This year we are shining a spotlight on some of the wonderful ACO staff working behind the scenes to help bring you the music you love and keep the Orchestra touring. This time we catch up with Head of Philanthropy, Celeste Moore, whose day-to-day involves anything from writing funding proposals for the ACO's Learning & Engagement programs, to meeting with donors around the country while on tour with the Orchestra.
Which part of your role at the ACO do you find the most exciting or rewarding?
People and relationships are at the heart of my role. So, as someone who is connecting with lots of different people from all walks of life all the time, I would have to say that this is one of the most rewarding things about my day-to-day. I love hearing people’s stories, so I count this aspect of my job as a real privilege. And of course, I am also passionate about music, so having the opportunity to be immersed in this world – and get paid for it! – is amazing. Each and every time I hear the Orchestra play, I feel uplifted and re-energised. So, being able to connect our family of supporters with the Orchestra feels like a beautiful meeting point, combining two things which bring me joy!
Can you tell us about a little “only at the ACO” moment you’ve experienced lately?
I just love the way that the ACO brings fresh life to a piece of music which I’ve heard countless times before. One such piece is Rachmaninoff’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini – I can’t even remember the first time I heard it because it feels like a piece I’ve always known. However, when I heard the Orchestra play it recently with the brilliant Dejan Lazić, it was a revelation. It felt like I was hearing it for the very first time, and I think only the ACO can do that.Each and every time I hear the Orchestra play, I feel uplifted and re-energised.Celeste Moore, ACO Head of Philanthropy
What is your favourite ACO performance to date (and why)?
There are so many to choose from! One that always sticks in my mind though was a small run-through that the Orchestra did of the film project, River, at the Chatswood Concourse. We were not long out of one of the Covid lockdowns, so it was the first time the musicians had been able to perform for anyone for several months. It was also one of my first times hearing them all together in the same space. I remember being utterly mesmerised by the experience. It felt so special to be there and share that moment when we had all been deprived of live performance for such a long time. Also, hearing the Orchestra close the film with an arrangement of a movement from Mahler’s Symphony No.4 moved me so deeply – it was exquisite. It reminded me why I could never live in a world without music!
If you could invite supporters to experience one ACO performance or project, what would it be?
Something which brings enormous joy to be associated with is the ACO Foundations Program. It is a music education program which the ACO has pioneered which truly changes young kids’ lives. I think everyone should know about it and every child in Australia should have the chance to experience it! A great privilege of my job is that I have been able to visit St Marys North Public School several times (where we began the program), and witness the way that music opens up the eyes of these little people in so many different ways – not just through the sheer fun of learning an instrument, but giving them a new perspective on the world and their future. It’s a program I am very proud to have some very small part in helping to make possible by connecting donors to it.
