SBS board hopes its musical legacy will survive via the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

The Board of the SBS Radio and Television Youth Orchestra has today announced its decision to support one of the main education programs of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra by endowing a Fellowship position in remembrance of SBS Youth Orchestra founder, Matthew Krel.

The announcement follows the decision by the SBS Youth Orchestra board to wind-up operations after 25 years as reported yesterday. For some, though, the reduced artistic commitment from SBS – from supporting an entire orchestra one day down to a single instrumentalist the next – will be seen as a worrying sign of the times.

The radio and television orchestra was founded by Russian-born conductor Matthew Krel whose tragic death from encephalitis occurred unexpectedly in 2009. According to the orchestra’s manager, Ian Hamilton, it has proved impossible to see a way forward without Krel’s creative drive. Today, though, he was more upbeat. “I am so pleased we can honour Matthew and continue his commitment to young musicians of the highest calibre by endowing a chair in the Sydney Symphony Orchestra’s Fellowship program,” he said.

Sydney Symphony Orchestra Managing Director, Rory Jeffes says...