Patrick Alan Thomas (1 June 1932 – 1 August 2017) was an Australian conductor.
For a period of almost 35 years he conducted hundreds of performances across Australia in just about every centre where the various state symphony orchestras ventured, and introduced music to virtually a whole generation of young Australians through his popular and distinctive schools concerts. He held a succession of important posts with four of Australia's major
ABC
ABC are the first three letters of the Latin script.
ABC or abc may also refer to:
Arts, entertainment and media Broadcasting
* Aliw Broadcasting Corporation, Philippine broadcast company
* American Broadcasting Company, a commercial American ...
orchestras and the specially created position of ABC Federal Conductor-in-Residence as well as conducting the
Australian Opera
Opera Australia is the principal opera company in Australia. Based in Sydney, New South Wales, its performance season at the Sydney Opera House accompanied by the Opera Australia Orchestra runs for approximately eight months of the year, with ...
and the
Australian Ballet
The Australian Ballet (TAB) is the largest classical ballet company in Australia. It was founded by J. C. Williamson Theatres Ltd and the Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust in 1962, with the English-born dancer, teacher, repetiteur an ...
. He also conducted the ABC's radio chorus, the
Adelaide Singers.
Overseas, he appeared in 12 countries as Guest Conductor of such orchestras as the
Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra The Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra is an orchestra based in Moscow, Russia. It was founded in 1951 by Samuil Samosud, as the Moscow Youth Orchestra for young and inexperienced musicians, acquiring its current name in 1953. It is most associated wit ...
, the
Hallé Orchestra,
Bavarian Radio Orchestra
The Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra (, BRSO) is a German radio orchestra. Based in Munich, Germany, it is one of the city's four orchestras. The BRSO is one of two full-size symphony orchestras operated under the auspices of Bayerischer Rundf ...
,
Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra ( (NOSPR)) is one of Poland's radio orchestras and premier musical institutions. It was founded in 1935 in Warsaw and was later re-established in Katowice in 1945. Since 2006 it has been a "National ...
,
Munich Philharmonic
The Munich Philharmonic () is a German symphony orchestra located in the city of Munich. It is one of Munich's four principal orchestras, along with the Bavarian Radio Symphony Orchestra, the Munich Radio Orchestra and the Bavarian State Orche ...
,
BBC Symphony Orchestra
The BBC Symphony Orchestra (BBC SO) is a British orchestra based in London. Founded in 1930, it was the first permanent salaried orchestra in London, and is the only one of the city's five major symphony orchestras not to be self-governing. The ...
,
CBC Symphony Orchestra
The CBC Symphony Orchestra (; CBCSO/OSSRC) was a radio orchestra based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. It was operated by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation during the 1950s and 1960s.
History
The CBCSO was founded in 1952, and gave its first bro ...
,
Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra
The Prague Radio Symphony Orchestra (''Symfonický orchestr Českého rozhlasu'', Czech acronym SOČR, English acronym PRSO) is a Czech broadcast orchestra based in Prague, the Czech Republic. The SOČR performs concerts at the Dvořák Hall of ...
, and many others in
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
, the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
,
Bulgaria
Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...
and South Africa. Other facets of his diverse career included those of concert, radio and television presenter and interviewer.
Biography
Thomas
[It's an Honour]
/ref> was born in Brisbane
Brisbane ( ; ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and largest city of the States and territories of Australia, state of Queensland and the list of cities in Australia by population, third-most populous city in Australia, with a ...
, and attended Eagle Junction State School in Clayfield
Clayfield is a Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , Clayfield had a population of 10,897 people.
Geography
Clayfield is by road from the Brisbane CBD. Clayfield is bordered to ...
. In August 1944, at age 12, he attended his first major evening orchestral concert, when Eugene Ormandy
Eugene Ormandy (born Jenő Blau; November 18, 1899 – March 12, 1985) was a Hungarian-born American conductor and violinist, best known for his association with the Philadelphia Orchestra, as its music director. His 44-year association with ...
conducted at Brisbane City Hall
Brisbane City Hall, in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia, is the seat of the Brisbane City Council. It is located adjacent to King George Square, where the rectangular City Hall has its main entrance. The City Hall also has frontages and entran ...
in four concerts designed to boost the war effort. Thomas requested, and a few days later received, Ormandy's autograph, and from then on set his sights on becoming a conductor. Already recognised as a young flautist of exceptional ability, Patrick Thomas enrolled as Sub-Junior student at Brisbane State High School
Brisbane State High School (BSHS or commonly State High) is a partially selective, co-educational, state secondary school, located in South Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. It is a member of the Great Public Schools Association of Queensland, ...
, located in South Brisbane, Queensland
South Brisbane is an inner southern Suburbs and localities (Australia), suburb in the City of Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. In the , South Brisbane had a population of 14,292 people.
Geography
South Brisbane is on the southern bank of th ...
