Melbourne Symphony Orchestra boss Sophie Galaise exits after overseas trip and Gaza crisis engulfs organisation

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra managing director Sophie Galaise has abruptly left the post 48 hours after The Weekend Australian revealed she had jetted to Singapore for a five-star visit.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra boss Sophie Galaise.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra managing director Sophie Galaise has abruptly left the post 48 hours after The Weekend Australian revealed she had jetted to Singapore for a five-star visit that included fine dining and cocktails at Raffles for musicians and donors.

Ms Galaise’s trip was despite the crisis engulfing the organisation after its cancellation of a pro-Palestine pianist and a vote of no-confidence in her by musicians.

The Australian understands that Ms Galaise’s departure on Monday was triggered by the trip but also substantially by the no-confidence motion against her and chief operating officer Guy Ross and the general low morale at the MSO. It is seen as a significant win for musicians at the organisation and donors angry at the way the MSO was being run.

The MSO in a statement said it was seeking to unite the organisation, thanking musicians, management and other employees.

MSO sources said Ms Galaise’s decision to travel to Singapore was opposed by sections of the board and this intensified pressure on her position when it was revealed the five-star treatment was paid for by donors. Sources said she had covered her own dining and cocktail expenses.

The MSO announced Ms Galaise’s departure on Monday but would not say whether she had resigned or was formally forced out.

It also said former federal arts minister Peter Garrett would lead an external review to evaluate MSO’s policies, procedures and processes and cover protocols around “freedom of speech and artistic expression on stage”.

The MSO has been under fire since an August 11 performance by pianist Jayson Gillham, in which he said that during the past 10 months, Israel had killed more than 100 journalists, an assertion disputed by Israel.

The MSO cancelled Gillham’s next performance because of his comments, but days later it performed a U-turn and suggested a rescheduling of the concert.

On Monday, the board confirmed Ms Galaise would be replaced by orchestral leader Richard Wigley, who will lead the management team as a strategic adviser. They thanked Ms Galaise for her service. “We recognise the recent pressures on our people and management and are comforted that a person of Richard’s capability can step in immediately to help ensure the MSO functions effectively through this review.”

The board said it recognised the need to restore confidence in the MSO, and said the past few weeks had been a “difficult experience” for many of its people.

“There is a clear understanding that we need to learn from these events to ensure the MSO is best positioned to continue offering world-class cultural experiences for our valued audiences,” it said.

The board said the appointment of Mr Garrett to lead the external review, supported by KPMG Australia, would “provide confidence to our musicians, our people and wider community that we are serious about the process”; it was also committed to sharing the review’s high-level findings.

The MSO won’t comment on Mr Ross’s future.

The fallout has been highly embarrassing for the MSO, which attracts $5.3m in funding from donations and bequests, with the Jewish community heavily influential in the financial stability of the organisation.

The MSO “raised” $39.1m of revenue in 2022, with half from government.

“We thank the musicians, management and employees of the MSO and our artistic family for their dedication and commitment to their roles as we seek to come back together in serving our audiences,” the MSO said.

Mr Garrett welcomed the opportunity to chair the review. “Performing arts organisations are facing complex issues around freedom of expression whilst maintaining long-term sustainability in a dynamic, increasingly highly charged environ­ment,” he said.

“If we get this right, the review may serve a broader purpose for others who will inevitably face similar challenges.”