Dvořák & Tchaikovsky

MASTERS SERIES

Friday 4 & Saturday 5 August 2023, 7.30pm

Perth Concert Hall

West Australian Symphony Orchestra respectfully acknowledges the Traditional Custodians and Elders of Country throughout Western Australia, and the Whadjuk Noongar people on whose lands we work and share music.

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Dvořák & Tchaikovsky

Olivia DAVIES Oscillations for Orchestra (15 mins) World Premiere

Pyotr Ilyich TCHAIKOVSKY Violin Concerto (34 mins)

Allegro moderato
Canzonetta (Andante) –
Finale (Allegro vivacissimo)

Interval (25 mins)

Antonín DVOŘÁK Symphony No.7 (38 mins)

Allegro maestoso
Poco adagio
Scherzo (Vivace) – Trio (Poco meno mosso)
Finale (Allegro)

Asher Fisch conductor
Benjamin Beilman violin

Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts.

Wesfarmers Arts Pre-concert Talk
Find out more about the music in the concert with this week’s speaker, Dr Philip Everall. The Pre-concert Talk will take place at 6.45pm in the Terrace Level Foyer.

Listen to WASO
This performance is recorded for broadcast on ABC Classic. For further details visit abc.net.au/classic

Did you know?

Olivia Davies' Oscillations for Orchestra explores ideas of direction and momentum. See if your perception of time shifts as the work progresses.
When he was young, Tchaikovsky trained for a career as a civil servant as there was no public music education system in Russia at the time. When the opportunity arose, Tchaikovsky enrolled in the new Saint Petersburg Conservatory. With this education, Tchaikovsky developed into Russia's first full-time, professional composer.
Tchaikovsky dedicated his Violin Concerto to influential concertmaster, Leopold Auer. However, he did not show his composition to Auer until it was completed - a poor decision from the composer as Auer was unimpressed with the work, and refused to perform it. The work was later rededicated to Adolph Brodsky who premiered it.
Dvořák composed his Seventh Symphony at the height of his success.

WASO On Stage

VIOLIN
Laurence Jackson
Concertmaster
Riley Skevington
Assoc Concertmaster
Semra Lee
Assistant Concertmaster
• MACA
Alexandra Isted
Acting Principal 1st Violin
Zak Rowntree*
Principal 2nd Violin
Kylie Liang
Assoc Principal 2nd Violin
• The Baker Family
Kate Sullivan
Assistant Principal 2nd Violin
Olivia Bartlett^
Sarah Blackman
Stephanie Dean
Amy Furfaro
Rebecca Glorie
• Rosalind & Lyndsay Potts
Beth Hebert
Emma Hunt
Will Huxtable
Christina Katsimbardis
Andrea Mendham
Akiko Miyazawa
Lucas O’Brien
Yasmin Omran^
Melanie Pearn
Ken Peeler
Jane Serrangeli
• Philip & Frances Chadwick and Jim & Freda Irenic
Luisa Theis^
Cerys Tooby
Teresa Vinci^
Samantha Wickramasinghe
• The Baker family
Susannah Williams^

VIOLA
Daniel Schmitt
Alex Brogan
Kierstan Arkleysmith
Nik Babic
Benjamin Caddy
Aaron Dungey
Alison Hall
Rachael Kirk
Mirjana Kojic^
Elliot O’Brien
Helen Tuckey

CELLO
Eve Silver*
Melinda Forsythe^
Oliver McAslan
• M & D Forrest
Sacha McCulloch^
Nicholas Metcalfe
• The Gregg family
Anna Sarcich^
Fotis Skordas
• Unnamed
Tim South
Emma Vanderwal^

DOUBLE BASS
Andrew Sinclair*
John Keene
• Janet Holmes à Court AC & Gilbert George
Robin Brawley
Sarah Clare^
Christine Reitzenstein
Mark Tooby
Giovanni Vinci^

FLUTE
Andrew Nicholson
• Unnamed
Mary-Anne Blades
• Unnamed

PICCOLO
Sonia Croucher°

OBOE
Liz Chee
Acting Principal
• Ruth E. Thorn and Michael & Helen Tuite
Stephanie Nicholls°

COR ANGLAIS
Jonathan Ryan

CLARINET
Allan Meyer
• Leanne & Sam Walsh AO
Som Howie

BASS CLARINET
Alexander Millier

BASSOON
Adam Mikulicz
• Meg O’Neill, Chase Hayes & Vicky Hayes
Kate Pitcher^

CONTRABASSOON
Chloe Turner
• Stelios Jewellers

HORN
★ Rod & Margaret Marston
David Evans
Eve McEwen
Robert Gladstones
Principal 3rd Horn
Julia Brooke
Francesco Lo Surdo

TRUMPET
Jenna Smith
Acting Principal
• John & Nita Walshe
Sophie Kukulies°
Peter Miller

TROMBONE
Joshua Davis
• Dr Glenda Campbell-Evans & Dr Ken Evans AM
Liam O’Malley
• Dale & Greg Higham

BASS TROMBONE
Jeremy Alderson^

TUBA
Cameron Brook
• Peter & Jean Stokes

TIMPANI
Alex Timcke

PERCUSSION
Brian Maloney
François Combémorel
Assoc Principal Percussion & Timpani

KEY

Principal
Associate Principal
Assistant Principal
Contract Musician°
Guest Musician^

★ Section supported through the Duet program by
• Chair supported through the Duet program by
* Instruments used by these musicians are on loan from Janet Holmes à Court AC.

