Personal Space: At home with the Australian Chamber Orchestra’s artistic director Richard Tognetti and violinist Satu Vanska

Australian Chamber Orchestra’s artistic director Richard Tognetti and his violinist wife Satu Vanska converted a beachside Masonic temple built in 1917 to become their home six years ago.

The Manly building was intended to be a workplace for 50 staff, but quickly turned into a residence for the creative couple.

They commissioned urbanist friend Linda Gregoriou to keep the building’s fundamentals intact but also deliver a modern pleasure within.

The home mixes Nordic influence with many antique pieces they have collected. “We recycle a lot of furniture and there’s lots of objects that we keep in the home too,” Vanska says.

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A few of Richard and Satu’s favourite things …

The Derek Hynd surfboard

Derek Hynd is an old friend, a cult figure in the surfing world. He had made this board and taken it everywhere from Bell’s Beach to King Island. It’s a large, narrow 10-foot board and difficult to surf; but we love to use it. It feels like we have a piece of our dear friend in our home. He gave it to us in 2006.

Cultural Amnesia by Clive James

This is one of our favourite books purchased in Melbourne in 2007. Also, one of the greatest history books ever written by one of the greatest writers of all times. It is dedicated to Sophie Scholl, who is one of Satu’s heroines.

Japanese teapot

Satu: I was born in Japan and grew up there; I became a tea addict, naturally. It’s a lovely iron cast teapot given to us by Japanese colleagues. I use it every single day. It was one of those things I miss when we travel because it’s my everyday object.

Bill Henson photo

Bill Henson gave us this photograph as a house warming present in 2014. It’s a picture of Gustav Mahler’s cottage where he composed his later works. He went into hiding for a composition lockdown. It’s extremely painterly and whoever sees it can’t believe it’s a photo because of the colours.

Richard’s violin

This Guarneri violin came into my life around 2006. It’s one of the greatest violins ever made by Giuseppe ‘del Gesu’ Guarneri in 1743. The world’s best makers all came from Cremona, Italy. His great rival Stradivarius also made some of the best; but I think this instrument is greater than Stradivarius’.

This year, the Australian Chamber Orchestra season is a mix of live and digital concerts consisting of seven live concert programs, opening in New South Wales in February and touring nationally from May 2021. For more information and tickets, visit aco.com.au.