One in particular he highlights is Margaret Sutherland:“Her family thought she needed psychiatric help because she was a woman who tried to be a composer.” Sutherland’s work will be featured at a March event titled Nature’s Majesty.
In addition to the performances, the MSO also has a series of events designed specifically to allow closer engagement in the community, including open rehearsals. In them, Martin has a microphone and explains to observers what he is doing – why a section is being repeated, or why they are tinkering with a certain part of the music.
Martin, who started in his role with the MSO earlier in 2022, has seen this as a year of exploration. What he loves about the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is that they are flexible, that they are willing to take risks. “Danger in a concert is when you go for it,” he reflects. He encourages the musicians to explore their limits, to play as soft as they can, as loud as they can, to not be reined in by fear of imperfection. “When you do music in front of an audience, there is always risk and danger. We get nervous,” he adds with a laugh. “I think this is what makes the concerts special.
“I don’t think my aim is to have a Melbourne Symphony orchestra sound,” Martin says. “In my ideal world, I think what I would like is that the sound of the orchestra is so flexible that we have a different sound for each composer.”