About the Artist

Asher Fisch
Principal Conductor & Artistic Adviser

A renowned conductor in both the operatic and symphonic worlds, Asher Fisch is especially celebrated for his interpretative command of core German and Italian repertoire of the Romantic and post-Romantic era. He conducts a wide variety of repertoire from Gluck to contemporary works by living composers. Since 2014, Asher Fisch has been the Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO). His former posts include Principal Guest Conductor of the Seattle Opera (2007-2013), Music Director of the New Israeli Opera (1998-2008), and Music Director of the Wiener Volksoper (1995-2000).

Born in Israel, Fisch began his conducting career as Daniel Barenboim’s assistant and kappellmeister at the Berlin Staatsoper. He has built his versatile repertoire at the major opera houses such as the Metropolitan Opera, Lyric Opera of Chicago, San Francisco Opera, Teatro alla Scala, Royal Opera House at Covent Garden, and Semperoper Dresden. Fisch has conducted at leading American symphony orchestras including those of Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, New York, and Philadelphia. In Europe he has appeared with the Berlin Philharmonic, Munich Philharmonic, London Symphony Orchestra, Leipzig Gewandhaus Orchestra, and the Orchestre National de France, among others.

Highlights of Asher Fisch’s 2022-23 season include Lohengrin and La forza del destino at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and Cavalleria Rusticana & Pagliacci at the Tokyo Metropolitan Theatre, as well as concerts with the Düsseldorfer Symphoniker, Queensland Symphony, Sydney Symphony, and Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Fisch’s 2021-22 season featured Adriana Lecouvreur at the Vienna State Opera, a gala concert at the Hungarian National Opera with Kristine Opolais, Otello and Der Rosenkavalier at the Teatro Comunale di Bologna, and concerts with the Colorado Symphony, Naples Philharmonic, and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra.

Other recent seasons included concert and opera engagements with the Boston Symphony Orchestra at Tanglewood, Cleveland Orchestra at the Blossom Festival, Sydney Symphony, Teatro Massimo Orchestra in Palermo, Carmen, Die Zauberflöte, and Parsifal at the Bayerische Staatsoper, Ariadne auf Naxos with the Bayerische Staatsoper at the Hong Kong Arts Festival, Tannhäuser at the Tokyo National Theater, and Pagliacci and Schitz at the Israeli Opera.

Asher Fisch’s recent recordings with WASO include Wagner’s Tristan und Isolde in 2018, which won Limelight Magazine’s Opera Recording of the Year in 2019, Bruckner’s Symphony No.8 and tenor Stuart Skelton’s first solo album Shining Knight, all of which were released on ABC Classics. Fisch’s recording of Ravel’s L’heure espagnole with the Munich Radio Orchestra won Limelight Magazine’s Opera Recording of the Year in 2017. In 2015, he recorded the complete Brahms symphonies with WASO, released on ABC Classics to great acclaim. His recording of Wagner’s Ring Cycle with the Seattle Opera was released on the Avie label in 2014. His first Ring Cycle recording, of the Helpmann award-winning State Opera of South Australia production, garnered praise and awards including the Prix Lauritz Melchior and Académie du disque lyrique Paris. Fisch is also an accomplished pianist and has recorded a solo disc of Wagner piano transcriptions for the Melba label.

Asher Fisch appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts.

About the Artist

Benjamin Beilman
Violin

Benjamin Beilman has won international praise both for his passionate performances and deep rich tone. Beilman’s 22/23 season includes his debuts performing Prokofiev 1 with Trondheim Symphony and Hamburg Symphoniker, Barber with the Oslo Philharmonic, and Tchaikovsky with the Taipei Symphony. He will also return to the Detroit Symphony to perform Mendelssohn under Matthias Pintscher, and tour across Australasia, appearing with the West Australian Symphony, Auckland Philharmonia, and Tasmanian Symphony Orchestras. In recital, he will premiere a new work by Gabriella Smith, commissioned by the Schubert Club in St. Paul, and the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

In past seasons, Beilman has performed with many major orchestras worldwide including the Chicago Symphony, Philadelphia Orchestra, Antwerp Symphony, Rotterdam Philharmonic, London Philharmonic and Minnesota Orchestra.

In April 2022, he became one of the youngest artists to be appointed to the faculty of the Curtis Institute of Music. He has recorded works by Stravinsky, Janáček and Schubert for Warner Classics, and plays the “Ysaÿe” Guarneri del Gesù from 1740, generously on loan from the Nippon Music Foundation.

Image credit: Sophie Zhai

About the Music

Olivia Davies
(b.1988)

Oscillations for Orchestra (World Premiere)

In writing Oscillations for Orchestra, I wanted to create a feeling of inevitability, where the direction and momentum of the music felt like a gravitational pull.

At the core of the piece is a simple repeated rhythmic gesture that expands and contracts. With each iteration, sounds get longer, and time begins to stretch. The overall structure of the work follows this same palindromic gesture—an abrupt release of energy is pulled into a slow, almost static soundworld in the middle, then gradually builds back up into the active state as heard in the opening.

I’m often inspired by an external process as a starting point—a way of organising sound so that as it unfolds, something new emerges. I find this can often be the most freeing creatively. It feels like a collaboration between me and the music. As I wrote the piece, I considered how the different parts interlocked, letting the unfolding process guide how I contoured and shaped the music. Slowly, I edited, softened and blurred its strictness. The result is equal parts process and intuition.

Oscillations for Orchestra was commissioned for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra by Prue Ashurst.

Image credit: Alexandra Cohen

Instrumentation:
two flutes (one doubling piccolo), two oboes, one clarinet, one bass clarinet, two bassoons and one contrabassoon; four horns, three trumpets, three trombones and tuba; timpani, percussion and strings.

