We’ve recently been made aware that our good friend and longtime Australian Musician contributor, Dr Allan Zavod is currently undergoing treatment for brain cancer.
On Sunday December 20 at Melbourne’s Hamer Hall, a concert by the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will pay tribute to Allan, when they perform for the first time ever, the full version of Allan’s work, The Environmental Symphony. The concert will be narrated by film legend Jack Thomson. Following the Environmental Symphony, The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra will also perform Rachmanino ’s beautiful Symphonic Dances.
Bert Newton and special guests will also pay tribute to Allan and his contribution to music. Allan has requested that 100% of the proceeds from the performance are donated to the world-leading brain cancer research of the Royal Melbourne Hospital Neuroscience Foundation.
Allan’s contribution to music both locally and on an international level is immense. As a pianist, composer, arranger, producer, and conductor, there is little in music he hasn’t achieved.
Allan was helping to break down music barriers in the 70s and 80s, pioneering classical jazz fusion with Jean Luc Ponty and also spent a year touring and recording with the great Frank Zappa band. Esteemed USA jazz magazine Downbeat named Zavod one of the top 10 keyboardists of the 80s.
From studying at the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston, he later became a Professor there.
Allan wrote for theatre and orchestras worldwide and composed film scores, one with rock legend Eric Clapton.
He performed with superstars like George Benson, Sting, Nigel Kennedy and so many more.
Allan contributed to Australian Musician magazine from the very first issue and continued to write a regular jazz piano lesson and conducted many interviews with his international music legend friends for us.
We wish Allan well in his battle with this disease and our thoughts go out to him and his wife Chris and son Zak during this trying time.
For tickets and more information on The Environmental Symphony event, visit www.environmentalsymphony.com