Betty Amsden AO's legacy for the young & young at heart
How legacies will live on at Melbourne Recital Centre.
Beverley Shelton & Martin Schönthal's love of the arts & their legacy
Bringing members of our community together through shared experiences with the arts.
A gift from the Estate of Beverley Shelton and Martin Schönthal has been transformational for Melbourne Recital Centre, enabling outreach activities that would otherwise have been far beyond our capacity.
Beverley Shelton and Martin Schönthal' lives were affected by persecution, resettlement and new beginnings. Displaced from his homeland, Martin Schönthal arrived in Australia as a migrant during World War II on the infamous ship Dunera.
Martin came to love his new country and often praised the goodwill and support he received. Martin’s experience coupled with Beverley’s love for the arts shaped their legacy which aims to create opportunities to bring all members of our community together through shared experiences with the arts.
Beverley and Martin’s gift enabled a full day of free, joyous, community open day on the Centre’s fifth birthday where over 5000 participants came together to make and share great music.
This ensured many different members of our community were able to be involved, including Voices without Borders, a music group of the Adult Migrant Education Services Community Detention Program and the Choir of Hope and Inspiration. It was the beginning of ongoing relationships with many people who attended, some for the very first time.
The balance of their bequest now supports our core aims of presenting a diverse range of music to the broadest possible audience through concert presentation, artist development, and lifelong learning and accessibility initiatives.
We are proud to honour the background and ethos of Martin Schönthal and Beverley Shelton, which aligns with our mission to create a world standard music venue that belongs to all Victorians.
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How legacies will live on at Melbourne Recital Centre.