About the Music

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky
(1840-1893)

Violin Concerto in D, Op.35

Allegro moderato
Canzonetta (Andante) –
Finale (Allegro vivacissimo)

The first bad review of a masterpiece has a curious allure. There is something forlorn and fascinating about the French critic of the 1850s who proclaimed that Rigoletto ‘lacks melody’, or George Bernard Shaw’s declaration that Goetz was a greater symphonist than Brahms. Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto is a distinguished member of that company of musical masterpieces that survived a traumatic debut to become one of the most beloved works of its kind.

It could almost be described as a love letter. In 1878 the composer was still feeling the repercussions from his shortlived marriage and took a holiday with his brother Modest in Clarens on Lake Geneva. In March they were joined by the violinist Josef Kotek. One of Tchaikovsky’s pupils at the Moscow Conservatory, Kotek had introduced the composer’s music to his future patron, Nadezhda von Meck. At some point in their long friendship, according to Tchaikovsky biographer Alexander Poznansky, the two men became lovers. In Clarens, composer and former student spent some time playing over various unfamiliar pieces, including Lalo’s Symphonie espagnole, then a new work which Tchaikovsky admired for its piquancy and melodiousness. The combination of Lalo’s concerto and Kotek’s presence inspired in Tchaikovsky a desire to write a violin concerto himself. He immersed himself in work on the concerto and had it fully sketched in a few weeks. By the end of April he had orchestrated the whole work.

Kotek’s advice and encouragement, and his belief in Tchaikovsky’s abilities, were crucial in the work’s composition. Kotek was originally to have been the concerto’s dedicatee, but Tchaikovsky was concerned at the gossip this would cause in Moscow, and instead dedicated the work to Leopold Auer, a renowned performer and teacher, whose pupils were to include Mischa Elman and Jascha Heifetz.

Tchaikovsky’s hope that Auer’s fame would help promote the concerto was dashed when Auer claimed that the work was technically impossible and structurally weak; in short, that he would not learn it. Then Kotek decided that he didn’t want to play it either, which caused Tchaikovsky to break with him altogether. In fact three years were to pass before Jurgenson, who had since published the score, informed Tchaikovsky that Adolph Brodsky was planning to play the piece at a Vienna Philharmonic concert under Hans Richter in December 1881. There was a furious mixture of applause, boos and hissing afterwards, with Brodsky being acclaimed and the work derided. The Viennese critics, always fairly conservative, were almost universal in their condemnation of the concerto. The most influential of these was Eduard Hanslick, champion of Brahms and enemy of Wagner, who wrote a review of infamous vituperation.

For a while the concerto has proportion, is musical, and is not without genius, but soon savagery gains the upper hand…The violin is no longer played: it is yanked about, it is torn asunder, it is beaten black and blue.

Tchaikovsky was shocked at the vehemence of Hanslick’s review, but Brodsky was not dissuaded and remained the work’s most fervent champion. Auer eventually overcame his opposition to the concerto and played it to great acclaim, also introducing it to many of his pupils.

The work opens with a scene-setting introduction, after which the soloist enters with a brief flourish, then announces the main theme of the first movement. Soon the second subject appears, a melody of great tenderness. From this point the temperature of the first movement rises considerably, with the solo part becoming much more virtuosic and the orchestral writing increasingly colourful. There is a magnificently varied cadenza for the soloist.

Kotek felt Tchaikovsky’s original slow movement was too insubstantial and sentimental, and the composer agreed, replacing it with the Canzonetta. After a simple chordal introduction for the woodwinds, the soloist takes up a hushed, appropriately song-like theme. This is one of Tchaikovsky’s most purely beautiful creations. He eventually published the original version of this movement as Souvenir d’un lieu cher, Op.42.

The Finale follows on without a break, and immediately the soloist has a dazzling, short cadenza, which leads straight into the movement’s vigorous main theme, a short, folk-like dance tune. The second theme, introduced over a bagpipe-like drone on the strings, is a temporary lyrical resting-place in the movement’s wild infectiousness.

First performance:
4 December 1881, Vienna. Hans Richter, conductor; Adolf Brodsky, soloist.

First WASO performance:
1 June 1946. Walter Susskind, conductor; Vaughan Hanly, soloist.

Most recent WASO performance:
22 June 2019. Asher Fisch, conductor; Vadim Gluzman, soloist.

Instrumentation:
two each of flutes, oboes, clarinets and bassoons; four horns, two trumpets; timpani, and strings.

Glossary

Cadenza – a showy passage by a solo instrument, usually towards the end of a concerto movement. Originally, cadenzas were improvised by the soloist to show off their brilliant technique.

Canzonetta – originally, a short song, but the term has come to be used for short instrumental pieces with a song-like feel.

Drone – a single, low note held for a long time while other instruments play melodies above it.

Orchestrate/orchestration – the process by which the composer allocates the various notes and melodies to the different instruments and combinations of instruments in the orchestra.

Subject – a principal theme, or group of themes, on which a composition is based. Symphonic works, and especially first movements, often feature two contrasting subjects.

Take a deep dive into the best recordings of Tchaikovsky's Violin Concerto in this article from Gramophone.

About the Music

Antonín Dvořák
(1841-1904)

Symphony No.7 in D minor, Op.70

Allegro maestoso
Poco adagio
Scherzo (Vivace) – Trio (Poco meno mosso)
Finale (Allegro)

From out of the darkness of a deep tonic pedal, violas and cellos wind their way ominously towards the light, rising to a peremptory three-note tattoo, repeated, each time more insistently, till it ends without hope on a stabbing chord. Thus, in a mere six bars, Dvořák sets the mood at the outset for the most powerful and serious of his nine symphonies.

