Richard Gill is one of Australia’s pre-eminent and most admired conductors and is internationally respected as a music educator, specialising in opera, musical theatre and vocal and choral training. Richard’s work in developing young musicians and creating opportunities for them is recognised world-wide. He is Music Director of Victorian Opera and also Artistic Director of the Education Program for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has been Artistic Director of OzOpera, Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, and the Adviser for the Musica Viva In Schools program.
His work in the concert hall is extensive and includes concerts with all the major Australian orchestras, SydneyPhilharmonia, Canberra Symphony Orchestra as well as the Australian, Sydney, and Western Australian Youth Orchestras. For the Sydney Symphony he regularly conducts their Meet the Music concerts, Discovery concerts with the Sydney Symphony Sinfonia, and Sinfonietta concerts. He has held several important posts including Dean of the West Australian Conservatorium of Music (1985-1990) and Director of Chorus at The Australian Opera (1990-1996) and has received numerous accolades during the course of his career, including an Order of Australia Medal, the Bernard Heinze Award for Services to Music in Australia, an Honorary Doctorate from the Edith Cowan University of Western Australia for his service to Australian music and musicians, and the Australian Music Centre’s award for ‘Most Distinguished Contribution to the Presentation of Australian Composition by an Individual’. Richard is also the recipient of the prestigious Don Banks Award 2006 by the Australia Council.
2009 conducting engagements for Richard include Don Giovanni, Duke Bluebeard’s Castle, Carmina Burana, Ariadne auf Naxos and the world premiere of Rembrandt’s Wife, all for Victorian Opera; the world premiere of Grandison’s Violin Concerto with TQO; Fauré Requiem, Ears Wide Open, regional tour concerts with MSO, NZSONYO Music Camp and Sydney Sinfonia Discovery and Sydney Symphony Meet the Music concerts.