Aug

13illuminating notesn e w s l e t t e r f o r t h e s u B s C r I B e r s , p At r o n s & f r I e n d s o f t h e w e s t A u s t r A l I A n s y m p h o n y o r C h e s t r A

on January 26 this year the perth Concert hall celebrated its 40th birthday. wAso has been a vital part of the perth Concert hall’s life since it opened its doors in 1973. In fact, it was a wAso musician who was the first to play a note in the auditorium. Jack harrison, wAso’s principal Clarinet at the time, was wearing a hard hat when he played that first note in August 1972 in the construction site of the perth Concert hall, five months before its official opening.

Along with the sydney opera house and Adelaide festival hall, the perth Concert hall was one of three major arts buildings to open in 1973. Architects Jeffrey howlett and don Bailey were responsible for the design of the building and construction took place between 1971 and 1973. with its solid opaque interior, giant projecting roof, and use of white off-form concrete, the building is a fine example of brutalist architecture.

professor harold marshall was responsible for designing the world-class acoustics in association with warwick mehaffey of the ABC. professor marshall used computer modelling to predict how well people would hear in each of the hall’s 1729 seats and worked closely with the architects in designing the main auditorium.

the opening of the perth Concert hall was a gala affair and included a midnight to dawn ball attended by almost 1700 guests including prime minister gough whitlam and his wife margaret who were visiting western Australia for the first time.

the event was televised and featured a performance by wAso and 55 members of the south Australian symphony orchestra. under the baton of conductor tibor paul they played music by Berlioz, Vaughan williams and Australian composer John Antill. governor-general sir paul hasluck officially opened the venue.

for the past 40 years wAso is fortunate to have performed in the perth Concert hall, with the venue widely regarded as one of the great music venues in Australia. In Limelight magazine’s 2011 survey of musical venues around Australia, the perth Concert hall was voted the best in the country by performers and audiences, ahead of the melbourne recital Centre and City recital hall in sydney.

throughout the year, a number of activities have been planned to mark the anniversary. wAso, led by principal Conductor paul daniel, will be taking part in the celebrations in August with our mozart & mahler concerts dedicated to this very special birthday.

perth Concert hall Celebrates 40 years!

CheVron AustrAlIA mAsters serIes

Mozart & MahlerPerth Concert Hall 40th Anniversary Celebration friday 23 & saturday 24 August, 7.30pm perth Concert hall

for bookings phone wAso on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au

L-R: The West Australian and South Australian Symphony Orchestras at the official opening of the Perth Concert Hall. Sir Robert Madgwick with Lady and Sir Charles Court at the official opening. Sir Bernard Heinze outside the Perth Concert Hall in 1973. Season ticket for WASO from 1973.

message from paul daniel

It’s been a while since I left perth at the end of march. we’ve all been ridiculously busy, most of all your wAso musicians! my personal musical itinerary was almost as interesting, even if it didn’t make up for hearing the concerts you were lucky to enjoy.

first stop after returning home was to record a new Cd with the royal liverpool phil, before hot-footing it to russia where I was very privileged to conduct the moscow premiere (!) of debussy’s opera Pelleas et Mélisande. music theoretically should sound the same wherever it’s played – after all, composers leave explicit instructions – but how wonderful to hear the russian musicians, with their extraordinarily emotional playing, finding new beautiful ways with debussy’s score.

next was a chance to perform mahler’s seventh symphony in spain, prior to our wAso performances this month. I was returning to it for the first time since concerts in new Zealand four seasons ago, and programming such a major and complex work several times with different orchestras gives it chance to grow and ‘marinate’ in your mind.

then, in london, with my old friend John williams, we recorded some new guitar concertos: one by ross edwards, dear to perth audiences from the works we’ve played here in the last few years.

his guitar concerto is a great addition! this was followed by more concerts in spain, with a happy return to the violin concerto by tom Adès, and also a great chance to work again with cellist nicholas Altstaedt, who played so beautifully with wAso in 2012.

In June it was the major new production of Britten’s Gloriana at the royal opera Covent garden. there’s no space here to pay tribute to the spectacular cast and fascinating production, but working with the royal opera house orchestra and chorus again on such a demanding and thrilling score was right up there on par with the thrill of wAso and the wAso Chorus in full flight!

that’s all before another return to the Vienna symphony, for a concert at this year’s Bregenz festival featuring rachmaninov’s second symphony, next to the strange but mesmerising piano concerto by André tchaikovsky. look him up on google – no relation of the great piotr Ilyich, his name came as a result of his escape, as a budding piano virtuoso, from the holocaust, and his skull ended up, at his dying request, in the hands of future hamlets at the royal shakespeare Company!

now at last, it’s time for some extraordinary music back with you all in perth, I’m looking forward so much to the variety and excitement of the repertoire we have set up for you during these next few weeks.

your orchestra is about to launch itself into the highlands of scotland, and to welcome the fabulous virtuosity of violinist Baiba skride (I was shocked to realise that she and I first worked together with the philharmonia a whole ten years ago, just after she had wowed the violin world with her triumphs in several competitions worldwide).

then, time for wAso to show off its newest collection with the return of latitude at the Astor: where else could you hear seven Australian premieres of some of the most colourful, entertaining and accessible music, a tribute to the great orchestral work of roger smalley, a concerto for electric violin, and a raunchy rewrite of radiohead, all in the space of one action-packed week? And all that before another opportunity to hear your orchestra, back in the perth Concert hall, play one of the greatest symphonies by mahler, his seventh!

