Five-star Singapore trip stokes Melbourne Symphony Orchestra discord

The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra board has split over chief Sophie Galaise’s decision to leave Australia amid a crisis over the bungled handling of a pianist’s support for Palestine.

Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Sophie Galaise. Picture: Instagram

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Besieged Melbourne Symphony Orchestra boss Sophie Galaise ­ignored some board opposition to a five-star flying visit to Singapore where supporters and performers dined in luxury and drank cocktails at Raffles.

The MSO board has split over Ms Galaise’s decision to leave Australia amid the crisis engulfing the not-for-profit charity, which is heavily funded by ­taxpayers and rich-lister donations, many from the Jewish community. The bungled handling of a pianist’s support for Palestine has exposed deep cracks in the MSO and senior figures believe her days could be numbered at the organisation.

The MSO’s Singapore itinerary this week included Tuesday night’s wine tasting and degustation menu at Rubato Restaurant – one of Asia’s finest Italian establishments – where a large tomahawk steak can cost $330.

Joe Hockey, left, Anthony Pratt, Ms Galaise and conductor Ben Northey in Chicago.

The following night donors funded cocktails at Spago by Wolfgang Puck and on Thursday night there were post-concert cocktails at Raffles, with MSO maestro Jaime Martin in attendance.

It is understood that Ms Galaise did not attend every function while staying at a luxury hotel funded by the Singapore government – and donors paid extra for the events that enabled them to mix with performers, including world-renowned conductor Darrell Ang.

She also paid the donor fee to attend the functions after the MSO performed with the Singapore Symphony Orchestra, one concert attracting a 10-minute standing ovation.

However, there was deep angst among some in Australia about her decision to leave the country when she is facing a vote of no confidence amid anger about the MSO’s handling of the Gaza controversy.

The MSO board will undertake an independent external review after its musicians passed a vote of no confidence in Ms Galaise and MSO chief operating ­officer Guy Ross.

The MSO attracted $39.1m of revenue in 2022 – half from government – and $5.3m from donations and bequests. The Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission says the latest report is overdue.

Back home, MSO power­brokers are debating Ms Galaise’s ­future. “She needs to go. It’s over,’’ an insider told The Weekend Australian.

Ms Galaise’s attendance has also directed attention at the ­lavish events surrounding the MSO that are funded by donors. The donor money is believed to be on top of their normal ­donations to ensure the events do not erode the MSO’s bottom line.

The MSO is the latest organisation to be tripped up by the Middle East war, having cancelled a performance by a pianist who made comments about the killing of journalists in Gaza, a cancellation decision the MSO subsequently labelled an “error”.

On August 11, while introducing a new piece by Connor D’Netto called Witness, Jayson Gillham said that during the past 10 months Israel had killed more than 100 journalists, an assertion that is disputed by Israel.

After the show, the MSO wrote to attendees to apologise for Gillham’s remarks and notify them that his subsequent appearance had been cancelled. “The MSO does not condone the use of our stage as a platform for expressing personal views,” it wrote.

However the MSO quickly backtracked when just days later, on August 15, it said it had erred by cancelling Gillham’s appearance and was seeking to reschedule the concert.

The MSO is heavily backed by Melbourne’s Jewish community and there are concerns that events will be overrun by pro-Palestinian activists.

The following day, MSO ­musicians notified the board of their “overwhelming majority vote” of no confidence in Ms Galaise and Mr Ross and called for them to be stood down immediately.

The musicians also called for “a full and impartial investigation into both the events of the cancellation of Jayson Gillham this week, and further into the general standards of leadership that have led to the ongoing issues with communication, ­morale, and psychosocial hazards affecting our workforce”.

“Whilst this motion has been directly related to the events surrounding the cancellation this week, we see it as the culmination of years of unresolved concerns, ongoing mismanagement, and a consistent decline in workplace culture that has undermined the wellbeing of employees and the long-term success of the company,” it read.

In a statement issued the same day, the board noted the letter and confirmed it would conduct an independent review into policies, procedures and processes.

It said the review would also canvass the events leading up to the decision to cancel the concert scheduled for August 15.

“The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra is determined to ensure we have the protocols in place that are fit for purpose for our organisation and the role we play within the community,” the statement read.

The MSO’s international engagement is supported by the Gandel Foundation.

It is also backed by the National Foundation for Australia-China Relations, the Albanese government through the International Cultural Diplomacy Arts Fund and the Victorian government through Creative Victoria.