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Five new Directors join MSO Board
The Melbourne Symphony Orchestra (MSO) has announced the appointment of five new Non-Executive Directors to its Board: Chris Howlett, Joel McGuinness, Lisa Mitchell, Meredith Schilling SC and Tony Grybowski.
These appointments mark a significant milestone in the MSO’s Board renewal and reflect the organisation’s commitment to sector-leading governance, strategic leadership, artistic innovation and cultural excellence.
MSO Chair Edgar Myer said in a media statement: ‘We are delighted to welcome these five exceptional individuals to the MSO Board. Together, they bring deep experience and innovation across the arts, philanthropy, governance and major public institutions – skills that are central to the Orchestra’s continued evolution and ambition.’
Notably, all five new Directors have held professional or leadership roles within orchestras or performing arts institutions in Australia and overseas, offering the MSO a wealth of lived experience in orchestral culture, artistic development and sector advocacy.
- Tony Grybowski is the former CEO of the Australia Council for the Arts, with over 35 years of senior leadership in the cultural sector, including prior roles with Musica Viva and the Australian Youth Orchestra. He brings strategic insight, governance experience and sector influence to the Board.
- Chris Howlett is a professional cellist and award-winning arts leader, currently Executive Director of the Bendigo Chamber Music Festival and co-Founder of the Australian Digital Concert Hall. A former Chair of 3MBS Fine Music Melbourne, Howlett combines artistic depth with entrepreneurial and governance experience.
- Joel McGuinness, Director, Experience at the State Library of Victoria and former CEO and Creative Director of Geelong Arts Centre, brings leadership across major cultural organisations, capital project delivery and community engagement.
- Lisa Mitchell, Director Development – University Fundraising at Monash University and formerly Director of Marketing and Development at the MSO, brings deep expertise in fundraising, brand strategy, marketing, digital communications and donor engagement, including leadership roles in multimillion-dollar campaigns.
- Meredith Schilling SC is a Senior Counsel at the Victorian Bar and a former professional classical singer who has held senior fundraising and management roles with leading UK orchestras. Her dual expertise in music and law makes her uniquely positioned to contribute across the MSO’s philanthropic and governance activities.
The Orchestra’s CEO Richard Wigley said, ‘These new directors reflect the MSO’s dedication to artistic excellence, community connection and long-term sustainability.
‘We are excited to collaborate with them as we deliver our ambitious vision for the future.’
The new appointments follow a national search and were endorsed by the Board following a rigorous and inclusive process.
These appointments follow the retirement of co-Deputy Chair Margaret Jackson AC from the MSO Board last month, after serving as a Director for 11 years (commencing May 2015). During her tenure, Jackson chaired the Governance and Music Hub Committees and was a member of the Foundation Committee.
As one of the first women in Australia to hold multiple board positions with major companies – including Chair positions at QANTAS, the Defence Employer Partnering Network, Spotlight Group Holdings and Victorian Transport Accident Commission – she brought a wealth of executive management and governance expertise to the Board.
Jackson has been an enthusiastic attendee of the MSO for over 50 years and long-standing Chair sponsor of Principal Horn Nico Fleury, whom she will continue to support. She will also remain a member of the MSO Music Hub Committee.
‘After 11 years of tireless service,’ Myer said, ‘we pay tribute to Margaret Jackson AC for her immense leadership and commitment to the success of the company.
‘Margaret brought clear-eyed guidance through some of our most challenging periods. Her support and wisdom have been invaluable throughout her tenure, and we’re delighted that the MSO will continue to benefit from her energy and strategic acumen through her ongoing membership of the MSO Music Hub Committee.’
The Australian Music Industry Network appoints Project Manager
The Australian Music Industry Network (AMIN), the national alliance of Australia’s peak contemporary music bodies, has appointed respected arts leader and musician Emily Tulloch as its new Project Manager.
Based in Adelaide, Tulloch is tasked with delivering a two-year program of national initiatives to strengthen Australia’s music sector. She brings more than 20 years of experience across performance, leadership and sector development to the newly created role, which will focus on cross-border collaboration and the development of a National Regional Touring Network.
With a deep commitment to supporting artist-led initiatives, equity and community-led infrastructure, Tulloch’s appointment marks a significant step in AMIN’s 2025–2027 strategic direction.
‘I’m delighted to join AMIN in a role that feels, for me, both timely and meaningful,’ said Tulloch.
‘The national grassroots music sector underpins our nation’s contemporary music landscape and is a vital and dynamic ecosystem that must be supported, fostered and championed. I’m looking forward to this opportunity to bring my skills and experience to this role, supporting a sector I’ve dedicated my professional life to nurturing and strengthening.’
