Goodbye Phil!

Who has inspired you along the way in your career?

At an early age my maternal grandfather was a great influence on my interest in music and brass in particular. He played piano, tuba, and euphonium, all amateur, but very well. I always wanted to be like him. In later times there was my teacher – Michael Mulcahy, then the Principal Trombonist with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and is now in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. I also always wished to sound like Ray Premru (Bass Trombonist, Philharmonia Orchestra) and listened to his performances at every opportunity.

Who is your favourite artist you’ve performed with during your time with WASO?

I can’t shorten it down to just one. I remember the Leeuwin Estate concerts back in the 90s had fabulous soloists. Kiri Te Kanawa, James Galway and Dionne Warwick come to mind. All memorable concerts. I always enjoy working with James Morrison.

As for conductors – Asher Fisch is up there at the top. Vladimir Verbitski was always exciting to do concerts with (you never knew just how fast the Shostakovitch would be)!

What have been your 2022 season highlights?

The last three Masters & Classics concerts have been the highlights for me. Janáček’s Taras Bulba is great to play. Any Janáček is great for the brass. Saint-Saëns Third Symphony is always fun to play and was one of the first symphonies I played in my full-time professional career. Mahler is my favorite composer. His Third Symphony is immense and is a fabulous way to complete my full-time career.

What will you take away from your time with WASO?

I have been incredibly lucky to work in such a talented ensemble for so long. I will walk away with a lifetime of wonderful memories and many friends. All the best things of my life can be attributed to WASO, either directly or indirectly (I wouldn’t have met my wife without WASO).

What’s in store for your retirement?

My wife Jan and I will be taking it easy for a while, but our aim is to do a lot of travel. We are off to Albany early next year for a few weeks. Later we will be travelling to Tasmania for a visit, and hope to do some overseas travel to England and the continent when things are more settled.

I also want to get back to some of my old interests which have fallen by the wayside over the years – photography; getting back to the piano; work on my family tree. I will also return to my first musical interest – brass bands.

Do you have any parting words for your WASO colleagues?

They may not count as parting words as I will be continuing on as a casual with the orchestra, whenever they might need me. But I would just say “thanks” for such a wonderful time. They will always have my undying gratitude.

Phil Holdsworth’s final concert with WASO is Mahler’s Third Symphony.

Friday 2 & Saturday 3 December, 7.30pm
Perth Concert Hall