It cost the composer greater effort than any of the others. In December 1884 he wrote to a friend: ‘Wherever I go I have nothing else in mind but [my new symphony], which must be capable of stirring the world, and God grant that it may!’ On one hand, he wished to impress the Philharmonic Society of London (which had commissioned it on his first visit to England in March 1884 and since elected him to honorary membership). On the other, he frankly sought to create a work which emulated the strength and beauty he had admired in the Third Symphony of his great friend and mentor Brahms on its premiere at the end of 1883. Dvořák keenly sought unqualified commendation from Brahms, for the latter was not only a staunch advocate, but also a stern critic of any carelessness he found in the younger composer’s work. Brahms had told Dvořák he looked forward to the new symphony being ‘quite different’ from its predecessor, No.6 in D.

Dvořák wrestled besides with a spiritual struggle stemming from his failure to win recognition at home as a composer of Czech operas and from his acute artistic need, love of country notwithstanding, to win recognition and success internationally. In the defiant tone of the Seventh Symphony we sense the composer choosing determinedly to strike out on his own.

The grimness of Dvořák’s main first movement theme and its related ideas is moderated by a gentle, conciliatory second theme introduced by flute and clarinet, but the movement ends in brooding resignation.

To the slow movement Dvořák brings a prayer for serenity and consolation, in the course of which the pent-up anguish of all his doubts and uncertainties bursts forth. From the catharsis of anguish comes an elevated calm which lifts the heart and brings the movement to a tender conclusion.

The scherzo has much of the character of a furiant, but, far from being a simple and sunny Czech dance, it soon becomes dour, its rhythms pounding aggressively. The dreamlike central trio evokes a pastoral scene, with trilling birdsong and distant hunting horns. But the return of the scherzo jolts us back to reality. The finale cries poignantly for help. Searching for direction, we gradually find ourselves swept up in the irresistible propulsion of a surging march. As a sense of real confidence develops, cellos and decorative violins introduce a broad, warm-hearted second theme – the first sign of happiness in the symphony and also, as Dvořák biographer Šourek suggests, Dvořák’s first use of a melody with national colouring. All now sweeps forward to a solemnly exultant conclusion in the major mode.

The composer personally conducted the first performance of his Seventh Symphony in St James’s Hall, London on 22 April 1885. (It is actually numbered ‘6’ on the autograph score, presumably because Dvořák didn’t count his first essay in the form, The Bells of Zlonice.) Public and critics gave it a more mixed reaction than its immediately attractive predecessor, which Dvořák had conducted there the previous year. But this did not dampen his habitual self-confidence as he wrote home: ‘The Symphony was immensely successful, and at the next performance will be a still greater success.’ In fact, the turning point with the Seventh Symphony seems to have been a pair of performances which Hans von Bülow conducted in Berlin in 1889, at which the composer was present. So ecstatic was Dvořák that he pasted a portrait of von Bülow on the title page of the score above an inscription: ‘Slava! – Glory be to you! You brought this work to life!’ That admiration was reciprocated. Bülow is known to have expressed the view that ‘the most important composer for me, apart from Brahms, is Dvořák’.

Abridged from a note © Anthony Cane

First performance:
22 April 1885, London, composer conducting.

First WASO performance:
15 April 1950. Rudolf Pekárek, conductor.

Most recent WASO performance:
1 July 2017. Christoph König, conductor.

Instrumentation:
two flutes (second doubling piccolo), two oboes, two clarinets, two bassoons, four horns, two trumpets, three trombones, timpani, strings.

Glossary

Furiant – a fast Bohemian dance in triple time with frequently shifting accents.

Pedal – a low-pitched note played for a long time while the harmonies change above it.

Scherzo – literally, a joke; a movement in a fast triple time which may involve playful elements and which, as the second or third movement in a symphony, replaced the minuet.

Trio – in a minuet or scherzo, the trio is the middle section of the movement; the minuet or scherzo is performed on either side of the trio.

About WASO

Engage | Excite | Experience | Educate

From the centre of Perth to the furthest corners of the state, we have provided the soundtrack to life in WA since 1928.

As the State Orchestra, Perth’s first and finest, WASO is the largest employer of performing artists in Western Australia and reaches two million people with musical experiences each year on stage, in our community, and online.

From concert halls to classrooms, hospitals to aged care, we bring joy, inspire learning, and nurture participation in our community, because everybody deserves the opportunity to experience live music. Every year, through community and leading industry partnerships, we engage a new generation of young and emerging artists to help secure a bright future for music in Australia.

We celebrate our rich classical music heritage with great artists from all over the world and commission and perform new repertoire to renew and expand it.

The Orchestra collaborates widely with major arts companies and independent artists, performing opera to ballet, movies to musicals, jazz to rock. We champion the diversity of music in all its forms, with a team of talented and passionate people who create unforgettable experiences for all West Australians to enjoy.

Asher Fisch is Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser of our Orchestra and we are proud to call Perth Concert Hall home.

Your Concert Experience

Get the best out of your concert.

Explore the music
Be sure to take a quick look at the performance schedule or enjoy a deep dive into the music with your concert program online or in the foyer.
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Desk located on Level 1. Masks are welcome but not required.
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Latecomers admitted at a suitable time
If you arrive late or leave your seat during a performance, your auditorium entry will need to wait until a suitable break.
Drinks and nibbles
The Wardle Kitchen is open for casual dining, serving delicious hot meals before each performance, while our Grab and Go stations offer quick bites such as sushi and sandwiches. Bars are available on the first two levels, and you are welcome to bring your cold drink into the auditorium.
First Aid available
St John First Aid officers are present at every WASO concert. Please notify a Perth Concert Hall team member if you require any first aid assistance.
Box Office is open
Get tickets to your next WASO experience at the Box Office located on the ground floor (Level 1). Our Box Office is open one hour prior to each performance, and during interval, or you can email us anytime at boxoffice@waso.com.au. You can also visit us Mon-Fri 9am-5pm.

