Celebrating our achievements together through philanthopy: Part II

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE CELEBRATING OUR ACHIEVEMENTS TOGETHER THROUGH PHILANTHROPY 2013-14

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MY SINCERE THANKS TO YOU FOR YOUR PART IN MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE’S CONTINUED SUCCESS

Having marked our 5th Birthday in February, we are now focussed on an expansive future where the benefits of music are shared even more widely – through collaboration in Melbourne Arts Precinct’s outdoor spaces for the SummerSalt Festival – about which you’ll hear more in December; touring and international collaboration; and more programming in the digital space.

Melbourne Recital Centre is at the heart of an inspired global community of musicians and audiences; a singular place that inspires creativity, self-expression, learning and enrichment through music for people from all walks of life.

Melbourne Recital Centre Philanthropic support is essential to the breadth and is one of the world’s best diversity of the Centre’s artistic, education and

programming. With your help, the Centre spaces foraccessibility enjoying music. hosted 511 public concerts and events, including educational and accessibility programs for over 12,000 children and students and over 500 Share the Music participants in 2013/14.

You play a vital role in the ongoing success of Melbourne’s Best Place to Hear. I hope you enjoy this report about the impact that we’ve made together over the past year.

Our donor community now numbers over 3,000, including over 125 patrons of the Music Circle, Leadership Circles and Elisabeth Murdoch Creative Development Fund.

Sincerely,

Every single gift makes a difference to our ability to deliver exceptional music for all, with philanthropy now contributing 9% of the Centre’s annual income.

Mary Vallentine AO Chief Executive Officer

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KEY ACHIEVEMENTS Number of events 5TH BIRTHDAY Access – visitors/users CELEBRATION Number of ticketed attendances Valuethe of tickets sold On 8 February, Centre opened its– online visitors to website Access doors for music Members and subscribers lovers from Volunteer all walks hours of life to joinEducation in a and outreach program participation special day of music Visitor satisfaction making

2011-12

2012-13

2013-14

436

484

511

158,339

160,258

184,243

118,085

141,490

138,635

$4,619,074

$4,361,489

$5,017,643

259,132

342,685

511,934

816

1837

2375

89

435

819

11,890

13,274

12,029

98%

95%

96%

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YOUR DONATION

Every gift adds to our capacity to connect musicians and music lovers from throughout our community.

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In 2013/14 Melbourne Recital Centre’s philanthropy program saw a significant increase in the number of donors from 600 to 3000. The upsurge of support, especially at the ‘grass-roots’ level of online donations from ticket buyers is powerful proof of the value that our audiences place on the Centre, its programs and the artists who perform here. No matter how large or small your gift, it contributes to the Centre’s vibrancy and our ability to bring the best music to Victorians.

Donations enable Melbourne Recital Centre to take a leadership role in supporting the development of talented local artists and remain at the forefront of music practice in Australia.

Your ongoing support is essential and greatly appreciated.

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SHARE THE MUSIC

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SHARE THE MUSIC Share the Music has enabled over 1,650 disadvantaged children and adults to attend concerts since 2010 by providing tickets and transport free of charge. Over 500 of these visits took place in 2013/14 alone and each one was made possible entirely through the generosity of the Centre’s concert-goers.

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LEARNING AND ACCESS

In the last 12 months, the Centre’s Share More Music program engaged over 500 children and adults, providing them enriched opportunities to participate in workshops and meet-the-artist events while visiting the Centre through the Share the Music ticket and transport subsidy scheme. Over 40% of the participants came from regional and rural Victoria, with at least half having repeat experiences of the program within the year.

LEARNING AND ACCESS

Community groups who partner with us for this program come from the In the last 12 months, the Centre’s Share More Music education, vision impairment, youth at risk, mental illness, aged care, migrant program engaged over 500 children and adults, and Indigenous service areas. We are developing the program to provide a providing them enriched opportunities to participate suite of learning resources that will beinavailable online and undertaking a workshops and meet-the-artist events whilecare visiting the that will we hope result in the series of pilots with the aged sector Centre through the Share the program Music ticket and transport extension of the outside the Centre. subsidy scheme. Over 40% of the participants came from regional and rural Victoria, with at least half having repeat experiences of the program within the year.

Community groups who partner with us for this program come from the education, vision impairment, youth at risk, mental illness, aged care, migrant and Indigenous service areas. We are developing the program to provide a suite of learning resources that will be available online and undertaking a series of pilots with the aged care sector that will we hope result in the extension of the program outside the Centre.

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE AND ETIHAD AIRWAYS

ELISABETH MURDOCH CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT FUND

ELISABETH MURDOCH CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT FUND

Providing support to projects that augment the Centre’s artist development and accessibility programs To mark Melbourne Recital Centre’s Fifth Birthday, a year of celebrations commenced with a special Gala Dinner to benefit the Elisabeth Murdoch Creative Development Fund, followed by a wonderful Community Open Day celebration that attracted 5,227 participants on February 8, 2014.

Proceeds from the Gala were directed to workshops associated with the Centre’s Share More Music program and making the Centre’s artistic program accessible to all, including the Fifth Birthday Community Open Day. The Birthday was a joyous affirmation of the power of music to bring together people from all walks of life. Elisabeth Murdoch Hall came to life with a day of live performances by Melbourne musicians while the Salon hosted the Centre’s Local Heroes chamber ensembles and a Bach marathon performed by both members of the public and professional musicians.

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In the Foyers, community groups entertained visitors and a drop-in jazz session was open to anyone with an instrument and the inclination to improvise with some of Melbourne’s best jazz musicians. Activities for kids, a crowd-sourced music composition and panel discussions enlivened the entire venue.

