Kia ora,

It is a pleasure to take some time to express my gratitude for your ongoing support of our Orchestra. I consider myself fortunate in that I have been able to match my lifelong love of music with an opportunity to share this with others while performing.

I began learning the cello when I was 10 years old. I am a local – I grew up in Christchurch and from this early age I was able to benefit from the strong musical traditions that had been established in the community. My first cello lessons were at the Christchurch School of Music. I began playing the double bass when I was 14 years old – there were so many cellists in the school orchestra at Cashmere High School! My double bass lessons with Ellen Doyle, were part of the itinerant music scheme which still exists today. I was selected for National Youth Orchestra in my last year of school and this was a pivotal moment for me. This led to a scholarship with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra’s Trainee Scheme. The opportunity to play in the National Youth Orchestra when it toured to Great Britain, China and Japan was something I still treasure.

After a year of study in Sydney I won a position in the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and then returned to Sydney to play in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra for 12 years. Highlights of my time with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra would be touring America in 1988 for the Australian Bicentennial celebrations and performing with Joan Sutherland at the United Nations in New York, playing for performances of the Strauss Four Last Songs with Jessye Norman in Sydney and performing Wagner’s operas Tristan and Isolde and Gotterdammerung.

I have been involved with Christchurch Symphony Orchestra since my return to Christchurch. Over the past few years the standard of musicians playing in the Orchestra has grown considerably and this is an exciting time for the Orchestra with the development of community education programmes and a growing repertoire for the Orchestra. With the ongoing support of the Player Partnership Programme and other sponsors the Orchestra has an exciting future.

Between orchestral commitments I can be found working on the Port Hills, planting native trees, coordinating a trapping programme, and generally keeping fit.

I believe we are extremely fortunate to have this orchestra, which in part, draws upon the rich musical heritage of our city as well as our devoted audiences and sponsors. I look forward to seeing the Orchestra grow from strength to strength.

Please look out for me at the next Lamb & Hayward Masterworks concert and let’s have a drink together after the concert! I’d love to see you.

Ross Radford – CSO Associate Principal Double Bass