| Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra |
 The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra was established as such in 1948 as a result of a partnership between the State Government, the Hobart and Launceston City Councils and the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Since 1923 an amateur orchestra, the Hobart Orchestral Society, had provided concerts for Hobart patrons. In the 1930s the ABC Tasmanian Studio Orchestra was formed and, under conductor Clive Douglas, it provided live radio broadcasts on 7ZL.The outbreak of war delayed the ABC’s decision to create a permanent orchestra in every state. However, the introduction of a four-concert subscription series by the augmented amateur orchestra in 1946 paved the way for the establishment of a permanent professional orchestra. The Tasmanian Orchestra (Agreement) Act of 1948 made provision for an orchestra of 24 full-time members that could be augmented to 31 players for ‘concerts at popular prices, and further augmented for the presentation of subscription concerts’. The gala opening concert at the City Hall was attended by 3000 people and was broadcast live to the mainland. Conducted by Joseph Post and with Tasmanian-born pianist Eileen Joyce as soloist, the concert proved to be an enormous success. From its earliest years the Orchestra provided an annual subscription series, concerts ‘at popular prices’, the ABC Concerto and Vocal Competition Tasmanian final, youth concerts and free school orchestral concerts. Subscription concerts were supplemented by summer and spring festivals, light music festivals and specific-composer festivals. The Orchestra was regarded as the pre-eminent cultural identity for the State. Special events within Tasmania were celebrated with concerts by the Orchestra including the Commonwealth Jubilee in 1951 and the Tasmanian Sesquicentenary in 1953. Building on its roots as a studio orchestra, radio broadcasting became an essential aspect of the Orchestra’s profile. The TSO was the first Australian orchestra to have a weekly radio program, "Journey into Melody" which was broadcast nationally from 1956 until 1969. From the mid-1960s concerts were broadcast on radio and television and this practice continues today. The TSO’s multi-media activities have widened now and it has established a reputation unequalled in Australia for its video clips, film and television productions and TV recordings. The first resident conductor of the Orchestra was Kenneth Murison Bourn. He was succeeded in 1962 by Thomas Matthews, under whose inspirational direction the Orchestra carved a niche as one of the most exciting performing ensembles in Australia. Subsequent conductors have included Thomas Mayer, Vanco Cavdarski, Nicholas Braithwaite and Dobbs Franks, each of whom has been instrumental in shaping the development of the Orchestra. David Porcelijn and Ola Rudner have continued to oversee the TSO's on-going development. Lionel Hickey led the Orchestra from 1948 to 1962 and has been succeeded by talented musicians including Leon La Gruta, Wilfred Jones, William Hennessy and Barbara Jane Gilby. Since its inception, the Orchestra has regularly toured regional Tasmania. Over the last twenty years it has played frequently on the mainland and has toured internationally on several occasions. The Orchestra has performed at the Festival of Perth, the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, the Australian Theatre Festival in Canberra, the Brisbane Biennial and the Adelaide Festival. In 1979, the Orchestra joined the Australian Ballet to undertake a highly successful tour of Greece and Israel. In more recent times the Orchestra has toured to South Korea, Indonesia, China, Argentina, Canada and the USA, and plans for future tours hold exciting promise. The TSO has always championed contemporary music; indeed, the presentation of works by Australian composers was stipulated in the 1948 Act. From the "Take Five" youth series of the 1960s to the New Music Tasmania Festival, the TSO has maintained a commitment to performing contemporary composition and there have been many premiere performances. The Australian Music Centre has awarded the TSO several accolades for its recordings of new music, including the inaugural award for the support of Australian contemporary composition. The TSO has been honoured with many other awards. It was nominated by the Australia Council as the Orchestra of the Year at the International Classical Music Awards in 1992. In 1996 the Orchestra was the proud group winner of the prestigious Sidney Myer Performing Arts Award. Valued at $35,000 the Award honoured past achievement, outstanding performance and sustained contribution, plus the potential to contribute to Australian society through the performing arts. The TSO also pays regularly at a wide variety of community events around the State and TSO members form an integral part of the Tasmanian arts community, participating in teaching, performance and new music activities in addition to their orchestral responsibilities. The central position of the TSO in the Tasmanian community was highlighted in 1995 when, as the ABC was looking at options for cost cutting, over 35,000 signatures were collected on petitions to save the TSO. In recent years, Commonwealth and State Government subsidies have been supplemented by sponsorship from major companies. Melba Recordings performances: |