David Gyger was born in Maine, the youngest of seven children of a prosperous New England family. He discovered his calling as a journalist early on, writing for and editing student newspapers at high school and college. He always regarded journalism as a craft to be practised at the highest possible level; this applied not only to the careful shaping of the prose, but also to the elegance of layout on the page. The seeds for his love of music were likewise planted early, through attendance at Boston Symphony Orchestra concerts with his mother. The first opera he attended was also in Boston – a performance of Rigoletto, with the legendary American baritone Leonard Warren in the title role.

David Gyger was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia for service to the arts and the community in 2009. Photo supplied by Elliott Gyger

He graduated from Amherst College in 1952, at the height of the Korean War, and volunteered for military service, training as a Morse Code operator. His time in the army fired his curiosity to see more of the world; inspired in part by meeting Australian soldiers in...