Wendy Galloway has been an exemplary contributor to the Geelong Classical Music World for many years. She has been awarded an OAM for her contributions to Music and the Arts in Geelong. Wendy’s career in music has been as a violinist and a dedicated teacher as well as an adjudicator and examiner spanning many decades in Geelong, Melbourne and Sydney as well as in Sweden and Illinois, USA.
She grew up in Sydney and was a member of the Sydney Youth Orchestra, Australian Youth Orchestra and a regular participant in National Music Camps. Wendy came to live in Geelong with her family and looked for music groups for herself, for her family and for her music students. There was not very much available so the best thing seemed to be to create some opportunities which included the Bay City Strings and the Geelong Summer Music Camp.
Wendy has been a key member of organisations including Music at the Basilica, St Paul’s Occasional Orchestra, the Geelong Eisteddfod, and the Geelong Chamber Music Society and a leader and contributor to the Geelong Summer Music Camps for school students. She has excellent organisational skills and the ability to inspire others to contribute their best.
Until 2018, she was Vice-President of the Geelong Friends of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. She has also been a member of the Trust of the Australian Youth Classical Music Competition which has been supporting and encouraging young Australian musicians since the Trust was founded by an initial grant from the Geelong Advertiser newspaper 28 years ago. There are two levels of this competition: Regional and National. Both sections offer substantial prizes to assist young Australian musicians.
Recently, Wendy has been the inspiration behind the formation of the Geelong Symphony Orchestra. She is the President of the Management Committee of the GSO and not only provides leadership to the management team but also to the many musicians she has been able to recruit to volunteer their time and professionalism to ensure the performances at each concert have been world class. Wendy is certain that Geelong has and will continue to have the fine, qualified and experienced orchestral musicians needed to enable the Geelong Symphony Orchestra to continue to be an integral part of Geelong’s vibrant, artistic culture as we proceed through the 21st century.
Wendy continues, “There was a professional Chamber Orchestra for a number of years before the Geelong Symphony Orchestra was established and there was also an accomplished orchestra called “The Geelong Philharmonic” that performed from time to time. I felt strongly that there were enough highly qualified musicians in the Geelong region to form a continuing orchestra that would perform a season of concerts each year.
Deakin University, and especially Vice Chancellor Professor Jane den Hollander, has been very supportive in offering us the use of the magnificent Costa Hall. My student days were in Sydney and there were many opportunities for young musicians to play together including The Sydney Youth Orchestra, and the Australian Youth Orchestra. If I had continued to live in one of the major cities in the world, I would never have taken the initiative that made setting up some of these local Geelong music opportunities and organisations so easy! Geelong was so encouraging and welcoming and I have made countless friends through music.”
Story sourced by: Althea Abraham Photo: Supplied
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