Meet the Musician

Samantha Wickramasinghe
Violin

What do you love most about being a professional musician?

Probably the never-ending learning experience. I constantly grow every time I step on stage, and that is a humbling, overwhelming and addictive way to live.

Can you tell us a bit about your violin?

My violin is a Tommaso Carcassi. She was ‘born’ in 1746 in Florence at a time when some of the world’s greatest string instrument makers were in their heyday. I still spend huge amounts of time gazing at her beautiful wood and craftsmanship, wondering at all the players before me who made up part of her history.

What do you think a symphony concert will look and sound like 50 years from now?

I hope it will still be a live experience with real human beings! I fear there could be an attempted overtake by robots or AI! But I think humanity lies at the heart of all great art, and so worst-case scenario, I think we will have come full circle back to live performance. It never fails.

If you were stranded on a desert island, what 3 things would choose to have with you?

Wine, sunscreen and the complete works of JS Bach, Mozart and Beethoven (is that 5?!).

What was it like performing with stars such as Elton John, Rod Stewart and Wynton Marsalis?

They were all gracious, supremely talented and generous artists. Performing with Sir Elton was one of the first gigs I did in London, aged 18. It was on stage at the stunning Royal Opera House in Covent Garden (little did I know that building would basically become my “office” for 15 years), filmed by the BBC – I could hardly believe my luck back then!

Who has been your greatest inspiration?

Honestly, my colleagues. Day in and day out, someone I sit near on stage quietly blows my mind with their talent and expressive soul. It is a daily privilege and I feel so lucky to do what I do.

Community Engagement

WASO & UWA prepare ATAR students for examinations and beyond

Recently in May, WASO performed our ATAR Designated Works concert with Tertiary Education Partner, The University of Western Australia, on their stunning campus in Crawley. The day was rich in learning opportunities for high school students, with workshops held by UWA expert Academics and a live performance held for over 160 students, covering all aspects of the ATAR classical music course for Year 11 and 12s.

Commencing with the UWA ATAR Insights Symposium, UWA Academics presented engaging workshops to help students ensure they are prepared and confident in their studies and their ATAR journey. Particular emphasis was placed on best practice for implementing strategies to support students in their music exam preparation, in all theoretical and practical aspects of the course.

These workshops were followed by a performance of ATAR Designated Works showcasing WASO musicians side-by-side with 40 UWA Conservatorium of Music students. This combined orchestra performed Smetana’s Moldau and Movements I and III of Mozart’s Jupiter Symphony.

“I found the concert to be so inspirational. I could not ever have imagined how the timbre of the instruments could resonate in a live performance before. I feel like I understand Smetana’s work so much better” – Francis, UWA music student.

Presented by Thea Rossen and conducted by Jon Tooby, the concert highlighted the historical significance of the works, as well as giving a valuable insight into the inner-workings of these pieces for both high school teachers and students. The concert interwove excerpts taken from the Compulsory Genre, Concerto and Symphony Set Works, alongside discussion on historical and cultural perspectives and analysis of key concepts.

Under Jon Tooby’s baton the UWA Conservatorium of Music students were partnered with WASO professionals, mentoring them throughout the rehearsals and concert. The youthful energy from this performance was exciting and inspiring for the attending school students.

WASO is proud to continue contributing to the education of high school and tertiary education music students in WA.

Image: WASO musicians and UWA Conservatorium of music students perform side-by-side. Credit Rebecca Mansell.

2023 Annual Giving

Empowering magical moments of music

On behalf of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, we would like to express our heartfelt gratitude for your unwavering support during our 2023 Annual Giving appeal. Your generosity empowers us to create music for so many moments in the lives of West Australians.

The importance of your philanthropy cannot be understated. It enables us to grow our outreach programs and nurture the musicians of tomorrow. It allows us to
bring the transformative power of music to community groups, creating moments of inspiration and healing.

Every gift makes a difference; every gift translates to inspiring musical experiences for the whole community.

We treasure your support and thank you with every note, every breath, and every magical moment of music.

Kylie Liang & Adam Mikulicz
Annual Giving Ambassadors

The significance of philanthropy for the future of WASO cannot be understated: it is a crucial part of our income and provides an inspiring forum for a community of likeminded supporters who are united in their love of this artform.

We are proud to acknowledge our donor family, many of whom give to multiple areas and some who wish to remain unnamed.

Thank you – your generosity sustains and invigorates us.

Patron of Private Giving
Janet Holmes à Court AC

Annual Giving

Recognising gifts received in the last 12 months, which support our inspiring performances and empower us to enrich lives with music.

