Mathisha Panagoda
About
Q&A
Question: Can you tell us a bit about you, and what you are up to these days?
Answer I am a Partner at a national law firm based in Sydney. I teach the cello and musicianship on weekends and play gigs occasionally. I’m passionate about the arts and music education and I’m currently on the board of Gondwana Choirs. I’ve been married for three years and love spending time with my husband and our 5-year-old cavoodle. I also enjoy regularly watching the SSO and ACO with a close group of friends who I met through AYO and the Conservatorium.
Question: What was a highlight of your time in AYO programs?
Answer Too many to name! Some highlights that have fondly stuck in my memory are performing Shostakovich 10 at the BBC Proms in 2010, working alongside the Goldner String Quartet at Chamber Music Camp in Armidale and performing Beethoven 6 at the Adelaide Festival in 2009.
Question: What skills, musical and otherwise, did you take away from your time at AYO?
Answer Musically, AYO gave me remarkable opportunities to work with talented young musicians from around the country and world-class conductors and tutors. I developed an appreciation for all sorts of interesting music, including that of some brilliant Australian composers. <br> <br> There are skills I developed in AYO that have served me very well as a lawyer and in the corporate world, helping me to stand out from others who did not have the benefit of a good music education. Those include a strong work ethic, confidence, time management, an eye for detail and ability to collaborate as part of a large team. Socially, AYO provided me with some amazing lifelong friendships and a network that now spreads around the world.
Question: Why do you think AYO is important to the Australian cultural landscape?
Answer I think AYO is a very important part of the Australian cultural landscape as it not only provides an excellent training ground for aspiring musicians and arts administrators, but it is developing the next generation of music lovers and those that will go on to support our other cultural institutions into the future.
Question: Is there a piece of advice you received from a music teacher/mentor that has always stayed with you?
Answer At one of my first National Music Camps, I made a mistake in a chamber music performance and got lost while on stage. I felt terrible and like I had let down the rest of the group. I have never forgotten our tutor, Helena Rathbone, spending time with me afterwards telling me about all the mistakes she had made on stage in the past and helping me to understand that mistakes are an important part of life and part of how we learn and grow.
Question: How or why did you choose your instrument?
Answer My older brother played the cello and I think I just wanted to be like him!