Welcome to this anniversary year. Gold cups all around.
My own love of being in a chamber orchestra was born out of my time in SYCO! (Sydney Youth Chamber Orchestra). We were a group of recalcitrant children who met every Friday at the Sydney Conservatorium, where we were tamed by the quietly authoritative visionary cellist and conductor – Mr. John Galloway Painter.
Fifty years ago, this extraordinary Australian, John Painter, formed the Australian Chamber Orchestra. He also played a crucial role in the evolution of our Australian National Academy of Music and served as the Director of both the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and the Canberra School of Music.
John Painter was part of an era of trailblazers who defied norms to create new paths. He inspired me to be resilient, and imbued us with a well-placed and deserved sense of sarcasm and irony; using humour to express disdain or scepticism towards pomposity, self-hubris, or lax behaviour.
Mr. Painter never proclaimed his achievements, so this is our opportunity to declare the importance of his legacy in the history of Australia. While he might be somewhat horrified by the unconventional musical directions we’ve taken, he encouraged the free thinking that characterises the ACO and its audiences.
For this, we thank you, Mr. Painter.
Click here to discover the Australian Chamber Orchestra's 50th anniversary ACO 2025 Season.
Photo: Bob Cooper, courtesy of Australian National University Archives / Simon Lekias
