,’ he says, ‘but my efforts to convince the authori-ties that my Dutch wasn’t good enough to follow orders eventu-ally failed – even though I used my thickest Australian accent!’

Returning to Australia and accepting a short-term contract with Orchestra Victoria, a rest-less Kees considered a return to an earlier television career.

MARRIED TO MUSICPrincipal Double Bass Kees Boersma pinpoints some defining moments in his musical journey.

ORCHESTRA NEWS | SEPTEMBER–OCTOBER 2012

Proud sponsor of theSydney Symphonyin their 80th yearof timeless entertainment

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Philanthropy Highlight

Madama Butterfly and ‘Un bel di’. Not a bad introduction to classical music. The young Ray Wilson’s connection with music was forged at the free summertime concerts – ‘my family were quite poor’ – at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl. Later came a move to Sydney ‘to work at a pretty rough printing company. I had a little transistor radio tuned to the ABC on my desk, and I would just listen, listen, listen.’ Here Ray met and worked for the late James Agapitos, the man who soon became his partner in business and in life.

These days, the two men’s names are proudly visible in the world of philanthropy. Ray has chosen to make a notified bequest to our orchestra. ‘The bequests I’m making are in both our names. It’s a way of honouring James, and honouring our relationship. We spent 40 very happy years together.’

‘We owe it to say thank you to the institutions that have been part of our lives. It’s all about saying to the institution “I really enjoy our involvement and I want to say thank you for having given me pleasure and for improving the quality of my life.” It’s a two-way street.’

If you’re considering making a notified bequest to the Sydney Symphony, contact our Philanthropy team: philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com or call (02) 8215 4625.

Life’s gift

Stephen Johns, Chairman of Leighton Holdings, welcomes the audience to the annual special Leighton Holdings Discovery concert. On the program? Discovering Mozart with the inspirational guidance of Richard Gill (right) and the Sydney Sinfonia.

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Event News

Your Say

We like to hear from you. Write to yoursay@sydneysymphony.com or Bravo! Reply Paid 4338, Sydney NSW 2001

nod to Britten in the centenary of his death. Shirley Pearson

I attended the concert last Friday night [Wagner Under the Sails] – what a magnificent performance! I don’t believe this is a word that is usually used in relation to Wagner, but the SSO sounded absolutely ravishing in the orchestral items. Simone Young did a fantastic job, inspiring the orchestra to make this 80th anniversary concert something really special. Then we come to the soloist. Christine Brewer was just brilliant. A stunning voice and I hope she will be coming back to perform with the orchestra in the future. Jerome Prince-Foster

I would like to say how much I am enjoying having Bravo! included in the concert programs – and also to say how much I always enjoy the program notes. They are consistently interesting and certainly add to the listening enjoyment. Marianne Cochrane

I remember (misty-eyed) each wonderful performance of the Sibelius cycle in 2004, and hearing Mr Ashkenazy’s words of praise for the orchestra at the final concert. To reprise the Fifth Symphony, and introduce new ones [in 2013], is for me, a fitting way to celebrate and conclude Mr Ashkenazy’s tenure… Thank you too for the

Spanish GuitarsSpanish rhythms are so compellingly infectious, aren’t they? Whether it’s the flowing festival dance of the sevillanas, or the macho zapateado dance step of the flamenco, these traditional sounds get your toes tapping, and conjure images of toreadors and Andalusian plains.

The gypsy dances of Manuel de Falla’s Love, the Magician were originally conceived in 1915 as a ballet for which Falla created original melodies that sounded like Spanish folk tunes. This popular work has been transcribed many times since. For instance, the swirling, mesmerising Ritual Fire Dance was a favourite encore of pianist Arthur Rubinstein (‘I had to repeat it three times!’). In November, the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet bring their own arrangement for four guitars and orchestra.

Joaquín Rodrigo’s Concierto andaluz – an original work for four guitars and orchestra – was commissioned by Celedonio Romero, who premiered the piece with his three sons. The second son, Pepe, later taught all four founding members of the Los Angeles Guitar Quartet (and when one left the group he was replaced by the student of another member!). So each member of the LA Guitar Quartet has in some way inherited the spirit of Rodrigo.

Thursday Afternoon Symphony Thu 15 Nov | 1.30pmKaleidoscope Fri 16, Sat 18 Nov | 8pm

The Score

BAPTISM OF FIREFrom inspiring audiences of tomorrow to the demands of being a conductor-understudy – the role of Assistant Conductor is a big commitment.

