Congratulations to our Chief Conductor Jessica Gethin, who was recently awarded a 2016 Churchill Fellowship for ‘Performance Excellence in Classical Music’ sponsored by Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank New. Jessica will be travelling to the United Kingdom and United States over the coming year, to gain further insight into the creative and directive roles of the conductor in some of the major established arts organisations across the globe, including The Met, Covent Garden, New York Philharmonic and London Symphony Orchestra.

“I’m really looking forward to gaining a more global perspective into the role of a conductor in different houses and halls, bringing my new experiences back to Australia in my work with orchestras such as Perth Symphony, as well encouraging other young Australian conductors across a variety of genres to further develop their skills on podiums within Australia’. Jessica also thanked her mentors for the project, Brad Cohen (WA Opera), Paul Wright (PSO Concertmaster), Bourby Webster (PSO Director) and Andrew Tait (Churchill Fellow mentor) for their support and advice. ‘Mentors in this industry are essential, people who can help you with career direction, motivate you artistically and provide advice. I’m very appreciate of the time Brad, Paul and Bourby have given me as well as Andrew who as a previous Fellow, will be providing practical support as I undertake the Fellowship in the coming year.”

We wish Jessica all the best on her travels, and we are excited to see what the fellowship will bring for her! You can find out more about the 2016 Churchill Fellowship here.