Arts sector appointments: quick links
Opera Australia leadership in place with three key appointments
The Board of Opera Australia (OA) today (19 August) announced the appointment of three key leadership positions. These strategic appointments strengthen OA’s place as the nation’s premier opera company, one of its most important cultural institutions and the largest employer in the performing arts.
- Chair of the Board: Professor Glyn Davis AC
- Chief Executive Officer: Alex Budd
- Music Director: Maestro Andrea Battistoni
The three leaders have decades of combined understanding of OA’s purpose and its people, each enjoying a unique connection with the company. Together they will play critical roles in executing OA’s strategic vision for the future, and in the continuing recruitment process for a Director of Opera.
Bringing governance excellence to the OA Board, Professor Glyn Davis AC commences in his second term as Chair. Outgoing Chair Rod Sims AO, after consulting the Board, approached Davis to rejoin when he stepped down as Secretary of the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in June this year.
‘I was delighted that Glyn agreed, and we have been working together since to ensure a smooth transition. His extensive experience and proven track record guiding Opera Australia through the changes the performing arts sector is facing, makes Glyn the ideal leader to help OA navigate our next important chapter,’ Sims said.
Davis said of his new position as OA Chair: ‘I am excited by this opportunity to contribute to the vibrant future of Australia’s national opera company and to work with its leaders, artists, creatives and employees as OA delivers spectacular performances for diverse audiences.’
To drive strategic, operational and commercial excellence and take a long-term approach to performance programming, new CEO Alex Budd will ensure OA continues to innovate and deepen audience engagement and connection across Australia while balancing artistic ambition with financial sustainability.
With two decades of experience across opera, dance, musical theatre and cultural leadership, Budd is a highly respected senior arts executive who most recently served as Director of Canberra Theatre Centre (see below). There, he has overseen significant growth in audiences and commercial outcomes, strengthened the Centre’s artistic profile and national partnerships, and progressed the vision and planning for a new 2000 seat lyric theatre in the nation’s capital.
Budd said in a statement: ‘It is a privilege to return to Opera Australia as CEO, an organisation that has shaped my career and which I hold in great affection. This is a genuine homecoming and a deep responsibility to help steer Opera Australia’s future, alongside Andrea Battistoni bringing his extraordinary musical leadership and Glyn Davis rejoining the Board as Chair.
‘This company holds a special place in Australia’s cultural life, and its 70th anniversary invites us to think deeply about the role it will play in the decades ahead. Opera Australia has the chance to redefine what opera means in contemporary Australia. Our responsibility is to ensure opera remains a living, relevant artform – one that challenges, excites and inspires audiences while nurturing pathways for artists and company colleagues who bring it to life. Fulfilling that responsibility means performing at the highest international level while also creating work that speaks directly to Australian audiences today,’ he said.
Bringing musical brilliance and a deep knowledge of opera to OA, commencing in January 2026, Italian conductor and composer Maestro Andrea Battistoni will oversee all musical aspects of productions and realise the company’s artistic vision working closely with the Director of Opera and CEO.
Verona-based Battistoni is recognised as one of the most esteemed conductors of his generation, a regular on the podium in the world’s finest opera houses such as Covent Garden, Deutsche Oper in Berlin, Palau del Les Arts in Valencia, Royal Opera House in Stockholm, Teatro Carlo Felice in Genoa and the Sydney Opera House. First attracting international attention at the Verdi Festival in 2010, Battistoni became the youngest conductor to perform at the Teatro alla Scala in Milan in 2012 at only 24 years of age.
‘I’m looking forward to returning to Australia and reuniting with colleagues with whom I shared deep musical communication and understanding. The extraordinary dedication of the music staff, the chorus, the orchestra and the soloists, constantly challenging themselves to create unforgettable performances,’ Battistoni said.
