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Røde Microphones Makes Major Donation To Sydney Festival Anniversary Fund

Røde Microphones founder and president, Peter Freedman, has made a substantial donation that will form the founding capital of a Sydney Festival Anniversary Fund.

Røde Microphones founder and president, Peter Freedman, has made a substantial donation that will form the founding capital of a Sydney Festival Anniversary Fund.

The fund is set up to support performing arts projects at the annual Sydney Festival from its 2016 anniversary edition onwards, with a special focus on, but not limited to, international collaborations and the creation of opportunities for artists under the age of forty.

Freedman and the Sydney Festival encourage other philanthropists to match his donation and become fellow founding donors.

Swedish-born Freedman emigrated to Australia as a child in 1966. His parents, Henry and Astrid Freedman, started Freedman Electronics, the first professional sound equipment company in Australia offering high-end European equipment.

Freedman successfully turned their business into Røde Microphones, now one of the world’s leading manufacturers of microphones, proudly manufacturing their specialist products in Silverwater..

The Company, managed by Freedman and his wife Lou Freedman, has since diversified into other professional audio equipment including iPhone mics, apps, sound for video and loudspeaker manufacturing.

“I am really proud to be supporting Sydney Festival because it brings together two of my passions: the joy of Sydney in summer, and exciting performances from local and international artists,” Freedman explains. “Sydney has been fantastic to me and my family, and at Røde we are always inspired by the performers who use our products. This is an opportunity to give back to my city, and support the Sydney Festival as it reaches new heights.”

This donation marks the start of Sydney Festival’s preparations for what promises to be exciting celebrations in 2016. Festival Director, Lieven Bertels, whose contract was recently extended to include this landmark Festival edition, is excited about this donation:

“With a background in music recording and production myself, I am quite a passionate collector of new and vintage microphones, so I knew and admired Peter and his company before I moved to Sydney,” Bertels adds. “Knowing what it feels like to move to Australia from abroad, Peter was one of the first NSW business leaders to personally welcome me to Sydney.

“Last year, Røde Microphones came on board as a sponsor for a fun concert with Indonesian grunge rock band Navicula, and I am grateful Peter has decided to make this new substantial personal contribution to Sydney Festival.

“We promise to develop this Fund and align it to his passion for innovation and international collaboration. It is wonderful to have business leaders such as Peter who are passionate about performing arts and entertainment.”

Sydney Festival, Australia’s foremost summer festival, is proud to be a leader in its approach to corporate partnerships and philanthropy, and this pledge allows the Festival to start preparing for its 40th anniversary.

Freedman’s donation was pledged at a small function hosted by Her Excellency Professor Marie Bashir, Governor of NSW and patron of Sydney Festival.

Head of Development Malcolm Moir commented: “We are delighted to welcome Peter to our important circle of private supporters of Sydney Festival and encourage others to support one of Sydney’s most loved celebrations – a festival that reflects the depth and breadth of the city it celebrates each year. There is nowhere better to be than Sydney in January!”

Sydney Festival 2014 will be held from 9 to 26 January across greater Sydney.

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