The Orchestra
The Woollahra Philharmonic Orchestra is the premier community orchestra in Sydney's eastern suburbs. It was established in 1996 by local amateur musicians after receiving backing from Woollahra Municipal Council. With the continued support of Woollahra Municipal Council, the orchestra has steadily grown in stature and is now makes an important contribution to the cultural life of the Woollahra municipality and the wider eastern suburbs of Sydney.
The orchestra comprises up to 50 regular members who come from all walks of life, are of all ages, and range in standard from beginners to professionals. Although we are a diverse group we all share a common goal of playing fine symphonic music in a friendly and encouraging environment.
The orchestra will typically put on 4 public concerts a year with a rehearsal period of about 8-10 weeks for each concert. Rehearsals are held on Monday nights at St Columba's Church, Ocean Street, Woollahra. Our concerts are generally held at Scots College Bellevue Hill on Sunday afternoons.
The orchestra's conductor is Mathias Rogala-Koczorowski, a brass teacher based at the Mitchell Conservatorium of Music in Bathurst. Mathias has been the orchestra's conductor since its inception in 1996. While Mathias aims high on a musical level by selecting challenging works from the symphonic repertory, he also acknowledges that the members of the orchestra are mostly amateurs with many other commitments. He therefore aims at striking a balance between serious music-making on the one hand and creating an atmosphere where members, whatever their standard may be, can enjoy themselves on the other.
The orchestra is set up as an incorporated association under the Associations Incorporation Act 1984 (NSW) and is administered by a committee made up of orchestra members. In addition to the generous funding from Woollahra Council, the orchestra relies on subscriptions from its members, donations from sponsors and concert takings for its running costs.
We are proud to have as our Patrons, two of Australia's most well-regarded citizens, Margaret Whitlam OA and Peter Sculthorpe OA OBE. Both are local residents and both have been great supporters of the orchestra.
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