I’ve ordered my tickets, admittedly in the best seat in the house, and we all look forward with the greatest pleasure to welcoming you to our August music-making.

Paul Daniel Principal Conductor & Artistic AdviserPaul Daniel appears courtesy of Wesfarmers Arts.

paul daniel’s farewell gala – Verdi’s requiem

At the end of 2013 we will bid farewell to paul daniel after five years as wAso’s principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser. to celebrate paul’s time with us and mark the conclusion of his tenure we will be holding two very special gala concerts in december.

on december 6 and 7 paul will be joined by a superb cast of soloists and 150 voices from the wAso Chorus and the winthrop singers for two performances of Verdi’s spectacular requiem, an exhilarating musical masterpiece.

Considered one of the greatest of all requiems, Verdi’s soaring requiem is filled with recognisable musical moments, from the dramatic and despairing ‘dies Irae’ with its thunderous percussion and brass to the imploring beauty of the ‘lacrimosa’ that grows in its intensity with every phrase. this work is filled with Verdi’s trademark glorious melodies and is of great personal significance for the composer.

don’t miss this final opportunity to see paul conduct wAso at the perth Concert hall.

Verdi’s Requiem friday 6 & saturday 7 december, 7.30pm perth Concert hall

for bookings phone wAso on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au

“Verdi is to music what shakespeare is to theatre: the deepest universal truths expressed with intense, direct sincerity.” pAul dAnIel

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After your incredible WASO debut in 2011 we are delighted to see you return to Perth to perform Schumann’s Cello Concerto. What should we listen out for in this beautiful concerto?

I am very happy to come back to perth and I am even happier to be able to play one of the most gorgeous concertos around. schumann wrote it at a very good time of his life, returning to düsseldorf, being respected and loved by the musicians he was working with and he wrote this very positive cello concerto. strangely enough, in the tradition of cello playing this piece has become more and more tragic; cellists tend to stress the fact that schumann’s life ended miserably when this particular concerto is actually full of life, love, hope, joy, humour, but obviously also some sadness, as every romantic soul carries melancholy in it. for me it’s like a great love song, and I hope we can perform it as such – until the last movement, which tries to be virtuosic but fails in a very funny and entertaining way!

Apart from Schumann’s Cello Concerto what other works do you love to perform?

while the schumann Concerto is pretty hard work to pull off (technically it doesn’t sound like much, but it is very tricky and difficult to play really well), I always find it incredibly rewarding to perform the dvořák Concerto – it is such a masterpiece of a concerto, almost like a symphony with a very important cello part and somehow, maybe because my grandfather was Czech, I feel very deeply connected with this work. Another, completely different concerto, which I premiered four years ago and maybe the most demanding cello concerto out there, is the one by unsuk Chin. great colours and incredible emotions, she found her own language without leaving the audience out in the rain – she brings them in, they get touched and affected by this heavenly music which, at the same time, doesn’t try to please.

Your touring schedule takes you all over the world, are there any special places that you love to return to?

yes – home! seriously, I love playing music, and I love to do that in all different contexts, as a soloist, chamber musician, with an orchestra, alone, and somehow I enjoy the lonely life of a musician; if not, I would have taken a professor position by now and stopped criss-crossing the various oceans. But at the end of the day, I never like to stay away too long, as I feel my very best in the midst of my little family. If I had to pick a place where I loved going in the past year, it probably would be the Bravo Colorado festival in Vail, where I played the elgar Concerto with the philadelphia orchestra. why? I had my son with me and we spent a wonderful week of holidays afterwards!

Recently you have performed all of Bach’s cello suites in different train stations and public spaces across Europe and America. What inspired you to do this?