Chairman’s Circle
$25,000+
Jean Arkley in memory of Tom Arkley
Prue Ashurst in memory of Eoin Cameron
The Baker Family
Gavin Bunning
Dr Glenda Campbell-Evans & Dr Ken Evans AM
Bridget Faye AM
Richard Goyder AO & Janine Goyder
The Gregg Family
Jamelia Gubgub & David Wallace
Janet Holmes à Court AC & Gilbert George
Tony & Gwenyth Lennon
Louise & Bryant Macfie
Rod & Margaret Marston
Patricia New
Meg O’Neill, Chase Hayes & Vicky Hayes
Joshua & Pamela Pitt
Rosalin Sadler in memory of Joyce Durbin Sadler
Geoff Stearn
Peter & Jean Stokes
Leanne & Sam Walsh AO
Alan Whitham
Trish Williams

Principal Conductor’s Circle
$10,000+
Gay & Bob Branchi
Catherine Dunn & Barrie Heald
The Gregg Family
Brian & Romola Haggerty
Dale & Greg Higham
Kate Lewis in memory of Meryl Lewis
Yuko Lucas
Rosalind Potts
Dr Paul Rodoreda, in memory of Mary Rodoreda
Tony Rudd
Helen & Roger Sandercock
Ruth Stratton
Michael & Helen Tuite
John & Nita Walshe
Fred & Nicola Wehr
Moira Westmore
Unnamed (5)

Maestro Circle
$5,000+
David & Suzanne Biddles
Dr John Blott
Lady Jean Brodie-Hall
Stewart Candlish & Bianca Panizza
Prof Rachel & Rev Dr John Cardell-Oliver
Maree Creighton & Kevin Davis
Stephen Davis & Linda Savage
Roger & Ann Gillbanks
Warwick Hemsley
Dr Penny Herbert in memory of Dunstan Herbert
Sue Hovell
Jim & Freda Irenic
Margaret & Peter James
Eleanor John & Finn Barrett
Bill Kean
Keith & Gaye Kessell
LeMessurier Charitable Trust
Marie Mills & Anthony Crocker
Mrs Morrell
Michael & Lesley Page
Kenneth Pettit
Paula & John Phillips
Ruth E. & Neville Thorn
Christine Thorpe
Gene Tilbrook & Anne Seghezzi
Reto Vogel
Mary Ann Wright
Unnamed (8)

Virtuoso Circle
$2,500+
Margaret & Prof Fred Affleck AO
Neil Archibald & Alan R Dodge AM
Lisa & Glenn Barrett
Tony & Mary Beeley
Peter & Marjorie Bird
Professor Anne Burns
Ian & Marilyn Burton
Prof Jonathan Carapetis & Prof Sue Skull
Philip & Frances Chadwick
Dr David Cooke
Gena Culley
Lesley & Peter Davies
Lorraine Ellard & Ron Bade OAM
Louise Farrell & Eric Isaachsen
M & D Forrest
The Giorgetta Charity Fund
Robyn Glindeman
Maryllis & Paul Green-Armytage
Theresa & David Harvey
Roger Jennings in memory of Lilian Jennings
Michael & Dale Kitney
Francis Landels
Mi Kyung Lee & Colin Binns AO
Rosalind Lilley
Sunny & Ann Lee
Lommers Engineering Pty Ltd
Roderick MacDuff & Renate Drauz
Oliver & Sophie Mark
Val & Barry Neubecker
Anne Nolan
Rosemary Peek
Wendy Powles
Dr Lance Risbey
Wayne Robinson
Anne & Robin Salter
Melanie & Paul Shannon
Elisabeth & David Smith
Michael Snell & Vicki Stewart
Clare Thompson & Dr Brad Power
Peter & Jane Thompson in memory of Mrs Freda Stimson
Mary Townsend
George Van Beek
Stan & Valerie Vicich
Leonard Walker
Fred & Caroline Witting
Sara Wordsworth
Andrew & Marie Yuncken
Unnamed (4)

