The Greeks posited that the aim of a good and purposeful life was to balance between eros (passion) and logos (reason) – it took Richard Jackson, a former competition pianist turned marketing executive, a while to strike the balance – but in his current position as Executive Director of Melbourne Chamber Orchestra he does just that.

Up until his mid-20s, Richard Jackson was primed to become a concert pianist.

He started lessons at the tender age of three with renowned teacher Nehama Patkin and he practiced every day before and after school.

He entered into (and won) competitions around Australia.

But the road to becoming a concert pianist is highly competitive.

“About one in a million who aspires to be a concert pianist actually gets there,” Richard says.

There are only a couple of hundred concert pianists in the world and a handful in Australia.

“It’s not just how good you are, it’s also about luck and self-promotion.”

During his early twenties, Richard’s luck ran out. He suffered an injury to his hands and was unable to keep up with his rigorous regime.

For a young man, who refers to music as something innate and his “native fluency”, Richard experienced a period of uncertainty.

After a period of re-evaluation, Richard went on to complete his masters in marketing, eventually taking up a position as a marketing manager at the prestigious Ormond College.

After a six-year absence from the music industry, a desire to re-immerse himself in the world of music surfaced and following the theme of the Greek classics – fate kicked in.

A position became vacant at the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra (MCO), an independent organisation committed to providing opportunities for Victorian chamber musicians.

Now Executive Director of MCO, Richard Jackson is a jack of all trades.

His “day in the office” varies from meetings, marketing, and curation to being en-route with the Melbourne Chamber Orchestra.

Each year the MCO travels to rural Victoria clocking up to three thousand kilometeres.

They perform from six centuries of music, from pre-Baroque masterpieces to world premieres.

Last year they premiered Australia’s Deborah Cheetham’s Pecan Summer, an indigenous opera exploring themes of dispossession.

Richard gets great satisfaction from sharing his love for music with rural Victorians.

“Sometimes a third of the community will turn up,” he says. “In Melbourne, we are spoiled for fine music performances, but it’s special to share the artform with those who only get the opportunities infrequently.”

“In Melbourne, we are spoiled for fine music performances, but it’s special to share the artform with those who only get the opportunities infrequently.”

And what about the role music plays in Richard’s life?

“I feel music,” he says.

When asked to elaborate, his eyes shift upwards, a sure sign according to psychologists, that the creative sphere of the brain is being activated.

His words, previously direct and succinct, turn abstract and the meaning and symbolism of them are more implicit.

“There is something deeply satisfying about it.”

Calming?

“No… ” (pause).

His eyes still upwards, shift from left to right, although he is searching.

“It’s beyond words,” he smiles.