Tulloch was most recently CEO and Artistic Director of Nexus Arts, where she led intercultural artistic programming and sector engagement. She is the Business Development Manager of COMA (Creative Original Music Adelaide), a celebrated violinist and former member of Zephyr Quartet. She has also toured nationally and internationally with artists such as the late Jóhann Jóhannson, Missy Higgins and Megan Washington. Additionally, Tulloch composes and arranges music and has previously been commissioned by Restless Dance Theatre, Brink Productions, Radio National and the Australian String Quartet.
Her appointment follows AMIN’s recent strategic refresh and rebrand, positioning the organisation to lead national conversations and programs that empower artists and support sustainable industry development. The role is supported by the Australian Government through Creative Australia, its principal arts investment and advisory body.
Telstra NATSIAA appoints 2025 Guest Curator
As the awards ceremony for the 2025 Telstra National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Art Awards (NATSIAA) on Friday 8 August draws closer, the Museum and Gallery Northern Territory (MAGNT) has welcomed this year’s guest curator, Kate ten Buuren, who was also one of the judges of this year’s exhibition.
Read: Telstra NATSIAA 2025 has announced 71 finalists
She is a Taungurung artist and independent curator who lives in Melbourne on Kulin Country. Previously, ten Buuren was Senior Curator, First Nations at Melbourne Arts Precinct Corporation, embedding First Peoples’ stories across the redevelopment of Melbourne’s expanding Arts Precinct. In 2024, ten Buuren co-curated The Blak Infinite with Yorta Yorta woman Kimberley Moulton in a collaborative project between RISING and Federation Square. The Blak Infinite reflected First Peoples’ connections to the cosmos through public art in large-scale installations, projections, poetry, photography and more.
Ten Buuren has worked at Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI), where she curated the major summer exhibition, How I See It (2023) and at the Koorie Heritage Trust, where she was the Curator of Collections and Exhibitions, delivering a range of projects focused on south-eastern contemporary practice. This included the presentation of the Koorie Art Show, the annual Art Awards for practitioners living in Victoria.
She is a founding member of First Nations art collective, this mob, who make art together and deliver programs targeted at emerging practitioners in Melbourne. Her independent curatorial projects include Now You’re Speakin’ My Language for NOWNESS ASIA and the IMA Brisbane, and Collective Movements, which was co-curated with Maya Hodge and N’arweet Carolyn Briggs at Monash University Museum of Art and toured regionally across Victoria.
‘It is a privilege to be the first guest curator of Telstra NATSIAA at MAGNT and to build upon the legacy that has been forged by many people before me. Each year, the Telstra NATSIAA raises the bar for contemporary art on this continent. The 71 finalists in 2025 are exceptional artists, and their works form part of the greater constellation of First Peoples’ creative practice – unique in their own way but connected,’ ten Buuren said in a statement.
‘Collectively, the exhibition reflects on Ancestors and the knowledge passed down through generations, societal currents, Country and each artist’s unique experiences and worldviews. This year, we’ve seen an increase in artists from the south-east, which gives positive insight into the future of the Awards. First Peoples artists are making ground-breaking works in every part of this continent, and the Telstra NATSIAA is a yearly opportunity to come together and celebrate the diversity of contemporary practice. I am excited for audiences to experience these important works and engage deeply with each artist’s story.’
The Telstra NATSIAA is now showing at MAGNT, Darwin until 26 January 2026.
Assembly 197 announces internal restructure
Launceston’s Assembly 197 (A197) has undertaken a restructure as its work continues to evolve across local, national and international contexts. The new structure is intended to strengthen the organisation’s capacity, sharpen its focus and support sustainability.
The restructure consists of a new parallel leadership structure, a model that ensures deep focus in key areas while fostering flexibility, cross-organisational collaboration, cohesion and mutual support.
Formally co-Creative Directors, Adam Wheeler and Emma Porteus, now as Executive Directors, serve as co-CEOs of A197 and manage the A197 Portfolios: TASDANCE, SITUATE, ARTERY, TRIP and HUB.
Read: How funding woes inspired a new home for live art
Specifically, Wheeler becomes Executive Director of TASDANCE, ARTERY and HUB, while Porteus becomes Executive Director of SITUATE and TRIP.
The new leadership structure will enable Porteus to pursue her PhD, which examines how creative practices contribute to recovery and resilience in the face of natural disasters and a changing climate.
A197 is now seeking a part-time Executive Producer to lead operations, projects and strategy with artists: see the job listing on ArtsHub for details.
Sydney Fringe appoints new CEO
In addition to recently launching its full 2025 program, Sydney Fringe Festival has also welcomed new CEO Patrick Kennedy, who brings over 15 years’ experience in the arts and cultural sector to the organisation. Prior to joining Sydney Fringe in 2024, Kennedy held senior roles at leading international agencies and producers, delivering national marketing and publicity campaigns for major Australian productions including Mary Poppins, & Juliet and The Phantom of the Opera; he also co-founded London-based marketing agency We Are I Am.