‘While recognising the value and strength of the Italian repertoire, which will continue to be an essential component, I propose an expansion into other musical cultures. We will aim to offer new stimuli to the audience, the orchestra and the chorus, allowing them to explore different musical languages, from Wagner to Britten, from the French masterpieces to new contemporary works.
‘It’s also important OA maintains its status as an international house of excellence, reaching for new horizons as well. I’ll be nurturing local talent as well as attracting international singers and directors with whom to share important projects,’ Battistoni concluded.
Outgoing Chair Rod Sims said: ‘Opera Australia is in a position of strength. The past 12 months have seen a significant financial recovery and performances that are critically acclaimed and selling to full houses, and the 2026 program has been well received. Opera Australia is now on a sustainable footing and with strengthened leadership is well placed for a vibrant future.’
Canberra Theatre Centre farewells Director
Alex Budd, the Director of the Canberra Theatre Centre (CTC) for almost six years, is stepping down the position to take up the role of Chief Executive Officer at Opera Australia later this year.
The news was announced today (19 August) by the CEO of the Cultural Facilities Corporation (CFC), Gordon Ramsay, who said: ‘Alex’s contribution to the Canberra Theatre Centre and to the leadership team of the Cultural Facilities Corporation has been profound. The CFC greatly values Alex’s work and leadership over the past 5 years, and we wish him every success in his new role.
‘With the Canberra Theatre Centre transformation project underway, and the development of a new Lyric Theatre on the horizon, the Cultural Facilities Corporation will be undertaking a large-scale national recruitment for a new CTC Director to lead the Centre into an exciting future,’ Ramsay said.
After an early role in the CTC lighting department in the 90s, Budd returned in the leadership position in 2020 shortly before the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Budd built increased resilience in the CTC, Australia’s first multi-venue performing arts centre. As Director, Budd has strengthened the Centre’s financial position and deepened relationships with some of the most influential producers and artists in the country. The last five years have seen consistent audience growth, and the Centre is now positioned as a leader in presenting major national and international productions alongside ACT based artists and First Nations work.
Budd’s leadership has not only left the CTC in its strongest position in decades but has also set the stage for an exciting future – including planning for the delivery of a new 2000-seat lyric theatre that will transform the performing arts nationally.
Alex Budd said, ‘While I’m excited to be returning to Opera Australia – the company where I have already spent much of my career – I will deeply miss the fantastic team at the Canberra Theatre Centre and our loyal, adventurous audiences. This has been a place where remarkable work is made possible by remarkable people. The new lyric theatre is a once-in-a-generation project for the performing arts in Australia, proudly planned to be built in the nation’s capital, and I look forward to the day Opera Australia performs on that stage.’
Budd finishes at Canberra Theatre Centre in early October.
Festival City Adelaide appoints new Chief Executive Officer
Festival City Adelaide (FCA), the peak body for festivals and events in South Australia, has appointed industry veteran Glyn Roberts as its next Chief Executive Officer.
Roberts replaces Justyna Jochym, who has moved on from FCA to take on the position of CEO at the History Trust of South Australia. He starts at FCA at the beginning of October 2025.
Roberts is currently the Team Manager Creative Communities at Townsville City Council, providing strategic leadership for arts and major and community events across Townsville. He was previously the Festival Director and CEO of the Castlemaine State Festival, and has worked in the arts and cultural sector for the past two decades.
Having worked in and around festivals his entire career, Roberts said he was honoured to be given the opportunity to lead Festival City Adelaide.
‘To be able to work with and advocate for the greatest festivals this country has to offer the world is thrilling,’ he said.
Festival City Adelaide Board Chair Govert Mellink said they had conducted an extensive search for the right person to lead FCA’s next phase of growth.
‘We are confident we have found the right person in Glyn to grab the opportunities we have built at FCA and develop them into world-leading programs,’ Mellink said.
The FCA is developing initiatives that will see Adelaide become the epicentre of festival and event education and training, as well as bringing all the different people and skills essential to running festivals and events into a shared service.