In 2010 I embarked on a so-called radio tour: travelling in northern germany for a week to different radio stations and giving a free concert of the Bach suites – the listeners had to call in, suggest the venue and provide the audience! I ended up playing at a maternity ward, a fitness studio, a café and the headquarters of some anti-nuclear waste protesters in a pub in the middle of nowhere. when I suggested it to the Cleveland orchestra they set up a Bach concert at a local supermarket. people reacted incredibly well; people who

spotlight on Alban gerhardt

had never heard a single piece by Bach listened to the entire suites (including all repeats!). now I am convinced that although Bach wrote the bible for us cellists, his genius can be understood and appreciated by everybody.

on the train home after the last performance of this radio tour, I saw a musical performance of some kind in the main train station in Berlin. Immediately I thought of the idea of performing Bach there. A year later, amplified only by a small, portable sound system, I played all the suites there and the success was huge: hundreds of people came, stopped by, listened and were touched. one lady even claimed that she had never listened so intensely to any music; in concerts she often dozes off, but during that performance at the train station, because of all the distracting noises by trains and other disturbances, in order to focus on the music she had to listen so carefully and concentrate so hard that she got more out of it than during a normal concert in a normal hall. Bach’s music transformed the train station into a concert hall.

© Thomas Rabsch

Alban gerhardt in concertCheVron AustrAlIA mAsters serIes

Asher Fisch Conducts Schumann & Brahmsfriday 6 & saturday 7 september, 7.30pm perth Concert hall

Meet the Artist with Alban Gerdhardt post-concert friday night

Alban Gerhardt in Recitalmonday 9 september, 7.30pm government house Ballroom

for bookings phone wAso on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au

Alban Gerhardt.

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thanks to major tour partner water Corporation, with the support of rAC, wAso will be hitting the road again in late August for a wAso on the road tour through the wheatbelt and the great southern regions.

the latest wAso on the road will see a trio of string musicians, along with presenter Kathy Corecig, visit towns from northam to Albany, performing three free community concerts and visiting six schools along the way from 26 to 30 August.

the string trio, also known as Swan Virtuosi, is made up of wAso’s Associate Concertmaster, margaret Blades, Associate principal Cello, louise mcKay, and former Australian string Quartet principal Viola, sally Boud. Boasting an impressive combination of musical credentials between them, they will be sure to engage adults and children alike through their inspiring music making, skills and knowledge.

the school program is a chance for students to learn about instruments they may have never seen or heard before. the free concerts are a rare opportunity for communities to hear a small ensemble perform a mix of light classical repertoire and more interactive pieces including a new song commissioned by wAso especially for this tour. Audiences will also be able to learn about the music as the presenter introduces the concert pieces.

water Corporation’s general manager Communications Karen willis said, “water Corporation is proud to support regional community initiatives which make wA a great place to live. our partnership with

wAso on the road helps us to connect with communities by bringing the joy and enchantment of classical music to school children and families across the state.”

the rAC, who have returned as a sponsor of wAso in 2013, are supporting a wAso on the road tour for the first time. “the rAC is supporting wAso to undertake the tour enabling the local community and school students the opportunity to experience classical music whilst raising awareness of road safety,” said rAC sponsorship manager Carina lauder. “the rAC has been an integral part of the western Australian community for more than 100 years and is committed to giving back to rAC members and the wider community.”

water Corporation and rAC join forces to take wAso on the road

Swan Virtuosi: Louise McKay (Associate Principal Cello), Sally Boud & Margaret Blades (Associate Concertmaster).

© Peter Jones

three free community concerts will be held across the wheatbelt and great southern regions during the week of the tour. we welcome all local communities and visitors to come and experience a wAso concert.

Monday 26 August, 6pm northam town hall

Tuesday 27 August, 6pm narrogin town hall

Thursday 29 August, 6pm Albany town hall

for more information visit waso.com.au

Pre-Concert Talk Speakersfree talks are held on the terrace level of the perth Concert hall at 6.45pm prior to every Classics and masters concert. morning symphony talks take place on the stage of the perth Concert hall at 9.40am prior to each concert.

Mozart & Mendelssohn/Tchaikovsky’s Violin Concerto thu 8, fri 9 & sat 10 August professor margaret seares

Mozart & Mahler fri 23 & sat 24 August Brendon pearn

Asher Fisch Conducts thu 5, fri 6 & sat 7 september yvonne frindle

Ingrid Fliter Plays Chopin fri 13 & sat 14 september william yeoman

Beethoven’s Pastoral Symphony thu 10, fri 11 & sat 12 october Callum moncrieff

Strauss & Ravel fri 18 & sat 19 october marilyn phillips

Sol Gabetta Plays Dvořák thu 14, fri 15 & sat 16 november tim white

Jean-Yves Thibaudet Plays Gerswhin fri 29 & sat 30 november Cassandra lake

Verdi’s Requiem fri 6 & sat 7 december dr John shepherd

Post-Concert Meet The Artist following the concert on friday evening join guest artists in the terrace level foyer for an informal interview.

Asher Fisch Conductsfri 6 september Alban gerhardt

Verdi’s Requiemsat 7 december paul daniel (principal Conductor)

Pre-Concert Talks and Meet the Artist are supported by Wesfarmers Arts.

