The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra’s summer concerts at the Sidney Myer Music Bowl are well-known for their accessibility and affordability (they are free, after all!), but this year something is different for the first concert, as the MSO told Classic Melbourne in a press release:
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will dedicate its first Sidney Myer Free Concert on Wednesday 5 February to those affected by the bushfires. All funds raised at the event will be donated to the Australian Red Cross.
“All of us at MSO are extremely saddened by what has occurred in Victoria and throughout our beautiful country,” said MSO Managing Director Sophie Galaise.
“A number of staff and musicians have been directly affected by the bushfires and our hearts go out all Australians, who have been, and continue to be, impacted by this distressing catastrophe.”
MSO has partnered with ABC Classic and the Australian Red Cross to support the Bushfire Disaster Relief through this performance. ABC Classic will broadcast the concert live on radio across Australia from 7.30pm, and donations received on the night will be gifted to the Australian Red Cross to assist their emergency teams supporting thousands of people in evacuation and recovery centres across the country.
“We’d like to thank Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and all of their staff and musicians for leading this incredible initiative and showing such generosity to our emergency teams and the people we help,” said Belinda Dimovski, Head of Engagement and Support at Australian Red Cross.
This special event will also see the on country premiere of Deborah Cheetham AO’s musical acknowledgment of country Long time living here. Performed by Cheetham in the Boon Wurrung language, this work is part of a larger collaborative project between the MSO, Deborah, Short Black Opera, and language custodians and their communities, to create Musical Acknowledgement of Country for each of the 11 official indigenous language groups of Victoria.
The event will be conducted by Tianyi Lu, and will feature performances of works by MSO Cybec Young Composer in Residence, Jordan Moore; Australian composer, Matthew Hindson AM; and Dvořák’s Symphony No.9 From the New World.
For more than 90 years the MSO’s Sidney Myer Free Concerts have been a meeting place for family and friends to share in the power of music. This event will provide an opportunity for the community to come together in this trying time and begin what will be a long and difficult healing process.
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will return to the Sidney Myer Music Bowl stage for two more free concerts on Saturday 8 and Saturday 14 February. Entry is free. For further information visit mso.com.au/bowl
The concert is presented in association with the University of Melbourne, ABC Classic and Australian Red Cross. The Sidney Myer Free Concert series is proudly supported by Sidney Myer MSO Trust Fund.
Red Cross volunteers will be collecting donations on the night. Donations can also be received at redcross.org.au/mso
Sidney Myer Free Concert
Around the World with the MSO
Wednesday 5 February, 7.30pm
Sidney Myer Music Bowl
Entry is free. mso.com.au/bowl
