The Australian Doctor’s Orchestra (ADO) has been bringing joy to both musicians and audiences for more than 30 years.

Plastic and reconstructive surgeon and founder Dr Miklos (Miki) Pohl has written a book, titled Music is Medicine, bringing together the experiences of doctors from across Australia who have been involved in the orchestra.

He is proud the ADO has touched so many lives, and helped doctors rekindle their love of music.

“It gives me a lot of pleasure to think of all these people who have been part of the orchestra. I get wonderful letters saying how much having the opportunity to play has meant to them.”

A personal journey in music
Dr Pohl’s love of music was born in Budapest when he first picked up a violin at the age of six. He continued to pursue music in Australia after his family fled the Hungarian Revolution in 1956.

Dr Pohl attended the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and played with orchestras and chamber groups around the world, alongside his medical training and career.

The seeds of the ADO were sown in 1993 when he mentioned his idea of establishing an orchestra of doctors to University of Melbourne Strings and Conducting lecturer Chris Martin and anaesthetist and violinist Dr Rowan Thomas.

They were enthusiastic about the prospect and did a callout for participants, resulting in an inundation of doctors who wanted to be involved. The first concert in September of the same year boasted a full symphony orchestra of 74 members, and the ADO has gone on to perform for thousands of Australians since then.

Dr Pohl’s professional role as a plastic surgeon specialising in hand surgery has intersected with his music and he commonly treated musicians’ hands. Many travelled to Hobart or Melbourne to receive treatment.

“I understood the problems they faced and I’m pleased to say that I kept a lot of people from having unnecessary surgery.”

In 2020, when COVID-19 struck and orchestras went silent, Dr Pohl suddenly found himself with the time to write Music is Medicine.

In the book’s introduction, he writes: “The unexpected pleasure was getting to know everyone better. I enjoyed the honesty of everyone recounting their stories, their love of music and how everyone came to choose their instruments.”

Hitting the high notes
The ADO has grown from an ambitious idea to performances in capital cities and regional centres across Australia, raising funds for a range of medical charities and inspiring other doctors’ orchestras in every state and territory, including a national student orchestra.

Starting off with concerts in Melbourne and Sydney in alternating years, other states were added to the program and in 2013, the orchestra decided to host a concert in a capital city and regional centre each year.

Among the many concerts the ADO has performed, a highlight for Dr Pohl has been a sellout concert in Hobart in 2000.

The orchestra was joined in the performance of Tchaikovsky's 1812 overture by the Anglesea Barracks Military Brass Band in full military regalia and the electronic canons, supplied by a former patient. Other groups pitched in to support the event, helping with staging.

“It was memorable because of the whole feeling, and the big audience, and the huge orchestra and brass band, and all the generosity of Hobart.”

While Dr Pohl is a believer in the idiom, ‘If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it’, he is pleased to see the ADO inspiring other orchestras, providing medical professionals and their audiences with opportunities to experience the joy of music.

He attributes the success of the orchestra to the commitment and passion of the doctors involved, the work of the executive committee, and the enthusiasm of charities supported by the ADO.

Composing a sense of community
Each of the ADO’s performances raise money for a medical charity, with media publicity providing an additional boost to those charities.

Dr Pohl says the orchestra also generates enormous goodwill among participants and the wider community.

Many interviews in Music is Medicine attest to the impact the orchestra has made in the lives of doctors involved.

“The camaraderie is one of the best things about ADO, as is providing the opportunity for musical medicos to return to playing.

“The joy of making music is infectious. If you’re enjoying it, it just emanates from the orchestra.”

The goodwill offered by the orchestra is often mirrored by the generosity of the wider community, with groups including Rotary and former patients supporting the performances.

The sense of community extends across oceans, and Dr Pohl has experienced the same camaraderie when visiting other countries including Hungary and the US and been welcomed into their own orchestras.

A medley of music and medicine
Music can provide an important outlet for doctors during their busy and demanding professional lives.

In his book, Dr Pohl writes: “Being a doctor is an exacting, demanding and stressful profession. Music is a wonderful way to cope with these stresses.

“Some people play sport, others mediate and go to ashrams, yet others get the endorphin hit by playing music.

“It’s a transcendent thing; when you play music, you can’t be anywhere else—you need to totally be in the moment.”

Dr Pohl says through his career he has consciously worked to ensure that he maintained the time and opportunity to engage in music, alongside dedicating time to his family.

“I always took holidays and never worked public holidays. I never did elective work on a weekend or out of hours.

“I was still very busy but always kept that corner of time for music and my family so that my career didn’t take over.

“This was easier in Hobart, because of its size, and it’s much harder to do in the big cities where it is more competitive.”

Participating in the orchestra can also offer professional benefits to young doctors as they apply for positions in a notoriously competitive industry.

“When people are being interviewed for jobs and positions, which are so competitive, and almost everyone might have brilliant marks, what stands out is that they have played the tuba in the orchestra. It really gives them a boost,” he says.

Music is Medicine is $50, and all profits go to MND Australia, a peak body supporting people impacted by motor neurone disease. To purchase a copy, email [email protected] or visit Amazon.