Post-Concert Meet The Musicianfollowing the concert on saturday evening join us in the terrace level foyer for an informal interview with one of wAso’s talented musicians. 

Mozart & Mahler sat 24 August Alexander millier (principal Bass Clarinet)

Strauss & Ravel sat 19 october margaret Blades (Associate Concertmaster)

Meet the Musician is supported by Alessandrino Property Group.

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private giving

we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made a donation to wAso this year. our Annual giving program is vital in sustaining and building our main stage concert series and supporting our fine community of musicians and visiting artists. to those patrons who renew each year, we enjoy working in partnership with you to ensure wAso remains integral to all our lives, bringing beautiful, exciting and challenging music to you and your families, year after year. your ongoing commitment is deeply appreciated.

thank you, and also welcome, to all the new patrons who have made a donation for the first time. we look forward to welcoming you to the many patron events held each year and to you being part of our special community of supporters. the commitment of our patrons is directly linked to our success and each year our growing patron community helps to sustain and build our programs and bring the finest quality music to audiences in the perth Concert hall and in the broader community.

our patrons support what we do by making a donation of $500 or more, strengthening the ongoing financial viability of the orchestra, helping us build a strong,

vibrant orchestra for this state and bringing joy to many thousands of people.

wAso patrons enjoy exclusive opportunities to become more deeply engaged with the orchestra, to meet musicians and visiting artists and to learn more about what happens ‘behind the scenes’. earlier this year 20 lucky patrons experienced what it was like to be a wAso musician, joining the orchestra on stage at the perth Concert hall for a full rehearsal and performance of the Toy Symphony with principal Conductor paul daniel – an experience that will not be forgotten!

patrons also enjoy, in addition to many other events, the opportunity to attend our International Artist masterclasses (supported by Apache), where world-class visiting artists share their knowledge with emerging young musicians from western Australia. this year we have so far enjoyed two wonderful masterclasses at uwA with cellist pieter wispelwey and the extraordinary young pianist denis Kozhukhin (read more about our masterclasses on page 12). reports of all our special events can be read in our quarterly Encore magazine for patrons and friends, along with all the news in and around the wAso patron community.

We invite you to become a Patron in 2013 and join us on our wonderful musical journey.

your generosity as a patron will be acknowledged in our Classics and masters series programs, as well as on our website, unless anonymity is requested. But above all you will know that your donation directly supports wAso’s ability to achieve its vision to touch souls and enrich lives through music.

to make a donation to wAso or to learn more, please contact our philanthropy team:Alecia Benzie, Executive Manager, Private Giving 9326 0020 or benziea@waso.com.auJane Clare, Fundraising and Philanthropy Officer 9326 0014 or clarej@waso.com.au

find our more by going to our website at waso.com.au and clicking ‘support’. It is also quick and easy to log in and make a donation online by clicking the red make a donation button. donations above $2 are fully tax deductible.

We thank you for your support.

thank you to wAso patrons

Patron Frances Morrell enjoys getting up close and personal with WASO musicians, performing the part of the cuckoo at the Patrons' Toy Symphony.

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private giving

reaching out supporting our community engagement and education programswAso’s philanthropic reach out campaign acknowledges the individuals, trusts and foundations that support wAso’s Community engagement and education programs. we are extremely proud of our programs that bring the joy of music to many thousands of west Australians who may not be able to access performances at the perth Concert hall.

remember your first musical experience? there is a good chance it was not in a concert hall. perhaps it was in a community hall, at school or even on the radio. our musical memories are powerful and wAso plays an integral role in helping build those musical moments that shape and define our lives. we continue to work hard to create memorable musical entry points and pathways, both inside and outside the perth Concert hall, for as many western Australians as possible. Be this for a family in roebourne, a sick child in hospital, a first-time ticket buyer or a seasoned wAso subscriber, each experience is a moment of musical magic.

our reach is vast and continues to grow. for example, wAso musicians playing in our hospital orchestra project bring musical joy to the lives of very ill children, their families and the staff at princess margaret hospital six times a year.

our musicians also visit schools for students with severe disabilities, performing well-known songs and familiar classical pieces. these wonderful programs provide young

people and their carers with the opportunity to interact with the musicians and take part in the performance.

regional touring takes wAso ensembles all over the state from the pilbara to the great southern region, performing school and community concerts and giving young audience members the opportunity to have a go on student-sized instruments.

we want to thank the following foundations for their ongoing philanthropic partnerships with wAso that support our Community engagement and education programs:

the mcCusker Charitable foundation who support our Composition project, International Artist masterclasses and the orchestral training project.

simon lee foundation for supporting our Artist in residence programs. for 2013 this is wAso’s Assistant Conductor, Christopher dragon. Christopher is currently undertaking a study tour in europe which is, in part, supported through the funds provided by simon lee foundation.

the James galvin foundation broadly supports our young & emerging Artist programs.