Roberts said these programs will further cement Adelaide’s title of the festival capital of Australia and, ‘remove any question that we are global leaders in the festival industry and set the pace for innovation in this space. We will be doing this across so many important areas, such as education and training, workforce management, sustainability, cultural diplomacy, regional engagement and much more,’ he said.
Roberts said one of his first tasks was to ensure the FCA membership was properly represented.
‘I’ll advocate for their collective needs to government and industry to secure the most fertile environment in which these incredible festivals can thrive and give back to South Australia many times over,’ he said.
Riverland Youth Theatre announces new Artistic Director
The Board of Riverland Youth Theatre has confirmed the departure of Fleur Kilpatrick from the Artistic Director’s position.
A company spokesperson said: ‘We’d say we’re sorry to lose her but guess what? We’re not losing her! Fleur will continue on with us at RYT, leading Music and Movement, as well as the Teen Ensemble. Carrying on from their role filling in as Fleur’s parental leave cover, we are overjoyed to announce that Sam Wannan has agreed to take on the role of Artistic Director in a permanent capacity.
‘The Board of RYT would like to thank Fleur Kilpatrick for her invaluable work for the company, and take this opportunity to celebrate her with a look at some of the highlights of her term as Artistic Director.
‘When Fleur came to RYT in 2021, she immediately took the company in a new direction – a focus on mental health and carving out a place for the company as both an arts organisation, and community hub. Under her leadership, attendance at our programs increased from four students a week to an average of 45. In her final year as AD, the company produced a total of 452 events,’ the Board’s statement continued.
Read: Fleur Kilpatrick: Lessons learned on the job
‘Fleur has also raised the national profile of the company. RYT was invited to present at the Australasian Theatre Exchange in 2023, the teen ensemble production of The Bacchae picked up the Adelaide Fringe Youth Award in 2024, and the teen ensemble production of War of the Worlds was part of Adelaide Festival in 2025 [and performed by three young regional ensembles at once].
In 2023 Fleur was awarded the title of ‘Protector of the Gays’ from the RYT teens at the Ally Awards. As none of her other awards came with a pipecleaner crown, this is clearly the coolest award she’s received,’ the statement read.
In 2024, Kilpatrick took parental leave, and Sam Wannan was appointed as Acting Artistic Director; they now step into the role more permanently. Prior to commencing at RYT, Wannan worked around South Australia as an innovator, illustrator, animator and arts educator for Act Now Theatre.
‘Sam’s role as digital innovator saw them adapt a range of Act Now Theatre’s programs for digital release for schools, workplaces and the public sector. During this time, they also worked as lead artist on an illustrated book adaptation of Like Me, Like You – Act Now Theatre’s anti racism work for young children,’ the Board spokesperson said.
‘With Tutti Arts, Sam coordinated and produced Tutti Pom Pom, a collaborative project with Carclew exploring best practice in facilitating art projects for young, neurodivergent and learning-disabled people. This project resulted in the publishing of a publicly-accessible resource for arts organisations and groups.
‘From 2019 to 2021 Sam was the company manager for D’Faces, where they led the company through [the] COVID-19 pandemic with continued financial stability, supported the integration of the Kanga Gym and Whyalla youth group programs, and increased membership and program attendance,’ the statement continued.
‘Sam was a finalist in the Carclew Young Achiever Award in 2022 and 2025; in 2022 they also were a Carclew Fellowship recipient. Sam holds a Bachelor of Design (Communication Design) and a Certificate 1V in Small New Business.
‘Since working at RYT, Sam’s achievements include producing the 2025 Adelaide Festival production War Of The Worlds, leading our teams to make their own horror films, and spearheading numerous successful grant applications.
‘At RYT, we are privileged to work with these two exceptional artists, facilitators and leaders, and can’t wait to see what the future holds,’ the RYT Board statement concluded.
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This article was updated on the day of publication, at 11:50am, to include the details of Opera Australia’s new appointments.
