Bequest Society
Make Music Your Legacy
Sharing the gift of music with future generations is one of the best gifts of all.
All bequests, no matter the value, are treasured by the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and treated as an enduring personal statement reflecting your love of orchestral music and the performing arts.
Deciding to leave a legacy that reflects the important role music has played in your life is a powerful and generous gesture. If you make a gift to the Orchestra in your will, please consider letting us know about your plans.
We understand that many people prefer to keep their intentions private, and we will always respect that decision. However, the Sydney Symphony’s Bequest Society was established to acknowledge and honour the generosity of those wonderful individuals that have included the Orchestra in their estate planning.
Membership of the Bequest Society is optional and free. In addition to joining a group of like-minded music lovers, members also receive:
- An invitation for two to the Annual Bequest Society Lunch (held in Sydney)
- Exclusive invitations to concerts and behind-the-scenes events during the Season
- VIP ticketing services
- Regular updates on the Orchestra’s achievements and activities
- Personal connection with the Sydney Symphony Orchestra's Philanthropy team to discuss the ways in which we can honour your legacy
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For a confidential and sensitive discussion about how your gift will endure and make a profound difference, please contact:
Fleur Griffiths
Head of Philanthropy
(02) 8215 4645
Fleur.Griffiths@sydneysymphony.com
Learn More
Why Music is My Legacy
Mary Vallentine AO
Managing Director, Sydney Symphony (1986–2003)
When the Sydney Symphony Bequest Program was set up in the 1990's I was one of the first to commit, along with a generous donor and several board directors, it was an easy decision for me to make.
I couldn’t imagine a life without music nor a future without the Sydney Symphony. Building an endowment is critical to the life of an orchestra; to maintain excellent players, engage the best conductors and soloists, present large scale repertoire, and meet the costs of regional touring and engagement. These programs are fundamental for orchestral music to thrive and enrich our community.
For individual musicians, income from an endowment can help buy or provide loans for instruments. It can ensure creative fulfilment through ensemble concerts. And it supports fellowships for young players, the musicians of the future. So while none of us know when they'll become a reality, bequests are vital to receive but just as life-giving to make.
Ray Wilson OAM
Founding Member, Sydney Symphony Orchestra Bequest Society
By making a notified bequest, you can be certain the Sydney Symphony Orchestra will be a grateful beneficiary. It will ensure you continue to enjoy your association with the Orchestra during your lifetime, and the orchestra will continue to honour you after you've gone.
Honouring Stuart Challender AO
The late Stuart Challender changed the Sydney Symphony Orchestra forever. He achieved this through a musical dynamism that marked him as one of our nation’s greatest musicians and through his passionate and ambitious planning for the artistic development of the Orchestra. It was his untimely passing that focused the nation’s attention on his life’s work and allowed us to begin measuring his extraordinary legacy.
Stuart Challender’s vision has continued to inspire us – even though it is thirty years since his last performance and final encores. Today, Stuart’s vision powers our artistic aspirations and dedicates us to nurturing the next generation of musicians and audiences.
Bequest Society Members
Bob Allen
Warwick K Anderson
Dr Rosemary Barnard
David Barnes
Stephen J Bell
Christine Bishop
Judith Bloxham
Peter Braithwaite & Gary Linnane
David & Halina Brett
Maggie Brown
R Burns
Penelope Chapple
J Cheung
David Churches & Helen Rose
Janelle Clark & Terry Tunkunas
Howard & Maureen Connors
Emeritus Professor John Daly & the late R. Neil Steffensen
Greta Davis
Keith Elvy & Peter Dunphy PSM
Glenys Fitzpatrick
Colleen Fogarty & John Colwell
Dr Stephen Freiberg
Vic & Katie French
Brian Galway
Mr Denys and Mrs Jenny Gillespie
Geoffrey Greenwell
Pauline M Griffin AM
Louise Hamshere
Christine Hartgill & the late David Hartgill
I Kallinikos
Dr John Lam-Po-Tang
A Lohan
Mackenzie’s Friend
Mary McCarter
Dr V Jean McPherson
Louise Miller
James & Elsie Moore
Douglas Paisley
Beverley Price
Jane Purkiss
Kate Roberts
In memory of Katherine Robertson
Dr Richard Spurway
Cheri Stevenson
Mary Vallentine AO
Ray Wilson OAM
June & Alan Woods Family Bequest
Dawn Worner & the late Graham Worner
Anonymous (27)
The Sydney Symphony has gratefully received bequests from:
The Estate of Ross Adamson
The Estate of Douglas Vincent Agnew
The Estate of John Napier Aitken
The Estate of Henri W Aram OAM
The Estate of Sybil Eva Baer
The Estate of Betty Bennett
The Estate of Patricia Blau
The Estate of Ian Brady
The Estate of Dr Alison Margaret Burrell
The Estate of Ann Lesley Carter
The Estate of Carolyn Clampett
The Estate of Johnathan Earl William Clark
The Estate of Martha Danos
The Estate of Paul Louis de Leuil
The Estate of Helen Maria Dovnik
The Estate of John Malcolm Duggan
The Estate of Roma Valeria Joy Ellis
The Estate of Colin J Enderby
The Estate of Margaret Fisher
The Estate of Dr Charles Frater
The Estate of Jennifer Phyllis Fulton
The Estate of Helen Gordon
The Estate of the Stanley John Harvey
The Estate of Mrs E Herrman
The Estate of Beryl Margaret Jamieson
The Estate of Isabelle Joseph
The Estate of Dr Lynn Joseph
The Estate of Matthew Krel
The Estate of Dr Barry Landa
The Estate of Elisabeth Lawrie
The Estate of Peter Lazar AM
The Estate of Daniel-Francois Jean Lemesle
The Estate of Ian Alfred Lindsay
The Estate of Lorraine Margaret McDermott
The Estate of Ross McNair
The Estate of Gordon Mills
The Estate of Helen MacDonnell Morgan
The Estate of Elizabeth Anne Newton
The Estate of Margaret Ouvrier
The Estate of Robin Bernice Potter
The Estate of Colin Price
The Estate of Alexander George Roche
The Estate of Greta C Ryan
The Estate of Foster Smart
The Estate of Edmund Otho Smith
The Estate of Elsie Margaret Smith
The Estate of Joyce Sproat
The Estate of Margaret L Tink
The Estate of Peter Weiss AO
The Estate of Jacqueline Nancy Woodman