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We sit down with Richard Gonski, music director of Torbay Symphony Orchestra, to discuss their Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) Inspiration Award 2023, decided by public vote.
Could you tell us a bit about your history working with Torbay Symphony Orchestra?
I moved to Devon from London in 1996 and a few years later was asked to become conductor of what was then the Torbay Light Orchestra. At the first rehearsal, I asked that the orchestra change its name to Torbay Symphony Orchestra (TSO), which they very graciously agreed to.
Since then, we have been steadily working towards our vision of what a modern symphony orchestra should be. Our strapline – Classical – Contemporary – Community – is a good description of that vision. I am very proud of the orchestra’s commitment to performing contemporary music at almost all our concerts, including numerous commissions from UK and international composers. This is very important for me – I love contemporary music and feel very strongly that it is the absolute duty of all symphony orchestras to play new music and to support living composers, especially from the younger generation.
How does your role contribute to Torbay Symphony Orchestra’s community engagement with young people?
The evidence that creative subjects such as music, dance, art and drama improve mental health as well as learning and academic achievement is overwhelming.
The best answer is to work locally and communally. For many years now, TSO has been going into schools with a skeleton orchestra, as well as arranging family days and instrument tasters and encouraging young people to take up a musical instrument. I am also the director of a local Saturday Morning Music School, so we encourage young musicians to join the TSO and have TSO players teach and mentor in return. There is nothing more wonderful than to witness someone who was a relative beginner a few years ago sit in the TSO and play Stravinsky’s Petrushka.
Can you tell us about how it felt to win the Royal Philharmonic Society Inspiration Award?
Celebrations will continue for as long as possible – dopamine levels are very high right now! It was an unbelievable honour to receive this recognition from such a respected society. The RPS was founded by Clementi and after a couple of years they commissioned Beethoven to compose the 9th Symphony – so to be even remotely associated with such a heritage is just wonderful.
What do you hope to achieve in the future?
TSO is always looking to the future – embracing new technologies, improving our musical standards, adopting and experimenting with new ideas, but always with community and education at the core.
We are currently putting together a project on Finnish music and art, which will hopefully happen in December 2023. Finland is a beacon of enlightenment in their attitudes to education and especially the arts. For a small country, they have produced a stream of world-class composers, conductors and musicians and their academic achievements are equally impressive and enviable.
As well as performing two concerts of contemporary Finnish music (and Sibelius of course), it will include art exhibitions, lectures and masterclasses.
Follow Richard Gonski on Twitter and Torbay Symphony Orchestra on Twitter/Facebook