, in 1947. Later that year, as a 14-year-old, he played third flute
The flute is a member of a family of musical instruments in the woodwind group. Like all woodwinds, flutes are aerophones, producing sound with a vibrating column of air. Flutes produce sound when the player's air flows across an opening. In th ...
at the first Queensland Symphony Orchestra
Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra in the state of Queensland. The orchestra is based in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's building in South Bank. The Orchestra is funded by private corporations, the ...
(QSO) performance, on 26 March 1947, when the new 45-member ensemble under guest conductor Percy Code
Edward Percival "Percy" Code (3 July 1888 – 16 October 1953) was an Australian classical composer and musician, specialising in cornet and trumpet. He is best known for his compositions for brass band, including many solo works.
Biography
Perc ...
introduced Queenslanders to their own professional symphony orchestra.
In 1963, the ABC's acting federal director of music, Joseph Post
Joseph Mozart Post (10 April 190627 December 1972) was an Australian conductor and music administrator. He made an unrivalled contribution to the development of opera-conducting in Australia and was, in Roger Covell's words, the 'first Australi ...
, gave him a conducting audition and less than two years later Thomas became director of the ABC's Adelaide Singers. From there he had a year's stint during 1968, as Conductor of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra (TSO) is a symphony orchestra based in Hobart, Tasmania, Australia. It is the smallest of the six orchestras established by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
History
The Tasmanian Symphony Orchestr ...
before choosing to return to Adelaide.
In 1973 he became the QSO's first – and, to date, only – homegrown chief conductor. He stayed in that post until 1977. He decided to increasingly offer 20th-century composers as a way of developing a broadened approach on the part of the audiences to diverse modern repertoire, plus a more responsive and capable facility from the orchestra. Patrick Thomas co-established a successful Modern Music Forum in Brisbane.
Regularly conducting the Sydney Symphony Orchestra
The Sydney Symphony Orchestra (SSO) is an Australian symphony orchestra based in Sydney. With roots going back to 1908, the orchestra was made a permanent professional orchestra on the formation of the Australian Broadcasting Commission in 1932. ...
including on its international tours, and Melbourne Symphony Orchestra
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) is an Australian orchestra based in Melbourne. The MSO is resident at Hamer Hall. The MSO has its own choir, the MSO Chorus, following integration with the Melbourne Chorale in 2008.
The MSO relies on fun ...
, Thomas's glamorous concert engagements outside Queensland were in stark contrast to the harsh performance conditions which he and his 65-piece orchestra endured at home. Able to fill in at short notice when a scheduled conductor cancelled, Thomas became the ABC's Sydney-based conductor-in-residence. Thomas established an international reputation, especially in Europe where he was offered coveted return engagements by several leading ensembles. But his dedication to family and his home country meant that his career remained based in Australia. As the final director of the ABC Sinfonia
The ABC Sinfonia was an Australian training orchestra established as the National Training Orchestra by the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC) in 1967. In 1980, the Orchestra was renamed ABC Sinfonia. Based in Sydney, the 40-piece orchestra ...
, he became a casualty of the structural reforms of the mid-1980s that led eventually to the complete divestment of the orchestras from the ABC.
As a writer, his later work included an autobiography (''Upbeats and Downbeats: A Conductor's Life''), several hundred poems, a booklet of career anecdotes, a published reference text (''Overture to Conducting''), as well as articles and scripts for radio stations 2MBS
2MBS Fine Music Sydney (ACMA callsign: 2MBS) is a Sydney music radio station operated by the Music Broadcasting Society of New South Wales Co-Operative Limited. Launched on 15 December 1974, it is Australia's first fully licensed FM radio stat ...
FM and ABC Classic FM
ABC Classic, formerly ABC-FM (also ABC Fine Music), and then ABC Classic FM, is an Australian classical music radio station available in Australia and internationally. Its website features classical music news, features and listening guides. I ...
. He died in August 2017 at the age of 85.
Honours and awards
Thomas was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
(MBE) in 1978 and made an Honorary Life Member of the Fellowship of Australian Composers in 1998, a first for an Australian conductor.
In 2005 he became a Patron of the Music Teachers' Association of New South Wales.
In 2014 he was named a Member of the Order of Australia
The Order of Australia is an Australian honours and awards system, Australian honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Monarch ...
(AM).
Bernard Heinze Memorial Award
The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award
The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is an Australian music award.
History and description
The award was inaugurated in 1982. It honours the memory of Sir Bernard Heinze (1894–1982), who for 31 years was Ormond Professor of Music at the Unive ...
is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.
!
, -
, 1989 , , Patrick Thomas , , Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award , , , , National Library: Papers of Patrick Thomas
/ref>
, -
Sources
The Courier-Mail
''The Courier-Mail'' is an Australian newspaper published in Brisbane. Owned by News Corp Australia, it is published daily from Monday to Saturday in tabloid format. Its editorial offices are located at Bowen Hills, in Brisbane's inner norther ...
, 24 March 2007
Ku-Ring-Gai Philharmonoic Orchestra
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Thomas, Patrick
1932 births
2017 deaths
Australian conductors (music)
Australian choral conductors
Australian Members of the Order of the British Empire
Members of the Order of Australia
Musicians from Brisbane
People educated at Brisbane State High School