Each year, the MSO is fortunate to receive grants from various trusts and foundations. Provided as single or multi-year grants, this funding supports vital programs and initiatives, both on and off the stage.
Crucially, our philanthropic partners enable the MSO to deliver quality music experiences to the community we serve, such as the subsidisation of tickets for students and young people, and supporting our regional touring and artist development programs.
The Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation
Celebrating a shared belief in the power of music to enrich regional communities
For nearly 60 years, the Sir Andrew and Lady Fairley Foundation has been recognised as a trusted voice in the Shepparton community, playing an important role in enhancing outcomes in education, employment, the arts, health, sport, cultural diversity, and social justice in the Shepparton region.
Since 2016, the MSO has undertaken to strengthen and grow its touring in regional Victoria in collaboration with regional communities. This commitment to tailoring activities to each community’s specific needs has resulted in deeply impactful experiences for people living in regional areas, from audience members to school groups, community organisations, and ensembles.
It is this shared belief in the social and cultural value of participating in the arts that the Fairley Foundation and the MSO come together. Since 2019, the MSO is grateful to have partnered with the Fairley Foundation to provide access to high-quality live orchestral music experiences through an annual program that includes two dedicated performances at the Riverlinks Eastbank Centre for general audiences and children, and four learning, engagement, and access activities. Through the support of the Fairley Foundation, the MSO has built successful partnerships with community organisations including the Heinze Music Program, Goulburn Valley Orchestra, and local schools.
The MSO is deeply committed to its role in bringing high-quality musical experiences to regional audiences, and remains grateful for the sustained support of the Fairley Foundation that enables the Orchestra to bring meaningful musical experience to communities in Shepparton.
The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust
A 10-year partnership that continues Edwin Harold Flack’s legacy of philanthropy in Australia
Since 1935, The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust has supported innovative, educational and creative arts organisations for the benefit of disadvantaged adults and youth. The MSO is delighted and grateful to celebrate 10 years of partnership with The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust in working towards this goal – a significant achievement that has successfully brought the amazement, joy and enrichment of world-class musical experiences to thousands of disadvantaged children in Melbourne.
Between 2015 and the program’s conclusion in 2023, the Trust supported the MSO’s The Pizzicato Effect (Pizzi), a free program that provided high-quality, twice-weekly music tuition for around 70 under-served children in some of Melbourne’s most disadvantaged neighbourhoods. Harnessing active music-making as a tool for positive change, Pizzi helped develop valuable life-skills such as teamwork, confidence, and responsibility.
The Trust continued to support MSO as it launched its new music outreach program, Jams in Schools, in 2024. Providing what is likely to be a child’s first encounter with live orchestral music, these powerfully impactful, curriculum-aligned workshops inspire curiosity and enquiry, leading to lifelong enrichment and meaningful community engagement. With the support of The Marian and E.H. Flack Trust, through Jams in Schools, the MSO provided this opportunity to thousands of primary-aged students in its first year alone.
Current Trusts and Foundations
See the Trusts and Foundations currently supporting us.
Contact us
For more information, please contact:
Catherine Hempenstall, External Affairs – Grants & Reporting Lead
Phone: 0490 002 043
Email: hempenstallc@mso.com.au