Individuals can also support reach out. for example, one patron makes an annual donation which we utilise to purchase 200 tickets for music students to see conductor simone young in concert.

you can help us create magical musical moments for children and families across the state by making a donation to our reach out campaign today. to learn more, please call Jane Clare, fundraising and philanthropy officer, on 9326 0014 or email clarej@waso.com.au.

The Hospital Orchestra Project is presented in partnership with John Holland.

The International Masterclass program is supported by Apache.

The Orchestral Training Program is supported by ConocoPhillips.

WASO’s regional tours are supported by Chevron Australia, Water Corporation, RAC and Mitsubishi Corporation.

L-R: Oliver McAslan (cello) assists a young student at John Calvin Christian College to 'have-a-go' on the cello. Composition Project participant Suzanne Kosowitz with James Ledger.

© Nik Babic

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patrons and friends eventseach year, many events are held specially for our community of patrons and friends, offering unique access to our orchestra. All income raised from these events supports the friends of wAso scholarship.

To book for these events please call the WASO Box Office on 9326 0000.

Meet the Double BassesSunday 15 September, 2.30pm Llew Woodford Function Centre, Penrhos College

meet the ‘grandfathers’ of wAso, the double basses. Between listening to some lovely music, learn more about these majestic instruments and the musicians that play them. Catch up on wAso news over nibbles and a glass of wine.

Tickets are $42 for Patrons and Friends and $45 for guests.

Private Giving Partner

WASO in Rehearsal FourFriday 18 October, 10am Perth Concert Hall strauss & ravel

would you like to see how an orchestral rehearsal is run? Attend wAso in rehearsal and get a ‘behind the scenes’ insight into the orchestra. you will have the chance to mingle with players and guest artists over morning tea at the perth Concert hall. please feel free to arrive a little early and join the informative pre-rehearsal talk at 9.30am.

Tickets are $25 for Patrons and Friends and $30 for guests, including a lovely morning tea with the musicians.

Annual Patrons and Friends Christmas PartyThursday 12 December, 4.30pm Perth Concert Hall

our annual Christmas party is always great fun and a lovely opportunity to celebrate a year of wonderful music together. this year, however, is particularly special as it will be your last opportunity to watch and listen to the last hour of principal Conductor paul daniel’s rehearsal of symphony in the City. you can then join maestro daniel and our wAso musicians for a stand up light dinner and drinks.

Tickets are $45 for Patrons and Friends and $55 for guests.

2013 friends of wAso scholarship winnersearlier this year, we were delighted to announce that the winners of the 2013 friends of wAso scholarship are principal Viola, giovanni pasini and principal trombone, Joshua davis.

giovanni will use the scholarship funds to further his conducting study through a program offered by symphony services representing a major investment in Australian resident talent. giovanni says, “I am extremely happy and honoured to accept this scholarship. studying conducting gives me a privileged point of view over a score, stimulates my curiosity and gives me a new perspective of my own job in the orchestra as a musician. It also helps me understand conductors better when they work with me and my colleagues.”

In addition to his role as principal trombone, Josh has arranged music for wAso, both for full orchestra and for the education chamber group eCho, and he plans to use the scholarship to further his skills in this area. Josh says, “to be given the opportunity to continue my study of orchestration gives me confidence in the product that I give to both wAso and

the wider musical world.” he has lined up some orchestration lessons with Jessica wells, a wonderful teacher in sydney, and has also been researching libraries of recorded orchestral instruments to aid his studies as an arranger. Josh says, “now I can compose with the sound of a real orchestra in front of me!”

president of the patrons and friends Committee, robyn glindemann said, “It was an easy decision to support giovanni and Josh’s applications. the benefits that these two fine musicians will bring to the orchestra as a result of their studies vividly demonstrate why the scholarship is so important,” explains robyn. “It’s so exciting for patrons and friends to be able to contribute in this way.”

we look forward to learning more about giovanni and Josh’s progress through the year. wAso and the wAso patrons and friends Committee warmly congratulate giovanni and Josh on their success.

© Matt Galligan

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private giving

our very special community of bequestors, our symphony Circle, were joined by Conductor laureate Vladimir Verbitsky, his wife nellie, Chairman Janet holmes à Court AC, other Board members and emeritus wAso musicians for lunch at frasers restaurant in Kings park in may.

the food was accompanied by wonderful music from principal Viola giovanni pasini and principal Cello rod mcgrath, who performed the Allegro from Beethoven’s duo for viola and cello With Two Pairs of Obbligato Eyeglasses, and the theme with Variations from Karl ditters von dittersdorf’s duo for viola and cello.

this lovely lunch was our opportunity to thank our bequestors for their support and generosity. the decision to make a bequest to wAso is deeply appreciated and through these gifts we help ensure that wAso remains a part of the lives of future generations of west Australians.

to learn more about making a bequest please contact Alecia Benzie, executive manager, private giving, on 08 9326 0020 or email benziea@waso.com.au. All enquiries are treated in confidence.

thank you to frasers for supporting this wonderful event.

