Rotary Melbourne member David Kram spent a super day with Julia Ogas on Wednesday 18 September 24.
David met Julia under the clock at Flinders Street Station. Julia has been wonderfully patient as he endeavoured to dredge up his Spanish from fifty years ago. He actually matriculated in that language but then Italian took over and he became hopelessly entangled. Julia assured him this is a common phenomenon.
Tram to ANAM (Australian Academy of Music) in South Melbourne. Julia got to know a bit of Clarendon Street and environs. David felt a bit embarrassed when he discovered that the venerable South Melbourne Town Hall is still closed for renovations. At least Julia knows about the Number 1 tram now, which we took then to Melbourne Conservatorium of Music (MCM) in Sturt Street.
Coffee in café adjacent to MCM.
A visit to MCM's various floors, including the 5th floor with the String Department. I bumped into my trusty colleague Stuart Greenbaum, Professor of composition; and we shared some reminiscences about my conducting of his opera Nelson in 2007. Then we met the Head of Strings, the American-born violinist Curt Thompson. Curt had led my orchestra for the 2017 premiere of my Peace Cantata. Curt gave Julia some info about master classes and concerts coming up which she could attend. Next week is term break so it was good we managed to see Curt this week. Curt also gave me the contact details of Christopher Moore, Principal Viola of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra.
A stroll to the Library, one of my favourite haunts. Julia was able to browse through the extensive viola section and David said she could contact me if she ever wanted to borrow something. She can come in and peruse, as it’s a public space and well monitored.
A quick walk through the Music building fronting St Kilda Road, now the haunt of the Jazz and improvisation department.
Tram rides to the Sofitel No 35 for the Rotary Melbourne luncheon. Julia loved the Sofitel and the views from the 35th floor. It was a splendidly sunny and mild day in Melbourne - perfect! Julia and David serenaded the members with Bach as they were being seated. The guest speaker Damian Cardona Onses, Director, United Nations Mission, Canberra (being near to World Peace Day Saturday 21 Sept 24). Julia met a number of Rotary Melbourne members and enjoyed the excellent menu.
Tram and two buses to the Abbotsford Convent. It’s an iconic Melbourne beauty spot. We got off at the bus stop over the bridge to Kew, which afforded excellent views of the former convent and its spires. David took Julia to 3MBS, which to David's mind far outpaces ABC’s Classic FM as a classical music radio broadcaster. As a stroke of luck they were greeted by David's friend and colleague Adrian McNiery, who runs the operation and who took us on a guided tour. The collection of CDs – now all digitised – was very impressive, especially the Australian music. Julia loved the wall inscribed with signatures of people who had passed through – including the Thomaner Kirche Choir of Leipzig. We also went into a broadcast studio and a well-designed recording/performance studio. David was proud to show Julia this special Melbourne music hub, manned by eighty-four volunteers who devise their own programs and choose their own music.
Across the courtyard to the main convent building, up one floor to the Australian National Academy of Music's (ANAM) temporary headquarters. Again, I was surprised and gratified to meet colleagues from yesteryear, in this case Training Program Manager Lucy Ericson. Lucy gave her useful info about impending concerts and recitals. They too are on term break next week but still there’s lots for Julia to do in her last ten days in Melbourne.
Bus back to town, passing Fitzroy, where Julia headed back to her accommodation to freshen up for her evening’s stint with the Melbourne Opera Orchestra that night. David attended that performance, which was a really good rendition of La Bohème with an excellent cast, production and orchestra, the orchestra ably conducted by my young Melbourne Opera colleague Raymond Lawrence, who told David afterwards that this was his first Puccini opera.
All in all, a day full of unexpected pleasure. On the way down David was starting to doubt his energy levels for all his community work, as he is now applying for more conducting work back in Europe, where his career began. By the end of the day, he realised how lucky he has been to have amassed such a wide circle of musical and Rotary colleagues since he settled in the Melbourne area in 1995. He was so pleased to share this with Julia, who was a delightful companion.
Finally, David said to Julia that now he’d opened a few more doors, she had the full potential to follow up on her own bat. Having lived in Leipzig since she was seventeen and latterly Nuremberg, she can really stand on her own two feet, as she demonstrated in fine form yesterday. Her knowledge of English is really good too – and when my Spanish gave out we were able to converse in German.
As a postscript, Greg Hocking, Artistic Director of Melbourne Opera (MO), told me that a “German professor who has been working with MO said it was the first authentic Bohème he had ever seen”. Obviously Guido made a great impression.
Thanks again to Melbourne Opera, Melbourne Youth Orchestra and all the people we met yesterday. Special thanks to Rotary Melbourne Central colleagues for continuing this program so well led by Alan Seale in past years.
Watch what Julia and David got up to in just one day in the video below:
