Perth Symphony Orchestra (PSO) is excited to announce and welcome Julian Donaldson and Dr. Ashley William Smith to the PSO Board of Directors.  While the current restrictions in Australia have put a halt to all performances and concerts, CEO and Founder Bourby Webster expressed that

“We could not be more delighted to have two incredibly experienced new board members with incredible experience of the arts: Julian as a senior Arts Administrator, and Ashley as a soloist and orchestral performer.”

Julian is the CEO of the National Trust of Western Australia and the former General Manager of the Perth International Arts Festival.  His vision saw the Festival grow and included one of the largest events ever to hit Perth – ‘The Giants’, an event still talked about today.

Acclaimed clarinettist Dr. Ashley William Smith has performed throughout Australia, the USA, Europe and Asia, and has won some of the nation’s most prestigious prizes and awards, a Churchill Fellowship.  A graduate of Yale University as well as UWA and ANAM, Ashely is now the Head of Winds and Contemporary Performance at UWA.  He was humbled to be invited to join the Board of Directors and added;

“Music should be part of everyone’s life, and I have always admired Perth Symphony’s commitment to developing new audiences for orchestral performance through its innovative programming and constant exploration of new modes of music presentation.”

“My aim is to offer insight from an artist’s perspective in PSO’s quest to redefine what a 21st century orchestra can be.”

You can hear Bourby in conversation with Ashley on the latest episode of Perth Symphony’s podcast series: Music on the Move, released on Friday 24^th April (available on any podcast app including Spotify, search ‘Perth Symphony Orchestra’).

“Julian and Ashley both bring a wealth of experience and will provide a strong artistic presence on the board, to ensure we continue to deliver outstanding, high quality performances and experiences to the widest audience. I am very much looking forward to working with them.” Bourby concluded.

Find out more about Julian and Ashley here.