Bequestor Judy Sienkiewicz, Conductor Laureate Vladimir Verbitsky and Nellie Verbitsky.

symphony Circle lunch with maestro Verbitsky

Celeste and brass campaignwe are over half way there – thank you!

we are delighted to announce that we have raised nearly $50,000 towards our goal of $80,000 to purchase a new celeste and five german trombones. thank you to everyone who has donated so far – every gift makes a difference!

excitingly, we have now placed an order for a new celeste from europe! All our donors will be invited to ‘meet’ and hear the beautiful new instrument when it arrives in perth. Although wAso’s keyboard players graeme gilling and Adam pinto are certainly fond of our ‘old’ celeste, the damage it sustained while being transported a few years ago means that it has been less than reliable at critical moments on stage. they are looking forward to the new instrument’s heavenly sound.

we are also very pleased to announce that patrons and subscribers Andrew and suzanne poli have made a generous donation to cover the cost of the cases for the five german trombones.

now all we have to do is fill them!

In anticipation of the arrival of our principal Conductor designate Asher fisch, who specialises in german repertoire, we hope to purchase:

Two German tenor trombones $6,300 each A German bass trombone $9,900 A German contrabass trombone $12,600 A German bass trumpet $7,300

we seek your support in raising the funds to purchase these fine hand-crafted instruments. every donation helps us towards our goal of creating an authentic german sound – the sound mahler, Brahms, wagner and strauss would have heard in their day.

To make a donation please complete the enclosed form or contact Jane on 9326 0014 or clarej@waso.com.au. to donate online go to waso.com.au, click on the red make a donation button and choose Celeste & Brass from the drop-down menu. logging in to donate online is quick and easy.

All donations over $2 are tax deductible. Thank you for your support.

$80,000

$50,000$60,000

$70,000

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lachlan skipworth awarded early career residency earlier this year west Australian composer lachlan skipworth was awarded $30,000 by the Australia Council to undertake an early Career residency with wAso. the residency will begin in november and take place over a period of six months. It will include a series of workshops and rehearsals that will culminate in the composition and recording of at least one new work for symphony orchestra in 2014.

the Australia Council’s early Career residencies program provides an opportunity for artists like lachlan to develop and implement creative projects, while being supported in a host organisation or venue. A hosted residency provides creative practitioners in the early stages of their career with the support to connect with new networks, new collaborators and provide new resources to develop and create work.

lachlan describes the early Career residency as a unique and exciting opportunity. “this rare chance to write a substantial piece for full orchestra is already challenging me to think bigger and bolder than I have before,” he explains. “I’m very thankful that wAso has supported my application and I’m looking forward to working with the musicians and presenting our results at the conclusion of the residency.”

this residency continues lachlan’s association with wAso which began last year when he took part in the Composition project, under the guidance of wAso’s former Composer-in-residence, James ledger. Before lachlan’s residency commences, audiences will be able to hear one of his compositions Afterglow as part of frontiers, the second concert in wAso’s latitude new music festival in August. Afterglow was premiered by the melbourne symphony orchestra in April as part of their metropolis new music series.

wAso news

on 2 June eve silver (cello) and peter miller (trumpet) welcomed Charlotte Annelies miller into the world. she was born at mercy hospital weighing 4.17kg (9.193lbs) after a very long labour and then an emergency c-section.

georgie elizabeth Brannigan was born on 14 June at 9.28pm, weighing 4.191 kgs (9.24lbs). first baby for susan Brannigan (Corporate development Coordinator) and her husband scott. georgie kept her parents waiting, arriving 10 days after her due date!

subscriber benefits 2013use your west Australian symphony orchestra subscriber card to receive some great discounts and special privileges from the following companies:

ABC shopsAdelaide symphony orchestraAustralian Chamber orchestraBlack swan state theatre CompanyClairault winesellington Jazz Club grace removals grouphutton wineshyatt regency perthlimelight magazineluna palace Cinemas

melbourne symphony orchestra musica Vivaopera Australiaperth Concert hallthe perth mintperth theatre Companythe Queensland orchestrastella Bella wines margaret riversydney symphony tasmania symphony orchestraVasse felix

west Australian Balletwest Australian operawest Australian youth Jazz orchestrawest Australian youth music Association

All you need to do is show your 2013 wAso subscriber card to take advantage of some great deals. Visit waso.com.au for further details.

