May 25th, 2022Zelman in Daylesford
THE Zelman Concert will be held at Daylesford Town Hall on Sunday, June 19 – but who or what was Zelman?
The Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra is a regular and very popular visitor to Daylesford. In fact, it is the only full symphony orchestra to regularly visit the Hepburn Shire.
Alberto Zelman (Junior) dominated the musical life of Melbourne for more than 20 years until his early death at age 52 in 1927. He was a prodigious musical talent and arguably Australia’s foremost violinist in his day, as well as a highly talented orchestra and choral conductor, pianist and violin teacher.
Alberto, the son of an eminent Italian musician (Alberto Zelman Senior), was born in Carlton and made his first public performance as a violinist at the age of six. During his relatively short but illustrious career he founded the Orchestral League, the Melbourne String Quartet and the British Music Quartet and was president of the Music Society of Melbourne.
His greatest achievement however was founding and conducting the original Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. After Alberto’s death in 1927, the original Melbourne Symphony Orchestra continued to perform until 1932 when it became all professional. The amateur players formed their own orchestra in 1933 and named it in memory of Alberto Zelman (Junior) and 89 years later it is still going strong.
The guest soloists, Kalina Krusteva (cello) and Roy Theaker (violin) are world- renowned artists. Kalina is described as “a cellist of the highest standard who will play an important part in musical life” while Roy has performed from Tokyo to London via the Holy Citadel, Amman and the European Parliament, Brussels.
The Hepburn Connection
Two of Alberto’s three brothers married sisters from the prominent Borsa family of Hepburn Springs. Victor Zelman married Clara Borsa. Victor was a prominent landscape artist and musician and had his studio in Seventh Street, Hepburn Springs. Ernest Zelman married Blanch Borsa. Ernest was a professional flautist, however after returning from WWI, he turned to farming and later he and Blanch ran the Bellinzona guest house in Hepburn Springs.