The day ended with The Big Sing, when a 1,200-person-strong choir raised the roof of Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. This inspirational event brought together community choirs from throughout Victoria, led by Jonathan Welch AM and the Choir of Hope and Inspiration. A new commission by Joseph Twist in celebration of the Centre’s five years was premiered.

‘One of the choir members who was sitting next to me said that this was one of his most wonderful experiences in Australia. He was really thankful to everyone who made it possible for he and his family to be part of this beautiful, energetic experience.”

Maneesha Singh Case Manager – Community Detention Program Voices without Borders Choral Program, AMES

AWARDS AND COMPETITIONS

Enabled through gifts to the Elisabeth Murdoch Creative Development Fund

Bach competition

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Now in its fifth year, Melbourne Recital Centre’s Bach Competition is dedicated to young musicians with a passion for the music of J.S. Bach.

In June ten talented finalists took the stage of Elisabeth Murdoch Hall and competed for a $2000 cash prize donated

by Dr Richard Mills AM and two encouragement awards, each valued at $1,000 donated by a generous anonymous patron.

The winner of this year’s Bach Competition was 11-year old cellist Charlotte Miles. Encouragement Awards were presented to 13-year old pianist Tian Tian Lan and 15-year old guitarist Miles Johnston.

Great Romantics Competition This important national competition provides a platform for young musicians passionate about Romantic repertoire, including such luminaries as Brahms, Liszt and Schumann.

Open to soloists, duos or small ensembles, Australia’s talented young musicians battle it out for the prestigious winning prize in the sublime acoustic of Elisabeth Murdoch Hall. Entrants compete for the $6000 Great Romantics Prize plus performance and recording opportunities, as well as other encouragement awards. Gifts from donors support the travel costs of interstate finalists, making this a truly national competition.

In December 2013, young Sydney pianist Tony Lee was awarded the prestigious Dame Elisabeth Murdoch Prize and mezzo-soprano Lotte Betts-Dean from Melbourne was awarded the Kantor Encouragement Prize.

M ASTER CLASS INTERNATIONAL HIGHLIGHTS

Enabled through gifts to the Elisabeth Murdoch Creative Development Fund

The Centre is fast becoming the venue of choice for international music’s brightest stars: Mahler Chamber Orchestra, ‘the best orchestra in the world’ according to La Monde Contemporary artists such as Glen Hansard, Martha Wainwright, KT Tunstall and Suzanne Vega One of Early Music’s great souls’ Jordi Savall and his ensemble Hespèrion XXI in Jerusalem

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Master classes bring together both emerging and mid-career Australian artists with luminaries of world music while they are visiting the Centre.

Great Performers like

Providing memorable experiences for artists and thethisincomparable patrons alike, year the program Murray comprised four master classes involving 16 participants and close Perahia, French duo Katia & to 500 attendees, including students from a number of Marielle Labèque, soprano Susan schools and tertiary music institutions.

Bullock and this year, violinist Daniel Hope, rising star Julia Lehzneva, our own Slava Grigoryan , violinist Karen Gomyo and pianist Joanna MacGregor

SUPPORTED BY THE GREAT PERFORMERS LEADERSHIP CIRCLE AND THE HUGH WILLIAMSON CREATIVE PRODUCTION FUND

MUSIC CIRCLE PATRONS PROGRAM AND LEADERSHIP CIRCLES

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MUSIC CIRCLE AND LEADERSHIP CIRCLES We celebrated our 5th Birthday year with over 125 patrons to the Music Circle and Leadership Circles this year. Their support directly impacts the vitality and depth of the Centre’s concert program, enabling Melbourne Recital Centre to innovate and reach out to new audiences.

Supported by our Music Circle and Leadership patrons, the Centre presented 511 events in 2013-14 featuring 375 Australian ensembles. Visits to the Centre exceeded 180,000 attendances and millions more enjoyed concerts broadcast on ABC Classic FM. Of the 184,243 ticketed attendances nearly 70,000 people attended events presented by the Centre and a further 110,000 attended events by our presenting partners and hirers. The Centre’s own program included 16 world premieres and three Australian premieres, as well as four works commissioned by the Centre.

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE AND ETIHAD AIRWAYS

ENCORE BEQUEST PROGRAM

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THE ESTATE OF BEVERLEY SHELTON

AND MARTIN SCHÖNTHAL

The Encore Bequest program provides sustained support for all aspects of our concert program, artist development and accessibility initiatives.

Larger gifts to the Centre’s Public Fund do enable us to take bigger steps toward planning the future with confidence. However, every bequest improves the Centre’s ability to lead the Australian music scene for generations to come, supporting innovation and excellence.

A gift from the Estate of Beverley Shelton and Martin Schönthal this year has been transformational for the Centre, enabling outreach activities that would otherwise have been far beyond our capacity.

Our Fifth birthday was celebrated in February with a largescale community open day where over 5,000 participants came together to make and share great music.

Beverley and Martin’s gift enabled the Centre to make this full day of joyous, community music-making free of charge and ensured disadvantaged members of our community were involved.

The balance of the bequest now supports our core aims of presenting a diverse range of music to the broadest possible audience through concert presentations, artist development, life-long learning and accessibility initiatives.

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TOWARD TEN YEARS AND 2019 Melbourne Recital Centre belongs to each and every member of the Victorian community. With your help, we have enabled a large and growing audience to engage with quality music and music-making.

Your gift has had direct impact on the vitality and depth of the Centre’s artistic, education and outreach programs, enabling us to innovate, do things differently and reach out to new audiences.

We thank you most sincerely and look forward to continuing this special journey with you in the future.

MELBOURNE RECITAL CENTRE AND ETIHAD AIRWAYS