Principal Circle
$1,000+
Moira Bailey
Ruth Bailey
Peter Bath
Noelle Beasley
Sarah & Colin Beckett AO
Ross & Alecia Benzie
Lea Bingemann
Margaret Bloch
E & P Boland
Cathy Bolt in memory of Tony Bolt
K & C Bond
E & G Bourgault in memory of Betty Sagar
Adrienne & Phillip Buttrose
Joan Carney
David Castillo & Marian Magee
Claire Chambers & Dr Andrea Shoebridge
Grant & Catherine Chappelle
Anthea Cheney
S Cherian
Dr Anne Chester
Jason & Su-Lyn Chong
Keryn & Frank Christiansen
Kenneth Clark
Peter & Sue Clifton
Lyn & Harvey Coates AO
Brenda Cohen
Kim & Bob Collins
Norah & Roger Cooper
Kaylene Cousins
Hon June Craig AM
Megan & Arthur Criddle
Natalie Cullity
Patricia D’Aurizio
Michael & Wendy Davis
Monique De Vianna
Kevin Della Bosca
Kelly & Andrew Diong
Rai & Erika Dolinschek
Sandy Dunn & Caroline Allen
Prof Robert Durand
Bev East
Pamela Eldred
Kerry & Norbert Fandry OAM
Dr Jenny & Terry Fay
Tony & Sue Field
Susan & Gavin Fielding AM
Gilly Flower
IR & V Freeman
George Gavranic
Neville & Jane Gibbs
Dr J S Gladstones AO CitWA
Dr Anne Gray
Jannette Gray
Pitsamai & Kevin Green
Grussgott Trust
Shona Hall
Richard B Hammond
Pauline & Peter Handford
Dr & Mrs H Hansen-Knarhoi
Julie Harris
Rev Bill Hawley & Dr Rev Georgina Hawley
John & Christine Hedges
Elizabeth & Eric Heenan
Barbie Henryon
Dallas & Alex Hickman
Dr John & Patricia Hill
Dr Annette Holland
Helen Hollingshead
Dr K & Mr J Hopkins OAM
Judith Hugo OAM
Lorna & Jonathan Hurst in memory of Barbara Hurst
Peter Ingram
Tim & Diane Johnson
Emy & Warren Jones
Danuta Julia
John & Linda Kember
Patricia King
Leonie Kirke
Nelly Kleyn
Ulrich & Gloria Kunzmann
Yvonne Lamble
Irving Lane
Abraham Langford
Ross & Fran Ledger
Dr Oon Teik Lee
Barrie & Jude Le Pley
Ann Lewis
Ian & Judith Lunt
Graham & Muriel Mahony
Denise Main
Dr Tony Mander & Ms Loretta Byrd
Dr Walter Ong & Graeme Marshall
Geoff Massey
Del & Andrew McGuiness
Judith McGuinness
Andreas Merk
Betty & Con Michael AO
Mrs Carolyn Milton-Smith in memory of Emeritus
Prof John Milton-Smith
Hon Justice S R Moncrieff
Mr & Mrs Geoff Morris
Jane & Jock Morrison
Dr & Mrs Peter Moss
Lynn Murray
Paul Nendick
Phuong Nguyen
G & I Nicholas
Marianne Nilsson
Jim & Wendy O’Neill
Peter & Chris Ormond
John Overton
Robyn Owens
Adam Parker
John Paterson
Roger Paterson
Tim Pavy & Cathy Cole
Adrian & Ruth Phelps
Charmian Phillips in memory of Colin Craft
Alison Piacentini
Italo Pizzale
Pamela Platt
Richard & Sharon Prince
The Sheena Prince Memorial Fund
Dr Leon Prindiville
Jennifer Rankin
Eveline Read
James & Nicola Ridsdill-Smith
John & Alison Rigg
Bryan & Jan Rodgers
Nigel & Dr Heather Rogers
Gerry & Maurice Rousset OAM
Stephanie Rusyn in memory of John Kobelke
Margaret & Roger Seares
Robyn & Ted Sharp
Glenice Shephard
Eric Skipworth in memory of Virginia Skipworth
Helen Smith OAM
Nick Handran Smith & Elizabeth Allan
Paul Smith & Denham Harry
Ross & Laurel Smith
Peggy & Tom Stacy
Alan & Jan Stewart
Brian Stewart
Joslyn Summerhayes in memory of Eileen Hayes
Summerlin Audiology
Janet & the late Stephen Thackray
Ruth Thomas in memory of Ken & Hazel Rowley
Tessa Tieleman
Michelle Todd
Rosemary Tomkinson
Gavin Toovey & Jaehan Lee
Clive & Beth Trott in memory of Judith Sienkiewicz
James & Rosemary Trotter
Christopher Tyler
Karen Venard
Maggie Venerys
Geoff & Sandra Wackett
Rita Wager
Adrienne & Max Walters AM
Diana & the late Bill Warnock
Ian Watson
Joy Wearne
Alan Westle in memory of Jean
PJ & NB Wheeler-Hart
Dr Chris & Mrs Vimala Whitaker
Barbara Wilcox
Dai & Anne Williams
Mrs Jean & Mr Ian Williams AO
Janet Williams
Jim & Gill Williams
Dr Simon & Alison Williams
Sally Willis
Judith Wilton & David Turner
Hilary & Peter Winterton AM
Peter Wreford
Nancy York
Unnamed (38)

Tutti Circle
$500+
Catherine Bagster
Bernard & Jackie Barnwellbou
Vanessa Barrable
Michael & Nadia Berkeley-Hill
Dr Caroline Bird & Dr Jim Rhoads
Jane Blanckensee
John & Sue Bird in memory of Penny Bird
Davilia Bleckly
Archa Fox & Charlie Bond
Claire Brittain OAM & John McKay
Diane & Ron Bowyer
Sue Boyd
Phil Burrows
Rosemary Burston
Christine Burson
Ann Butcher & Dean R Kubank
Jennifer Butement in memory of Margaret Butement
Michelle Candy
R & R Cant
S Barea Castillo
Fred & Angela Chaney
Dr Peter Chauvel
Sam & May Cheung
Jill Clarke
Penelope Colgan
John Collins
Annette Cottee
Rev Des Cousins
Carole & John Cox
Penny & Ron Crittall
Gabrielle Dean
Lee Delaney
Hanneke & Jop Delfos
Simon Douglas
Ceridwen Dumergue
Julie Easton
Sue & David Forster
Toni Frank
John & Margaret Freeman
Eléonore Fuchter
Jennifer & Stephen Gardiner
Andrea Gillett
Frank Glass & Linda Colville
Allan & Jane Green
Dr Barry Green
Gwenyth Greenwood
Rosemary Grigg & Peter Flanigan
Jean Hamory
Max Hansen
Paul & Barbara Harris
Peter Harris
Vanessa & Ross Harvey
Alan Harvey & Dr Paulien de Boer
David & Deborah Hayes
Gary & Anne-Marie Haywood
Siew-Mung Ho
Karl Hombergen & Jane Hutton
Rosemary Howarth
Drs Paul & Janis Jansz
John Jarvis
Cynthia Jee
Lynn & Michael Jensen
Dr Ursula Kees
C & V Kennedy
B M Kent
Evgeny Khrustalev
Dr Warren Lilleyman
Dr George Lipton
Mary Ellen in memory of Kerensa
Marilyn Macey
Stuart Macklin & Peter Lyle
Robyn Main
David Marmont
Pam Mathews & Dr Mark Brogan
Cynthia McCumiskey
G & K McGregor
McPhie Family
Annie Medley
Terence Middleton
Patricia & Kevin Morgan
Dr John Pearce
Deborah Pearson
Deborah Piesse
J Pinnow
Rosie Reeman
Eril Reid
Will & Clare Riseborough
Alicia Robinson
Chris & Serge Rtshiladze
The Sherwood Family
Andrew Shoemack
Jan Sillence
Hendrik Smit
Alison & Neville Sparrow
John & Elizabeth Spoor
Leon Tang
Ian Taylor
Lisa Telford
Amanda & Desmond Thompson
M Thomson & R Robinson
David & Johanna Thwaites
Loma Toohey
Joan Travis
Judith & Rod Tudball
Heather & Jim Tunmore
Agatha van der Schaaf
In memory of Robyn Van Beek
Deborah Wiseman
Margaret Wood
Alison Woodman
Don & Leith Young
Michael Young
Dr Susan Young
Chris & Kathy Ziatas
Unnamed (45)