© Nik Babic

Lachlan Skipworth.

on 4 June the first child of ellen wisdom (human resources Adviser) and her husband Jeremy entered the world. leo michael forbes wisdom was born at mercy hospital at 4:02pm, weighing 3.195kg (7.043lbs).

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mark the date in your diaries!It’s almost that time of year again – in just a few weeks we’ll reveal our new season! wAso’s 2014 season will be launched on tuesday 10 september and we can’t wait to share it with you.

we don’t want to give away too much but we can tell you that we have many exciting highlights planned for 2014 including one very special event, never before held in perth – you won’t want to miss this! our 2014 season will also be the first with our next principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser, Asher fisch, and we look forward to welcoming him in his new role with wAso. As always we’ll be offering a priority renewal deadline for existing subscribers, so be sure to get your renewal in by 5pm on friday 11 october to ensure you get the best seats in the house, along with lower prices and a range of additional benefits. you can save time by renewing your subscription online at waso.com.au from 9am on 10 september.

Join hundreds of voices for a sunday afternoon of singing would you like the opportunity to perform with the west Australian symphony orchestra and the wAso Chorus?

the Big sing is happening again in october and 2013 will be the sixth year that this wonderful free event has been hosted by the wAso Chorus. the Big sing is an opportunity for singers from perth and surrounds to come together and perform well-known choral excerpts in the wonderful acoustic of the perth Concert hall. previous events have seen in excess of 800 people come together to celebrate the joy of choral music. singers of all ages and abilities are welcome!

this year’s all mozart and haydn program will include works from The Creation and the Nelson Mass. participants will run through a rehearsal with wAso Chorus director marilyn phillips and accompanist lea hayward before joining forces with wAso at the end of the day to enjoy a rousing performance, when you’ll enjoy singing as part of a massed chorus of up to 1000 voices.

participants will be able to download the repertoire from the wAso website prior to the event, and prepare the selected works in advance. participants who do not have access to the internet can be posted music if requested at the time of registration.

the event will finish around 4.30pm after which you’ll have the opportunity to stay and chat to members of the orchestra and wAso Chorus over a cup of tea. the perth Concert hall bars will also be open should you wish to purchase a drink or two.

the Big sing is a free community event. participants are asked for a gold coin donation on the day. to book your seat, call the wAso Box office on 9326 0000. the event fills up quickly so be sure to book soon so you don’t miss out!

The Big Sing sunday 20 october, 1.30pm perth Concert hall

The Big Sing.

wAso welcomeswAso is delighted to welcome Chloe turner to the position of principal Contrabassoon in october. Chloe completed her Bachelor of music degree with honours in 2008 at the university of melbourne after having received a full scholarship to study with Brock Imison.  

for the past four years, Chloe has enjoyed the support of the tallis foundation, a bursary fund administered by the peninsula music society for the benefit of gifted young musicians. In 2008 she was a prize winner in the sydney double reed Competition. Chloe studied with elise millman at the Australian national Academy of music in 2009 and early 2011, and in 2010 she participated in the sydney symphony fellowship program. 

Chloe has performed regularly with the sydney, melbourne, Queensland, tasmanian and west Australian symphony orchestras. last year Chloe was Contrabassoonist for the hong Kong philharmonic orchestra and she is currently working with the melbourne symphony orchestra before she takes up her position with wAso later this year.

Chloe says she is “looking forward to working with such a talented group of musicians and discovering perth and all the amazing sights it has to offer”.

Chloe Turner.10

Jared Yapp – The Ecstaticworld premiere in latitude – perspectives, wednesday 14 August 2013 at the Astor theatre

This commission was supported by an anonymous Patron.

Lachlan Skipworth – Afterglow western Australian premiere in latitude – frontiers, saturday 17 August 2013 at the Astor theatre

James Ledger – Golden Yearsworld premiere in strauss & ravel, friday 18 & saturday 19 october 2013 at the perth Concert hall

This work was commissioned by Patron Geoff Stearn for WASO.

for bookings phone wAso on 9326 0000 or visit waso.com.au

from composition project to commissionwAso is at the forefront of Australian orchestras in commissioning original works from the country’s leading composers, as well as the development of the next generation of composers through its annual Composition project.

the Composition project gives emerging composers the opportunity to write a new work for wAso’s 15-piece education Chamber orchestra (eCho). the program includes tuition from western Australian composer James ledger, workshops with wAso musicians and a performance at ABC studio 620 which is also recorded. this project has been a vital component of wAso’s young and emerging Artists program since 2009.

this year four tertiary composition students were selected to take part in the project: leonard madden and suzanne Kosowitz from the wA Academy of performing Arts (wAApA) and John pax and John Barton from the the university of western Australian (uwA). As the three-month project unfolded, musical sketches evolved into drafts and finally emerged as four very different and finely crafted works that were performed to a live audience on 4 June. the wAso musicians were presented with an exciting array of musical challenges, allowing them to explore techniques and textures not often found in orchestral repertoire. the Composition project continues to be a highly rewarding one for composers, musicians and audiences alike, giving the next generation of western Australian composers an opportunity to develop their methods with some of wAso’s best musicians, all under the guiding hand of an established composer.

