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Alberto Zelman (1874-1927), in whose memory the orchestra was formed and named, was born in Melbourne in 1874. He was the son of Signor Alberto Zelman, born in Trieste, operatic conductor, organist, pianist, composer and teacher and his English-born wife, Emily, a gifted singer. Alberto (junior) proved to be an extraordinarily-gifted, all-round musician: a highly talented orchestral and choral conductor and a fine teacher of violin. He was beloved by his players, singers and pupils and popular with his audiences. He died prematurely in 1927, aged 52.
Alberto founded the original Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in 1906 and conducted many memorable performances, including Messiah in 1925, with celebrity soloists Dame Clara Butt and Kennerley Rumford. His final conducting appearance was Messiah on Christmas night in 1926.
The MSO continued to perform after Alberto's death until 1932 when it was taken over by Professor Bernard Heinze, who converted it to an all-professional orchestra. The amateur players formed their own orchestra in 1933, naming it the Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra (the ZMSO) after their beloved Alberto, and his friend and former pupil, Bertha Jorgensen, was the ZMSO's original concertmaster.
The current Zelman Memorial Symphony Orchestra - the Zelman Symphony - generally comprises some 60 to 80 players in a full symphonic ensemble, performing classical, romantic and twentieth-century symphonies and concertos with fine guest soloists at each concert.
