FQ DONOR SPOTLIGHT: CALVIN CRISP

How did you encounter Flinders Quartet?

About twenty years ago while attending a symphony concert I decided to explore chamber music and became a Musica Viva subscriber.

I found that I enjoyed the smaller format with its clearer sound and the interaction of the performers, so I looked around for other chamber music-type concerts and came across the Flinders Quartet. If I remember correctly my first Flinders Quartet experience was one of their last concerts performed at the Iwaki Auditorium.

Apart from the excellent musicianship of the ensemble, I continue to enjoy their normal repertoire-type programs as well as the variations that are presented with visiting artists who are a great extension of the group.

What makes you decide to become a financial supporter of FQ?

I decided to financially support the group because they are a Victorian-based organisation, with a much wider vision than just their concert schedule, because they incorporate other artists, support emerging artists, commission new work, and work in schools. All of this encourages me to support the quartet because it is outward-looking and obviously needs some financial help to enable this vision.

Can you tell us a little bit about you?

I grew up in a mining area of Western Australia and never had the opportunity to learn a musical instrument. There were two radio stations, one commercial and the other ABC that provided a mixture of popular and classical music. I bought some classical records to play on a gramophone.

I was educated as an electrical engineer at the School of Mines. After I graduated, I worked in England for a couple of years before returning to Australia. It was during that time in England I was able to go to concerts and the theatre, particularly while in London.

After I came home, I married, and life concentrated on bringing up a family. At high school, my children learnt to play the viola and oboe so there were school concerts to enjoy. It wasn’t until the children were educated that concert and theatre-going were again a regular part of life.