Some Background on the KPO

The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra enjoys an unrivalled reputation:

• For superb presentations of exciting, interesting music.
• For innovative, community-focussed programs - including the NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition, Kids' Proms concerts, its Composer Workshops, and commissions of special works from leading Australian composers.

Founded in 1971 and now with a pool of more than 150 musicians, the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic is a full-scale community orchestra which consistently receives high critical acclaim for its performances.

The orchestra's annual orchestral program has grown to 3 full symphony concerts and a Spring concert, which features a lighter style of music.

The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra's NSW Secondary Schools Concerto Competition (a competition which now attracts entries from more than 100 of the state's most talented musicians, and celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2008) and a series of Kids' Proms concerts (which provide young children with a unique opportunity to hear good music and to interact with a professional-standard orchestra) are other highlights in the orchestra's annual calendar.

The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic rehearses weekly on Tuesday evenings between 7.30 and 10.30 at the Ku-ring-gai Town Hall. New members are always welcome and should contact the relevant orchestra manager after hours: Violins 9949 7648 or 0410 497 648, Violas 0409 396 619, Cellos 9410 1832 or 0403 852 626, Woodwind 9922 7449, Horns 9489 6940, Trumpets 9482 4746 or 0413 804 298, Other Brass 9978 2342, Percussion 9880 9495 or 0419 630 761.

Central to the development of the orchestra are the Friends of the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra an "inner circle" who support the Orchestra and, in return, receive a range of privileges including free Sunday afternoon chamber concerts.

The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra also has available unique advertising and sponsorship opportunities. To discuss how your business can help the KPO and how the KPO can help your business, please call Peter on 9899 2957.


A Short History of the KPO to 2006

The Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra (KPO) was founded in 1971 by the Chinese-Australian conductor Helen Quach, with the support of the Ku-ring-gai Municipal Council and the Australian Council of the Arts, under the patronage of Alderman J.F. Bennett (Mayor of Ku-ring-gai), Sir Charles Moses (ABC), Rex Hobcroft (Director of the N.S.W. Conservatorium of Music), Sir Bernard Heinze and John Hopkins (both conductors of the SSO).

The initial intention was to provide an opportunity for good amateur musicians to play and perform serious orchestral works under professional guidance. There was a strong response from players both inside and outside the municipality and some sixty members joined up.

Today the KPO draws on a pool of over one hundred players - professional players, music teachers, capable amateurs and advanced students from throughout the Sydney metropolitan area. The orchestra has become an integral part of the cultural life of the Ku-ring-gai community and is now acclaimed as one of Australia's finest community orchestras.

Over the last thirty years the KPO has built significant social and cultural capital in Ku-ring-gai. The orchestra presents an annual series of symphony concerts, and has also contributed to community life through performances for Local Government, local charities, the Sydney Adventist Hospital, Eryldene, the annual Australia Day Concert in Bi-centennial Park, performances with the Sydney Conservatorium Choir, Sydney Youth Jazz Ensemble, Sydney University Graduate Choir and Ballet d'Action.

The orchestra has toured to various regions throughout NSW including Mittagong, Windsor, Wollongong, Singleton and most recently, Taree.

The orchestra has enjoyed presenting outstanding soloist to Ku-ring-gai audiences. Many of Sydney Symphony's finest players (Donald Hazelwood, Catherine Hewgill, Kees Boersman, Ron Prussing and John Cran amongst these) have welcomed the opportunity to perform as soloists. Leading teachers from the Sydney Conservatorium (Phillip Shovk, Christopher Kimber, Mark Walton, Wanda Wilkomirska) and up and coming young soloists (Richard Tognetti, Bill Hennessy, Natalie Chee and Simon Tedeschi) have featured at its concerts. Providing such opportunities for these fine musicians is an important role of community orchestras.

For more than a decade, the KPO has taken a leading role in presenting Australian or contemporary orchestral repertoire side by side more traditional orchestral works. Three works have been commissioned by the orchestra, the most recent being a work by Anne Boyd "...at the rising of the sun...", performed in 2001 to celebrate the Centenary of Federation. In 2005 the KPO gave the world premiere performance of Nigel Butterley's Never this sun, this watcher, a challenging piece specially written for high standard amateur and community orchestras.

In September 2002 the Ku-ring-gai Philharmonic Orchestra was voted Australia's Community Orchestra of the Year by The Orchestras of Australia Network, for having significantly raised the public's perception of orchestras. The KPO received this accolade again in 2004.

Over the years conductor development has been incorporated into its program through conductor workshops or conductor-in-training positions.

Educational projects are a vital component of its annual calendar - the Kids' Proms concerts are now a very popular annual event. Another project that has evolved over the last 22 years is the annual Secondary Schools Concerto Competition where, after two audition rounds, finalists perform a movement from their chosen concerto with the orchestra accompanying them. This is a challenge not only for the very gifted young performers but also for the orchestra who often have seven very different concertos to present at the finals concert. Very few competitions offer so many finalists an opportunity to perform with a professional-standard, complete orchestral accompaniment.

The orchestra has enjoyed the musicianship of many renowned conductors from its inception: Christopher Nicholls 1973 - 1980, Brian Buggy 1981 - 1982 as resident conductor and as guest conductor many times since, Richard Gill 1982 - 1985, David McBride 1985 - 1986, Carl Hammond 1986 - 1990, Neil Flottman 1991 - 1994. Since 1995 the orchestra has been under the direction of Maestro Henryk Pisarek, who is also the Artistic Director of the KPO. He is widely acknowledged as having contributed significantly to raising the orchestra's performance standards. Guest conductors have included such names as Stuart Challender, Carl Pini, Donald Hazelwood, Wilfred Lehmann, Myer Fredman and Simone Young.

The KPO began performing in the Wahroonga Activities Centre. Highlights have been performances in the Sydney Opera House and the Sydney Town Hall. Concerto Competition Finals concerts have been presented in several school venues - Roseville College, Masada College, Sydney Grammar Prep School and Abbotsleigh. The orchestra's current home performance venue is the Ravenswood Centenary Centre Auditorium, Henry Street, Gordon.

A number of players have been involved with the Orchestra for many years. Barbara Cran, Tess Jones, Barbara Robinson, Robert Kitchen, Christopher Bertram, Martin Brown, Elizabeth Acton, Roger Hiller, Suzanne Cattell, Paul Porkony and Louise Keller have all been associated with the Orchestra for 20 years or more.

One of KPO's wishes for the next decade is that Ku-ring-gai builds a modern, world-class performing arts venue for the KPO and the many fine artists and musicians who make Ku-ring-gai their home. Players of the KPO are dedicated to presenting exciting, high quality, varied programs and believe it would be appropriate for the municipality to have an equally exciting, high quality performance venue within Ku-ring-gai in which it could present its concerts to bigger audiences.