I was privileged to play cello in the Australian Doctors Orchestra’s (ADO) concert last weekend in Brisbane, Queensland. The program included the Overture to Le Cheval de Bronze by Auber, Tchaikovsky’s Piano Concerto No 1 in B flat minor with soloist Evgeny Ukhanov, and finishing with the magnificent Symphony No 6 in F major by Beethoven – The Pastoral.
We were conducted by Phillip Taylor and our concert master was Rowan Thomas. Our concert raised money for the Day of Difference, a charity dedicated to research and action aimed at preventing serious childhood injuries.
The Flash Mob performance at the children’s hospital in Brisbane was a highlight for me. We played Pachelbel’s Canon – starting with a single cellist, with other string players gradually wandering in. And all in surgical scrubs! 
This ADO concert was comprised of around 100 players who converged on Brisbane from all corners of Australia. It was magnificent to be sitting in the middle of a full complement of lower strings, especially for the Beethoven Symphony; his writing for cello-bass is extraordinary.
I spoke to the ADO founder, Miki Pohl during one of the breaks in our hectic three days of rehearsal. Miki is a plastic surgeon but also a lifelong dedicated musician – a violist. He is from Hungary originally but has made Australia his home. Back in the early 1990’s he started a summer chamber music gathering at the Mt Buller Alpine Village; the idea of a national doctor’s orchestra was a natural progression. Together with conductor, Chris Martin and concert master, Rowan Thomas, the ADO had its debut in 1993. The concert was held at the Melba Hall in Melbourne and attracted enough doctor players to form a full symphony orchestra; and there was even a GP/piano soloist for a Beethoven piano concerto. In short, it was an immediate and phenomenal success. About $4000 was raised for the MS Society charity.
Since that time, the ADO has performed in every state and territory except for Darwin and that will be redressed next year – June 19th, 2016 will be the ADO’s first concert in Darwin, Northern Territory.
Over the last 22 years, the orchestra has gone from strength to strength with many players having been with the orchestra from its inception. Now the ADO programs two concerts a year, one in a capital city and one in a regional centre. This year they played in Port Macquarie to a very large and appreciative audience.
The ADO membership includes about 700 medical professionals from across Australia and the doctors pay their own way and their accommodation costs to take part in the concerts; all profits go to nominated charities. Miki estimates that the ADO has raised over half a million dollars for charity over the last 22yrs.
Venue hire in the capital cities can be extremely expensive. At the moment the ADO is looking for a major sponsor.
Medicine and music seem to go together – and indeed, state based doctor’s orchestras have sprung up in most of the bigger Australian states. In addition, Miki has been instrumental in setting up doctors orchestras overseas. Miki lived in the UK in 2004 and during this time set up the European Doctors Orchestra. This orchestra performs twice a year, playing one concert in the UK and one on the continent. They attract top conductors and soloists and play in famous venues steeped in history.
Miki talked to me about the pleasure he gets from seeing medicos getting back into playing their instruments. He cites this as one of the main positive spin-offs of the orchestra. Medical practice can be very stressful and music can balance life again. Click here to hear an interview with ADO members and our wonderful piano soloist Evgeny Ukhanov – ABC Brisbane interview
It has been the most extraordinary privilege to play in the ADO. I am convening the concert for Darwin… so stay tuned.