Kennedy has been Executive Producer of Patrick Kennedy Theatre Machine since 2009, winning international acclaim for his independent theatre work.
Maree Taylor, Chair of the Board at Sydney Fringe, said of the appointment: ’Over the past two months the Board has undertaken a rigorous global search for our next CEO. The process attracted outstanding candidates from across Australia and around the world – a testament to Sydney Fringe’s reputation as one of the world’s leading independent arts organisations. I’m delighted to share that, with the unanimous support of the Board, Patrick Kennedy has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Sydney Fringe.
‘Patrick is an accomplished leader and internationally lauded theatre-maker with a proven track record in championing independent arts, strategic direction and organisational growth. His rare blend of artistic leadership, sector insight and commercial acumen makes this a confident and exciting evolution for the organisation as we continue to shape Sydney’s cultural ecosystem and advocate for a more inclusive, resilient and thriving independent arts sector.’
Sydney Fringe Festival runs from 1-30 September 2025.
Two new staff appointed at Experience Gold Coast
Experience Gold Coast has announced two significant new appointments to the Artistic Programming Department of HOTA: Home of the Arts on the Gold Coast.
Felix Preval, Director Creative Programming and Mark Duckworth, Director Commercial Programming will work across a 17-hectare cultural precinct that includes performing arts theatres and studios, cinemas, food and beverage outlets, large event spaces, an outdoor stage with capacity for 5000 and a multi-level AAA-rated Gallery.
Preval and Duckworth join an outstanding cohort of Directors in the business working with Yarmila Alfonzetti, Head of Arts and Culture, to bring a full program of distinctive arts experiences to the Gold Coast for locals and visitors alike.
Felix Preval is an internationally recognised arts leader with over a decade’s experience in festival direction, programming and management, with a track record for presenting diverse and dynamic international performing arts programs that successfully connect with local audiences. He is experienced in working with artists across theatre, dance, music, cabaret, circus, comedy and live arts, including commissioning new works of scale by local and national artists.
Preval possesses well-honed management acumen and people management skills, as well as strong international networks, including government agencies, underpinned by a reputation for delivering on relationships with meaningful outcomes for artists and stakeholders alike. He was Artistic Director of Darwin Festival from 2017-2022, at which time the Festival was a consecutive winner at the Regional Tourism Awards, taking home the trophy for Best Major Event 2018 to 2022; Darwin Festival was also the national winner of the Qantas Tourism Awards 2022 for Best Major Event during Preval’s tenure. He also has experience as a writer, actor and director for stage and screen, as the creative director of an independent Aotearoa New Zealand theatre company, a tertiary educator and facilitator.
Mark Duckworth has been at the helm of major event festivals Blues on Broadbeach, Groundwater Country Music Festival and Cooly Rocks On since 2013. His career spans successful events across the UK, Europe, Asia and Australia. Duckworth is experienced in connecting people with events, and skilled in event management, entertainment programming, stage and artist management, road case pushing and everything in between that’s needed to put on a good show.
‘As HOTA truly comes of age under the auspices of Experience Gold Coast, there is nothing more exciting than surrounding oneself with the best and the brightest. Deepening the programming expertise at HOTA has been at the heart of my work here on the Gold Coast, and I could not be more delighted to welcome Felix Preval and Mark Duckworth to lead both creative and commercial programming departments. The HOTA Precinct, which features performing arts venues, cinemas, events spaces, a major outdoor stage amphitheatre and a state-of-the-art gallery, will now have even more muscle behind content creation and delivery for the benefit of us all,’ said Yarmila Alfonzetti, Head of Arts and Culture, Experience Gold Coast.
Nyaal Banyul appoints Executive Chef
Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre has appointed Andreas Gober as Executive Chef. Gober brings extensive global experience and a passion for local produce to the new business events venue, which is set to open in July 2026.
A Mount Duneed local, his career has spanned fine dining restaurants in Europe, premium cruise lines, luxury hotels and large-scale stadiums.
‘There’s so much happening here. New restaurants, new producers and a real sense of pride in what’s possible,’ said Gober.
‘We can support local partners, cut down food miles, and serve things that are fresher because they’re right here. That’s a huge privilege.’
Originally from Austria, Andreas’ approach is shaped by his European roots and deep respect for ingredients. Menus at Nyaal Banyul will be shaped in close collaboration with local growers and artisans, many based across the Bellarine and Surf Coast. Gober and his team will source seasonal ingredients with a focus on sustainability, supporting regional producers and minimising food miles.
Nyaal Banyul General Manager Rick Aylett celebrated Andreas’ appointment as a major milestone: ‘Andreas and his team will deliver a world-class dining experience for our customers, while celebrating local producers and telling the stories of the Greater Geelong region.’
‘Our ambition is to leave a positive lasting impact on every single person who walks through our doors – and food is a big part of that,’ Aylett said.
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