Anne Murdock joined the Board of the Canadian Aldeburgh Foundation in 2003 and continues in that capacity with the Art Song Foundation of Canada.
Anne Murdock grew up in New Haven, Connecticut, and spent her college years at Wellesley College, where she majored in psychology. Immediately on graduating, she took a job in the Psychology Department at Yale University.
When her first child was born, Anne left the work force and became involved in various volunteer activities as she raised her four children in Burlington, Vermont. During this time, she helped to organize a series of vocal and instrumental concerts, which took place in people’s homes.
Anne and her family moved to Toronto in 1965. Her husband took a position as Professor of Psychology at the University of Toronto and she began her involvement with the Women’s Committee of the Toronto Symphony. In a serendipitous moment at a meeting in 1972, she and Joanne Hart offered to co-chair a new initiative called Symphony Seminars. This program took symphony musicians into Toronto schools to present short concerts and master classes for the music students. The huge success of the program led to the establishment of Hart/Murdock Artists Management in 1974. It was a time of expanded outreach at the Ontario Arts Council and thus a perfect time to present their artists in recitals in smaller venues throughout Ontario.
Hart/Murdock Artists Management grew to be one of the largest and most successful artist management agencies in Canada at the time. They represented (mostly) classical musicians, nurturing and building their careers, and finding them engagements in recital and with orchestras and choral groups around the world. Joanne took responsibility for bringing touring groups such as the King’s Singers, St. John’s Cambridge Choir, the Scottish Baroque Orchestra, and others from England to Canada. Anne worked mostly with individual singers and instrumentalists. When Hart/Murdock closed in 1997, seven of their singers were engaged to appear with the Metropolitan Opera in upcoming seasons.
Anne has been very active in the First Unitarian Congregation since the 1980s; she has served on the board twice, been on several committees, including Music and Pastoral Care, and still sings in the choir. She is also a current volunteer with the Survivor’s Support Program.