Speeches
Friday, 30 May 2025
Reception for the Australian Chamber Orchestra
Rod and I warmly welcome you all to Government House.
This afternoon we gather to celebrate in abundance: 50 years of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, 35 years of Richard Tognetti’s leadership and this weekend’s UKARIA Festival.
During a reception here in 2023, I mentioned that my connection to the ACO began in earnest in 2008, when I heard the orchestra perform at Wigmore Hall in London, when I was Acting High Commissioner. I was captivated!
As Governor, it’s been my pleasure to enjoy several ACO performances, most recently with Abel Selaocoe at the Adelaide Town Hall.
It was, without exaggeration, a phenomenal performance.
The audience’s enthusiasm was at a level I’ve never seen before in Adelaide.
A special experience, it was nonetheless unsurprising, given the ACO’s reputation as one of Australia’s most dynamic performing arts organisations.
I congratulate the ACO on 50 years of explosive performances, bringing together adventurous cross-artform collaborations, breathing fresh life into the canon, and embracing new music and commissions.
In Adelaide we are proud to be a UNESCO creative city of music, home to a strong musical heritage and considerable local talent.
While we celebrate our own, we are also outward looking, seeking creative engagement beyond our borders.
South Australia is home to many classical music lovers, and a strong base of ACO audience members and supporters.
I thank the ACO for regularly touring to Adelaide over the decades, enabling South Australians to experience the energy and spirit of your performances.
As a former diplomat, I also thank the ACO for taking Australian classical music to the world.
As a southern hemisphere nation, we can occasionally be underestimated by our northern hemisphere neighbours on the world stage when it comes to our capacity for cultural and artistic excellence.
The ACO continues to make a significant contribution to disrupting this outdated idea.
Considerable thanks must go to Richard Tognetti in this regard, and I congratulate him on reaching 35 years with the orchestra in 2025.
Richard, thank you for your vision, for your efforts to bring classical music to new audiences, and of course, for your ability to conduct while playing violin simultaneously, which never fails to impress.
I thank your fellow musicians, the ACO board and its staff for the passion and commitment they bring to their roles – integral to the company’s success.
I also thank the ACO supporters here this evening, whose generous contributions help the orchestra to continue its outstanding work.
For those of you attending performances this weekend at UKARIA, I trust you will enjoy yourselves greatly.
Rod and I wish the ACO every success for its future, sharing the beauty and transformative power of classical music with South Australians, Australians and the world.