*Pic: Chas Rader-Shieber, Kathryn Lewek, Julia Lezhneva, stars of Hobart Baroque who have been nominated for three Helpmann Awards • And they were triumphant … Mercury: Stellar award for Baroque performance
Dear Premier Hodgman,
As patrons, arts practitioners, musicians, teachers, administrators and music lovers, we write in support of the continuing growth of Hobart Baroque. Most of us have attended this event, many for the second year running, and all are aware of its extraordinary impact.
New festivals usually take years to establish a reputation and yet this one has already achieved national recognition for originality and excellence in just two years.
By any standards this is a remarkable feat. We understand that almost forty per cent of visitors to this year’s festival came from mainland Australia and that most stayed for between three and five days, figures that have been confirmed by independent research. If Hobart Baroque continues to grow in quality and importance, visitor numbers will surely increase exponentially.
We are particularly impressed by the number of young people, on the thresholds of their careers who have been given the chance to showcase their talents in the programs to date. Amongst them have been many young Tasmanians and those who have travelled to Tasmania to study at its musical institutions.
Tasmania hosts the only dedicated baroque music event in the southern hemisphere. To lose impetus now would be not only a blow to our musical life but also a serious setback to Tasmania’s burgeoning image as a vibrant cultural capital.
We recognise that these are challenging financial times but there is a there is a very clear case for regarding this as an investment with clearly demonstrable results.
We look forward to supporting and attending the festival in 2015 and many years to come. We trust that you and the state government will continue to support this outstanding event.
Yours sincerely,
Renata Kaldor AO and Andrew Kaldor AM
TOGETHER WITH …
Professor Simone Young AM
Chief Executive, Hamburg State Opera, Chief Conductor of the Hamburg Philharmonic, Guest conductor Australian Youth Orchestra.
Andrew Andersons AO
Noel Staunton, Director, Brisbane Festival
David Maloney AM, senior resources counsel Allens, former Chair Sydney Symphony.
Colin Cornish, CEO Australian Youth Orchestra
Professor H. R. Reynolds and the Hon. M. R. Reynolds
Professor Peter Tregear, School of Music, Australian National University, Canberra
Christopher Lawrence, Australian Broadcasting Commission
Genevieve Lilley B. Arch (hons) and Kingsley Wallman BA, LLB, M PD FGAA MIACD
Ian McRae AO, Chair Australian National Academy of Music
Mary Pridmore, Musica Viva, Tasmania.
Stephen Block, former CEO Melbourne Chamber Orchestra, former Executive Director Australian String Quartet.
Mary Vallentine AO, CEO Melbourne Recital Centre
Greg Barns BA, LLB
Hugh Hallard, CEO Renaissance Tours
Daniel Thomas AM, Emeritus Director, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Kenneth von Bibra AM and Berta von Bibra OAM
Richard Flanagan
John Kotzas, CE Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Fergus Linehan, Artistic Director designate, Edinburgh Festival
Lieven Bertels, Director, Sydney Festival
Brian Ritchie, Music Curator, MONA
Mrs. Frances Underwood
Lyndon Terracini AM, Artistic Director, Opera Australia.
Dr. Erin Helyard, School of Music
ANU College of Arts and Social Sciences
Rory Jeffes, Managing Director, Sydney Symphony
Graeme Wood AM
Mrs Caryl McQuestin.
John Kelly, State Cinema, Hobart
Richard Tognetti AO, Artistic Director Australian Chamber Orchestra and Mariboro Festival, Slovenia.
Richard Mills AM, conductor and composer, Artistic Director of Victorian Opera.
All about the Kaldors and why they wrote …
The Kaldors are major philanthropists. Andrew’s brother is a major figure in the contemporary art world and a great collector – he has gifted his entire collection to the Art Gallery of NSW) and has commissioned numerous works from a leading Australian composer.
BRW: Philanthropists Andrew and Renata Kaldor fund world’s first refugee law institution at UNSW
EARLER on Tasmanian Times …
• Martyn Goddard: Hobart Baroque and the Tasmanian economy
• Guardian: Greece forges template for economic recovery …
MEANWHILE in another recession-hit nation …
• Irish Times: Wexford Opera House gets national status
• Luci Pav, in Comments: Oh for god’s sake Will forget the past … just imagine what $43 million dollars – lost on Forestry Tasmania just this year – COULD have generated simply by putting a paltry fraction of that into Hobart Baroque …
