The violinist will be honoured as Concertmaster Emeritus by the orchestra he has led for 23 years.

Violinist Dene Olding has decided to step down as Concertmaster of the Sydney Symphony after leading the orchestra for 23 years. The SSO has announced that it will honour his significant contribution by naming Olding Concertmaster Emeritus following his final concerts with them in October.

“Of course it’s with mixed feelings that I’ve made this decision,” said Olding, who will turn 60 later this year. “Orchestral playing has been a hugely rewarding part of my life and the SSO has occupied a central position in that. I’m really proud of what the orchestra has achieved during my tenure, its current reputation as an orchestra of world-standing, and I will really miss working with my esteemed colleagues and friends. Sydney is most fortunate to have an orchestra of this calibre resident here. In fact, it is a necessity for the city as I feel that any major metropolis without a fine orchestra is artistically dead.”

Olding, who will take his final bow with the orchestra following the climax of Vladimir Ashkenazy’s Beethoven cycle on October 29 at the Sydney Opera House, said that he had achieved everything he had hoped for and more in a career with the SSO that has spanned a remarkable 36 years. He will now hand over to his Co-concertmaster Andrew Haveron and take the opportunity to focus on family and other professional commitments, including leading the acclaimed Goldner String Quartet.

“It is a tremendous source of satisfaction to me that I have been able to be involved with and contributed to the growth of the SSO in this exciting period of its history,” he said. “To be awarded the title Concertmaster Emeritus is a great honour and I will happily wear that badge as I continue to be an enthusiastic advocate for the SSO – I’m still very active in the music community concertizing in Australia and overseas and I will endeavour to promote the orchestra and Australian music in general in numerous ways.”

SSO Chief Conductor David Robertson paid tribute to Olding who he said would be missed by his colleagues, not only as an incredible musician, but as an inclusive and generous leader and friend. “Dene is a world-class musician of the highest calibre and his talent, gracious poise, deep knowledge, and gentle sense of good humour has helped make the SSO the ensemble that it is today,” said Robertson. “In his work as Concertmaster of the SSO, as a founding member of the Goldner String Quartet, and as a passionate advocate for living composers, he has consistently demonstrated the amazing richness of the Australian musical landscape. Dene’s great interest in and attention to young instrumentalists has contributed to nurturing a wonderful new generation of musicians. I feel blessed to have been able to work with him.”

Rory Jeffes, SSO Managing Director, concurred, adding that Olding’s contribution to the organisation had been enormous: “Throughout his time as Concertmaster at the SSO, Dene has provided artistic leadership to the orchestra during a period in which it has undergone fundamental change, from being an orchestra of the ABC, to now one of the leading orchestras in the world. He has contributed enormously through his playing and leadership as Concertmaster, but has gone above and beyond his job description to become a leading member of the musical community in Australia and internationally.”

In the meantime, Sydney audiences will have the chance to celebrate Olding’s career when the Goldners perform with the SSO at City Recital Hall on October 6 as part of the Mad About Mozart programme under Assistant Conductor Toby Thatcher.