Opera Australia names new leaders after 12 months of turmoil
The company was thrown into turmoil when artistic director Jo Davies quit at the end of August 2024, after barely 18 months in the job. She was followed out the door by chief executive Fiona Allan in January, which left the company without a leader. Since then, Simon Militano has held the fort as acting CEO, with conductor Tahu Matheson as head of music.
All three of the new – male – appointees are familiar faces, having had previous or current roles at the company.
The new CEO will be Alexander Budd, who is well-known around Opera Australia (OA), from a 16-year stint there in a variety of roles before being appointed director of the Canberra Theatre Centre in early 2020.
Italian conductor and composer Andrea Battistoni will be the new music director. Battistoni, 38, and a rising star in Europe is also no stranger to OA, having started conducting there in 2018. He will conduct Madama Butterfly and Turandot for the company next year.
The trifecta is completed by new board chair Glyn Davis, who replaces Rod Sims, also the former chief of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission. Davis was appointed chair of the OA board in November 2021.
But he relinquished the board role in September 2022 when he was recruited by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to be secretary of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
'We have been working together since to ensure a smooth transition,' Sims, the outgoing chair, said.
'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.'
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