Friends
$40+
1,160 Members

The Instrument Fund

John Albright & Susan Lorimer – EChO Double Bass and set of Trumpets
Dr Glenda Campbell-Evans & Dr Ken Evans AM – Tenor Trombone
Peter Ingram – Piccolo
Deborah Marsh – Conductor’s Podium and Cor Anglais
Margaret & Rod Marston – Bass Clarinet
Peggy & Tom Stacy – Cor Anglais and Piccolo
Jean & Peter Stokes – Cello, Tuba, Tenor Trombone, Bass Trombone, Wooden Trumpet, French Horn and Music Score Folders

Legacy

We honour those who have made a visionary commitment to safeguard our future, through a capital gift to the Endowment fund or by providing for WASO in their will through the Symphony Circle.

Legacy gifts are preserved within the fund in perpetuity, ensuring a community filled with the beauty of symphonic music for future generations.

Major Gifts
Tom & Jean Arkley
Bendat Family Foundation
Janet Holmes à Court AC
Minderoo Foundation
Rod & Margaret Marston
Sagitte Yom-Tov Fund
In memory of Francis Edward Yeomans

Estates
Lee Bickford
Rachel Mabel Chapman
S & J Dale
Malcolm Hood
Clive Knight
Paul Lee
Anna Nottage in memory of Edgar Nottage
Wendy Scanlon
Judy Sienkiewicz
Mrs Roslyn Warrick
Unnamed (7)

The Symphony Circle

Julian Agafonoff & David Escott
Kevin ‘Joe’ Blake
Ms Davilia Bleckly
Mr John Bonny
Dr G Campbell-Evans
Deirdre Carlin
Philip & Frances Chadwick
Dr Anne Chester
Anita & James Clayton
Lesley & Peter Davies
Dr Michael Flacks
John Foster
Judith Gedero
Robyn Glindemann
Gwenyth Greenwood
The Guy Family
Angus Holmes
Emy & Warren Jones
Barbara Joseph
Colin & Jo King
Rachael Kirk & Tim White
Wolfgang Lehmkuhl
Stewart Lloyd
Dr Mary Ellen MacDonald
Deborah Marsh
Lesley & Murray McKay
J.A.M
Suzanne Nash
Paul Nendick
Paula Phillips
Jan & Bryan Rodgers
Nigel & Dr Heather Rogers
Rosalin Sadler in memory of Joy and Alan Sadler
Peta Saunders
Jacinta Sirr-Williams
Susan Stitt
Ruth Stratton
Ruth E. & Neville Thorn
Gavin Toovey & Jaehan Lee
George Van Beek in memory of Robyn Van Beek
Agatha van der Schaaf
Sheila Wileman
Sagitte Yom-Tov Fund
Unnamed (50)

Every effort is made to ensure our Giving List is accurate; however, should you notice an error please contact our Philanthropy team on (08) 9326 0016.

About the Speaker

Dr Philip Everall
Pre-concert Speaker

Philip Everall is a bass clarinetist from Perth, Western Australia who has performed in venues such as the Berlin Philharmonie, Carnegie Hall, and Clancy’s Fish Pub. After undergraduate studies in Perth, Philip relocated to pursue a Master of Music from the Amsterdam Conservatorium, and then a Master of Contemporary Performance from the Manhattan School of Music. His teachers included Harry Sparnaay, Michael Lowenstern, and David Krakauer. As an active freelancer, Philip has performed with ASKO/Schoenberg Ensemble (NL), Sequitur (USA), etica (AUS), and was a founding member of loadbang (USA). Also in demand as an orchestral musician, he has performed with the West Australian, Adelaide, Tasmanian, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestras, as well as Orchestra Victoria and the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra.

Philip holds a PhD from Edith Cowan University for his research into modern techniques for bass clarinet, and is Lecturer in Music; Head of Woodwind.

WASO Recommends

If you enjoyed tonight's concert, we think you'll love:

Beethoven's Second Symphony

Following his outstanding debut in 2022, Umberto Clerici returns to WASO with a program of brilliant classics.

With his Second Symphony, Beethoven put aside his inner turmoil to write music brimming with optimism and joy. From its boldly dramatic opening to its mischievous scherzo and boisterous conclusion, Beethoven’s breathtaking musical imagination is on full display. In between overtures from Schubert and Mozart, WASO’s Liz Chee is soloist in a new oboe concerto by Master of the King’s Music, Judith Weir.

Judith Weir’s Oboe Concerto co-commissioned by the Adelaide, Tasmanian and West Australian Symphony Orchestras. WASO Songbook supported by Catherine Bagster in memory of Christine Bagster, Bernard & Jackie Barnwell, Geoff Stearn and Unnamed. Liz’s Chair is supported by Ruth E. Thorn and Michael & Helen Tuite through the Duet program.

Fri 3 & Sat 4 November 2023, 7.30pm
Perth Concert Hall

BOOK TICKETS NOW

To share in our vision and discuss the many opportunities extended through corporate partnerships please contact Corporate Development on 08 9326 0020.

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Violin