Annual Report 2020
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2020 Annual Report CONTENTS GOVERNOR’S MESSAGE OUR MUSICIANS 1 HIGHLIGHTS 3 CHAIRMAN’S REPORT 5 CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REPORT 7 PERFORMANCE SUMMARY 9 OUR STABILITY 12 OUR DELIVERY 16 OUR ART 22 OUR INNOVATION 28 OUR PEOPLE 32 OUR BOARD 35 OUR MANAGEMENT 40 OUR PARTNERS 42 CORPORATE GOVERNANCE 49 OUR FINANCIALS 52 Queensland Symphony Orchestra At Queensland Symphony Orchestra, we create experiences that become extraordinary when shared. Powered by music, our passionate and talented team works hard on and off the stage to bring out the best in people, and share in a sense of wonderment and excitement that is truly for everyone to enjoy. QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 1 QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT OUR MUSICIANS Thank you to all of our special supporters who are part of the Music Chair Program. CONCERTMASTER VIOLIN 2 CELLO OBOE TRUMPET ~ Section Principal Warwick Adeney Gail Aitken ~ David Lale ~ (retired 18 Aug) Huw Jones ~ Richard Madden >> = = Acting Section Principal Prof Ian Frazer AC and Mrs Caroline Frazer Dr John H. Casey Arthur Waring Prof Ian Gough AM and Dr Ruth Gough Mrs Andrea Kriewaldt >> Associate Principal Estate of Barbara Jean Hebden Elinor and Tony Travers + Acting Associate Principal Cathryn Mittelheuser AM Wayne Brennan ~ Hyung Suk Bae >> = Sarah Meagher >> * Principal John Story AO and Georgina Story David Miller John Story AO and Georgina Story Sarah and Mark Combe Paul Rawson + Dr Pamela Greet and Mr Nicholas Beaton ^ Acting Principal ASSOCIATE CONCERTMASTER Katie Betts Matthew Kinmont + Alexa Murray # Contract Dr Geoffrey Trim Dr Julie Beeby Guy and Kathleen Knopke Alan Smith John Story AO and Georgina Story David Miller Dr Les and Mrs Pam Masel TROMBONE Arthur Waring Jason Redman ~ Jane Burroughs Tim Byrne # Frances and Stephen Maitland OAM RFD COR ANGLAIS VIOLIN 1 Dr Graham and Mrs Kate Row Vivienne Brooke * Ashley Carter >> Shane Chen * Kathryn Close Faina Dobrenko Dr Graham and Mrs Kate Row CP Morris The K&D/S&R Anketell Foundation Jessica Read The Curavis Fund Lara Baker-Finch # Andre Duthoit CLARINET BASS TROMBONE Simon Dobrenko Anne Shipton The Curavis Fund Irit Silver ~ Tom Coyle * (retired 28 Aug) Linda Carello (retired 17 Feb) Arthur Waring Matthew Jones Ceridwen Jones # MJ Bellotti Matthew McGeachin ^ # Lynn Cole Brian Catchlove + = Parascos Eagles Family Delia Kinmont Kaja Skorka The K&D/S&R Anketell Foundation Neil Root Timothy Michaux TUBA Dr Colin and Mrs Noela Kratzing Robin Spencer Anonymous Thomas Allely * Emily Francis # Kate Travers Arthur Waring Natalie Low Dr Julie Beeby Dr Ralph and Mrs Susan Cobcroft Craig Allister Young Ann Holtzapffel Di Jameson Aitken Whyte Lawyers TIMPANI Tim Marchmont BASS CLARINET Tim Corkeron * Dr Geoffrey Trim Rebecca Seymour DOUBLE BASS Nicholas Harmsen * Dr Philip Aitken and Dr Susan Urquhart John Story AO and Georgina Story Peggy Allen Hayes Dr John H. Casey Nicholas Thin Phoebe Russell ~ Simon Mills Sidney Irene Thomas (In Memory) Joan Shih BASSOON PERCUSSION Simon Mills Helen Travers Dušan Walkowicz >> Nicole Tait ~ David Montgomery ~ Amanda Boland Elinor and Tony Travers In Memory of Margaret Mittelheuser AM Dr Graham and Mrs Kate Row Brenda Sullivan Wei Zhang & Ping Luo John Story AO and Georgina Story Heidi Rademacher and In Memory David Mitchell >> = Josh DeMarchi >> of Hans Rademacher Harold Wilson Anne Buchanan Anonymous John and Helen Keep Dr Graham and Mrs Kate Row Dr Michael Daubney Dr Betty Byrne Henderson AM Trevor Rowsell Stephen Tooke Evan Lewis Justin Bullock In Memory of Dr Vicki Knopke HARP Tony and Patricia Keane Michael Kenny and David Gibson CP Morris Jill Atkinson * VIOLA Noel and Geraldine Whittaker Allana Wales # Imants Larsens ~ Paul O’Brien Dr Geoffrey Trim Graeme Rosewarne and Jim O’Neill CONTRABASSOON Brynley White Claire Ramuscak * Graeme Rosewarne and Jim O’Neill Yoko Okayasu >> Ken Poggioli CP Morris Dr Damien Thomson and Dr Glenise Berry Anonymous Sonia Wilson Wei Zhang & Ping Luo Charlotte Burbrook de Vere FRENCH HORN Dr Pamela Greet and Mr Nicholas Beaton FLUTE Malcolm Stewart ~ Alison Mitchell ~ Arthur Waring Nicole Greentree Alan Symons Shirley Leuthner Alex Miller >> Hayley Radke >> Dr Pamela Greet and Mr Nicholas Beaton Bernard Hoey Desmond B Misso Esq. Desmond B Misso Esq. Timothy Skelly + # PICCOLO Kirsten Hulin-Bobart Ian O’Brien * CP Morris Kate Lawson * Dr Geoffrey Trim Dr James R Conner Jann Keir-Haantera Vivienne Collier-Vickers Mrs Helen Sotiriadis Ms Marie Isackson Graham Simpson Lauren Manuel Alan Galwey Dr John H. Casey Nicholas Tomkin Alan Symons 1 QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 2 THE NUMBER OF SUPPORTERS AFTER QSO DELIVERED THE MOST SUCCESSFUL FUNDRAISING YEAR IN 2020 OVER PEOPLE ENGAGED THROUGH CONCERTS, STREAMING, DIGITAL CHANNELS, VIEWS OF QSO’S BABY SHARK AND EDUCATION INITIATIVES ACROSS OUR PLATFORMS FOR OUR MOST POPULAR VIDEO OF THE YEAR, OUR QUEENSLAND STYLE PERFORMANCE OF BABY SHARK PRODUCED FOR EDUCATION PEOPLE SAW QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PERFORM AT THE 2020 AFL GRAND FINAL OF RECORDED VIEWERS STUDIO CONTENT OF QSO DIGITAL PERFORMANCES CONNECTIONS WITH STUDENTS AND TEACHERS YOUTUBE CHANNEL ONLINE OR IN-PERSON GROWTH IN QUEENSLAND QSO VISITED AND PERFORMED TO LIVE PUBLISHED VIA OUR SOCIAL MEDIA CHANNELS 3 QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT QUEENSLAND SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA | 2020 ANNUAL REPORT 4 CHAIR’S REPORT For 73 years Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) has brought joy and In 2020, we were able to visit the regional Queensland community of enrichment through the power of music to Queenslanders, and this continued Gladstone, and in 2021, we have already begun a comprehensive visitation this through 2020 despite the pandemic, lockdowns and changed social program, playing in the west and north of the state. Regional Queensland is distancing laws. a major focus for QSO as we develop a multi-tiered program of working with local education, health, wellbeing and arts communities across our state. While our 2020 season was halted in March due to COVID-19, we found new ways to work together, and to connect with our audiences. The Board and Even as the world’s concert halls remained dark at the end of 2020, we management worked closely to ensure we could move sustainably forward made the exciting decision to appoint QSO’s new musical leader, and and emerge strongly positioned for whenever we entered the post pandemic named Johannes Fritzsch, one of Australia’s leading international conductors, world. We took stock of our financial affairs and modelled all conceivable Principal Conductor and Artistic Adviser. News of his appointment was scenarios. We became confident that we would be in a financial position to applauded around the world and thrilled our musicians. Maestro Fritzsch is provide a commitment to the retention of staff and in particular the retention one of the great musical leaders of his generation; a conductor we can credit of our entire orchestra – all musicians. with building QSO into the world class orchestra it is today, and we were overjoyed that he accepted the offer to return until 2023. Moving forward Ultimately this was financially enhanced through the JobKeeper program, we remain committed to celebrating our musicians, championing local and anchored by our prudent and lean approach to overheads. Quite clearly, composers and being guided by First Nations leaders in telling more First commercial revenues were entirely unpredictable. However, QSO proved itself Nations stories through music. financially and organisationally nimble, allowing us to remain productively active during this period and emerge well positioned for the future. During the pandemic downtime the board took the opportunity to work with management to develop strategies to refresh our organisational culture. The Board and management agreed that during this period it was essential We want QSO to be an employer of choice where everyone is motivated by the that we find new ways to bring our music to Queenslanders. This provided a notion of excellence, and with this in mind we will launch the 2021 and Beyond remarkable opportunity to deepen our understanding of digital distribution Strategic Plan in 2021. and I am pleased to report on the following: We greatly appreciate the ongoing and consistent support of the Federal • We engaged with over five million people through concerts, streaming, Government through the Australia Council and the State Government through digital channels, and education initiatives. Arts Queensland, who acted rapidly to ensure consistency of grant funding • Even over a year of such uncertainty, nine concerts were sold out. through the difficult year. • Ninety-three online performances were published via our social media It has been incredibly fulfilling to see our generous supporters, ticket holders, channels in 2020, our YouTube channel grew by 73.7% and the most partners and friends continue to support, and in many cases increase. We look popular video of the year was our ‘Queensland Style’ performance of forward to giving back joy in our music. Baby Shark, which had over 43,000 views across our platforms! • We connected online or in-person with over 3,800 students and teachers, Thank you to our Board, management and staff who came together as a and were able to perform live to almost 4,000 students, including 14 team developing new concepts, new ideas and remained motivated to ensure schools in regional Queensland. QSO’s success. In particular to our wonderful musicians who engaged in many supportive activities beyond their music to help us through this difficult period. The brilliant ‘Orchestra Over the Fence’ digital series was a direct response to lockdown, and began in mid-April. It was the brainchild of Concertmaster I believe that we have an exceptional team to take QSO forward and produce Warwick Adeney and Section Principal Flute Alison Mitchell who performed results that can only be described as world class. a duet to camera, socially and physically distanced.