Jared yapp and lachlan skipworth participated in the Composition project in 2011 and 2012 respectively and both have since been rewarded with more invaluable opportunities to further their careers. lachlan was recently awarded a grant by the Australia Council for an early Career residency with wAso (more details on page 9) and late last year Jared received his first commission to write a work for wAso’s 2013 latitude new music festival.

Jared describes his time in wAso’s Composition project as a true watershed moment, saying “there’s not much that can prepare you for how awesome it feels when the first note of your piece is played in concert.” since his involvement in the project, Jared participated in the composition program at the Australian youth orchestra’s national music Camp with tutor Iain grandage, completed his Bachelor of music degree at uwA and has continued studies on the viola.

his training in composition has recently taken another stride forward with his acceptance into the 2013 Composition sessions summer school held by the fondation royaumont in france.

Jared admits that when he received the email inviting him to compose a new work for latitude his first thought was that the email was probably just an admin error! But when reality set in and he realised he had received his first commission he said he was “beaming for weeks on end, feeling so honoured and thankful to wAso”. Jared’s commission was made possible thanks to the support of an anonymous patron and it will be added to the wAso song Book, which currently includes works commissioned by wAso or wAso patrons over the last four years.

Jared’s work, The Ecstatic was composed for viola and orchestra, a perfect fit for a composer who is also a viola player. when asked about his approach to writing this work, Jared explained, “the most important part of the process for me is figuring out the reason for the viola being the soloist. the viola is such a mysterious instrument not only in tone colour, but also in its role in ensembles, and so giving it the leading part in the orchestra is a very special and profound act, perhaps more so (dare I say) than a violin or cello.” Jared says his favourite music can come from composers ranging from ravel to philip glass and contemporary artists such as Alpine.

The Ecstatic will receive its world premiere on wednesday 14 August in wAso’s first concert of the latitude new music festival, perspectives. lachlan will have his work Afterglow performed in the second concert of latitude this year while mentor to both composers, James ledger, will have his new violin concerto, Golden Years, performed just two months later by Associate Concertmaster margaret Blades at the strauss & ravel concerts in october.

the Ecstatic and Golden Years are part of the wAso song Book. If you are interested in being a part of the wAso song Book please contact Alecia Benzie, executive manager, private giving on 9326 0020 or benziea@waso.com.au

The McCusker Charitable Foundation supports WASO’s Young & Emerging Artist programs.

Top to bottom: Jared Yapp, Lachlan Skipworth & James Ledger.

Chloe Turner. 11

we would like to hear what you think about Illuminating Notes. All feedback is welcome. please send your comments to waso@waso.com.au with the words Illuminating Notes in the subject line.feedBACK

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International artist masterclass programwAso has a firm commitment to providing extraordinary learning experiences for young musicians with professional artists through our young & emerging Artists program, proudly presented in partnership with Apache. with this in mind, wAso offers a series of masterclasses with international guest artists who appear as soloists with us at the perth Concert hall.

the first two masterclasses in the series this year were held in June at the uwA school of music Callaway Auditorium. Anabelle Alberghini, Jeremy huynh and sophie parkinson-stewart performed for dutch cellist pieter wispelwey. everyone in the audience was amused when pieter likened bow technique to taking long strides when ice skating! A week later Benjamin Chia, Andy wang and ryan davies all benefited from the opportunity to perform for russian pianist denis Kozhukhin and enjoyed his beautiful musical analogies. we congratulate the young artists for their mature approach to the opportunity offered by this series.

masterclasses like these are very much a public music lesson – those in the audience can often learn as much as those playing. everyone in attendance at these masterclasses finds them a wonderful way to learn more about the guest international artist’s personality or musical nuances, when they speak about music in this setting. It is wonderful to then hear the guest artist perform as soloist with the orchestra, understanding a little more about the musical mind behind their preparations.

later this year, we are pleased to welcome Baiba skride (violin) and Ingrid fliter (piano)

to work with more of western Australia’s talented young musicians. our guest international artists for the 2014 masterclass program have already been confirmed, and the series will include specialists on violin, viola, piano, clarinet and voice.

Ingrid Fliter appears courtesy of Mitsubishi Corporation.

Pieter Wispelwey appears courtesy of Mitsui & Co (Australia) and Mitsui E&P Australia Pty Ltd.

WASO’s Masterclass Program is presented in partnership with Apache.

The McCusker Charitable Foundation supports WASO’s Young & Emerging Artist programs.

Andy Wang receives guidance from Denis Kozhukhin at a recent Masterclass.

© Nik Babic