Artistic Focus

Conducting eight concerts for almost 7,000 school children and their teachers is one heck of a way to begin your tenure as an assistant conductor, but Australian-British conductor Jessica Cottis didn’t bat an eyelid. From the whirling of Tchaikovsky’s Waltz of the Flowers to the surging motion of Paul Stanhope’s Groundswell, she captured the attention of the musicians and her young audience.

Jessica’s appointment was announced in July, just as she began her first stint with the orchestra. ‘They were three utterly brilliant weeks,’ she says. During that time, she assisted conductors Simone Young and Jakub Hr °uša (who was filling in at short notice for Tugan Sokhiev), as well as conducting education concerts at City Recital Hall Angel Place and Sydney Olympic Park.

Shortly after completing a two-year appointment as Assistant Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Jessica received an email ‘completely out of the blue’ from our Director of Artistic Planning, Peter Czornyj, asking if she’d be interested in auditioning for the Assistant Conductor position in Sydney.

‘I was busy working on a new opera in Glasgow, so I had to make the return journey [to audition] in the space of three days – not to be recommended! But I’m pleased to be able to say that it must have gone well, because here I am now!’

Peter Czornyj agrees. ‘Jessica really impressed us with her thorough preparation and clear technique, demonstrating a range of gestures and inspirational authority.’

Jessica will accompany the orchestra on the upcoming tour to China, assisting Vladimir Ashkenazy and being ready to stand in at a moment’s notice. Next year she will spend four months with the orchestra. ‘Some of the conductors I’ll assist will have done the pieces over 50 times. They have a huge amount of experience, and as an emerging conductor there’s so much I can learn from them. Each week I work as assistant I need to learn the music as though I were conducting the rehearsals and concert myself – in case I have to go on and sub for them. It’s a big commitment.’In 2013 Jessica Cottis will conduct concerts in the Mozart in the City and Tea & Symphony series.

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SYDNEY OPERA HOUSE TRUSTMr Kim Williams AM [Chair]Ms Catherine Brenner, The Hon Helen Coonan, Mr Wesley Enoch,Ms Renata Kaldor AO, Mr Robert Leece AM RFD, Mr Peter Mason AM,Dr Thomas Parry AM, Mr Leo Schofi eld AM, Mr John Symond AM

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INSTRUMENT FUND

We recently completed another round of listening sessions and tryouts for our string instrument fund – auditioning ten violins from London, and six violins and one viola from Chicago. Although the final decision wasn’t known at the time of going to print, it’s hoped that two or three instruments will have been selected from this recent group to add to our growing instrument collection. Interested in having a listen yourself? Contact philanthropy@sydneysymphony.com to ask about attending one of the listening sessions.

GROWING VANGUARD

Ten new ground-breakers signed up to our Vanguard program after a recent event, which saw members and guests transported from Chippendale to Argentina. Special guest, accordionist James Crabb, and some of our musicians

performed a selection of dazzling Piazzolla tangos, which of course demanded some dancers. The photos are on facebook.com/SydneySymphonyVanguard

FAREWELL DECCA

We recently farewelled our longest serving member of the behind-the-scenes team – Derek ‘Decca’ Coutts, who’s been our Technical Manager for 16 years. He’s upped sticks and moved out west to spend more time with family. We wish him all the very best for the future.

PROUD AS PUNCH

Som Howie, who plays clarinet in our Sydney Sinfonia, has reached the grand final of this year’s ABC Symphony Australia Young Performers Awards (YPA). He’ll be performing Copland’s Clarinet Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra on Thursday 4 October at 6pm. Tune in to ABC Classic FM and catch the excitement as it happens.

CONGRATULATIONS

Young conductor Daniel Carter – who led our musicians in this year’s Playerlink program and will be conducting schools concerts for us later in the year – has received the Brian Stacey Award for emerging Australian conductors. Dan will also be heading west in October to conduct the WASO during the judge’s adjudication of the YPA grand final.

COMPOSITION COMPETITION

Are you aged between 18 and 29? Do you have an original composition for oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, violin, viola, cello and double bass that hasn’t been performed before in public? Or have one in mind? Then enter our composition competition. You could have your piece performed by the Sydney Symphony Fellows and recorded for broadcast on ABC Classic FM. For more information, visit bit.ly/CompositionComp2012

CODA

BRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang sydneysymphony.com/bravoBRAVO EDITOR Genevieve Lang sydneysymphony.com/bravo