BY STEPHANIE ESLAKE
Have you ever wondered what life is really like in the orchestra? Welcome to EXPOSED!
In 2018, we continue to team up with musicians, managers, and arts administrators from the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra to take you behind the scenes, and show you what it means to pursue a career in a challenging and fulfilling industry.
TSO Managing Director Nicholas Heyward will, after his 17-year tenure, stand down from his role at the end of the year. We wanted to find out what he’s learnt during this time, and what it’s really like to lead a major Australian orchestra into success.
Nicholas’ connection to the orchestra will be continued and celebrated through the new Heyward Prize, which invites Tasmanian composers to apply for the opportunity to receive a $3000 prize and have their work performed and recorded by the TSO itself.
How did you make your way into your position with the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra?
I grew up in Tasmania but had a long career working away. I worked in London at the Royal Opera House as Assistant House Manager and then Merchandising Manager before coming back to Australia to work at Victorian State Opera and Musica Viva Australia. I moved into festivals, firstly with the Brisbane Biennial and then as CEO of Adelaide Festival, before the opportunity to return to Tasmania as Managing Director of the TSO.
What did you imagine life would be like with the orchestra – and how have you found the experience in reality?
The biggest surprise in assuming this role was that I assumed that would be all about music, when it is in fact all about people!
My background in festivals had been very focused on years and months of planning for events held over a concentrated time – by the time you got to the actual festival, you’d be exhausted. The focus was very much on planning, as there were so many moving parts and any decisions – particularly the closer you got to the festival – had a huge impact on everything else. With orchestras, the activity is constant and the emphasis much more on managing many people and dynamics.
How would you describe your typical day in the TSO office?
I aim to maintain maximum contact with everyone in the organisation. I have an open door policy, which helps me stay in contact with the musicians who generally pass my office on the way to rehearsals or breaks. I keep in touch with the administrative staff by moving around the office and engaging as much as possible.
I have a TV screen in my office, which allows me to have rehearsals playing in the background and helps me focus when I’m signing contracts or answering correspondence.
I also spend a lot of time out of the office staying in contact with our key stakeholders. A big part of my job is making sure our funding continues to come in, so there is a need for frequent contact with government, our corporate partners, and other major supporters to keep them in the loop.
What have you felt to be the strongest expectations placed on you as Managing Director of the orchestra?
That I can fix everything! There is an assumption that as Managing Director I can somehow fix every problem, big or small. Unfortunately, that’s not possible, but I do my best to try and deal with any issues that are of concern.
Was there ever a time you thought the challenge of your role with the orchestra would be too great?
I’ve always enjoyed the cut and thrust of the role, as I’ve always had an excellent team. It’s not as though the responsibility sits entirely on my shoulders, and I see a big part of my job to encourage, motivate, and support my team.
What do you wish audiences could understand about what it means to work in the orchestra?
I don’t think the audience needs to have a huge understanding of everything that goes into presenting a concert. I just hope that they enjoy the music and have a good night out.
The TSO is very complex business that turns over $2.5 million annually, and employs 70 full-time staff and many casuals. My hope is that people appreciate how lucky we are: the smallest city in the English-speaking world to have a full-time professional symphony orchestra, let alone a really good one!
What is the thing you’ve loved most about life with the TSO during your 17-year tenure?
Sitting in a fantastic concert and thinking: ‘I’ve helped to make this happen’.
How and why does the TSO embrace new music, as it will through the new Heyward Prize in your honour?
The TSO’s Australian Music Program is one of my proudest achievements. Initially, I wanted to make sure the TSO had its own special role in Australia’s orchestral ecology, and one that would be valued by the whole country. So our focus has been on new Australian music across all our activities: education, family concerts, RACT Symphony Under the Stars, as well as the Masters Series. The Heyward Prize will hopefully contribute to continuing that tradition.
What is one piece of advice you can offer young people looking to commence a career behind the scenes of a major orchestra?
Study hard!
Ideally, people coming into a major orchestra need a passion for the orchestra and music as a foundation. There are many specialised jobs behind the scenes. And, if this is where you want to go, I believe you need have a good musical background to start with, then learn the skills you need for the specific role.
See the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra perform new Australian music this week when pianist Tamara-Anna Cislowska plays Elena Kats-Chernin’s Piano Concerto No. 3 under the baton of Karina Canellakis. Brava! takes place at 2.30pm November 9 in the Federation Concert Hall.
Visit the TSO website for more information on the Heyward Prize.
We partner with the orchestra to take you behind the scenes in EXPOSED! Be sure to check back in again for our next interview!
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