Musical Chairs: Appointments at Music Australia, Ticketmaster, Verve & more

PAUL SAINTILAN NEW CEO FOR MUSIC AUSTRALIA

Paul Saintilan is the new CEO of Music Australia, effective April 2.

Music Australia is a Sydney-based national umbrella body that promotes the value of music, school music education, professional development, and runs the largest school music program Music: Count Us In, and a contemporary music industry conference.

Saintilan is the fourth CEO since the organisation was set up in 1994 as the Music Council of Australia by Dr Richard Letts to provide a unified voice in Australian music.

Starting out as a composer, a student of Peter Sculthorpe’s, Saintilan’s formal qualifications include a music degree, an MBA degree and a PhD from Deakin University which will be conferred in June.

“Paul has extensive experience in the music industry, in both commercial and non-profit organisations, locally and internationally,” points out its chair, Michael Smellie.

“He has held senior positions with EMI Music, Universal Music, Musica Viva Australia, and music education organisations.

“I am sure his knowledge, energy and fresh ideas will be great assets in tackling our ambitious plans for this year, and strengthening the organisation for the future.”

Smellie revealed the association 2019’s plans would include the relaunch of the National Contemporary Music Roundtable.

VERVE LABEL GROUP’S BENNETT DEPARTS

As part of a reshuffle, Verve Label Group president and CEO Danny Bennett is leaving the company to return to artist management and Universal Music Group’s Classics and Jazz president and CEO Dickon Stainer is taking over its running.

As sales of jazz and classical increases globally, Verve will focus more on increasing its profile international and sign more acts globally.

“Dickon is an extraordinarily creative leader with an open-minded approach to identifying artists and then marketing them in groundbreaking ways,” said UMG chairman and CEO Lucian Grainge in a statement.

BROWN JOINS TICKETMASTER

Michael Brown is the new head of business and strategy at Live Nation’s ticketing firm, Ticketmaster.

He was previously CEO at Geelong’s GMHBA Stadium.

OZ COUNCIL APPOINTMENTS & REAPPOINTMENTS

Minister for Communications and the Arts Mitch Fifield appointed multi-award winning singer-songwriter Tina Arena AM and Mario D’Orazio to the board of the Australia Council for three years terms.

Broadcaster and journalist D’Orazio, who recently retired as managing director of Channel 7 Perth, has a longstanding commitment to the arts, serving as chair of Co3, the Contemporary Dance Company of WA, chair of the Perth Public Art Foundation, as director of WA Opera and a board member of the WA Academy of Performing Arts.

Deputy chair Lee‑Ann Tjunypa Buckskin, an expert on Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander artsm was reappointed, as were board members Dark Mofo creative director Leigh Carmichael and Zoe McKenzie of its strategy and audit & risk committees.

Director/writer Khoa Do, stockbroker Sophie Mitchell, business management, media and the philanthropic sector experienced Christine Simpson Stokes and Spectator Australia writer and columnist Rebecca Weisser were also recently reappointed.

REPUBLIC BAR FAREWELLS JEREMY HEATH

Hobart’s live music venue Republic Bar officially farewelled its licensee and manager Jeremy ‘Jezza’ Heath on the weekend.

He and his members of his family took over the venue when it was still an Empire, and built it up to one of the city’s best live music showcases.

NEW GIG FOR FESTIVALS IDENTITY

Alice Muhling who served as program manager at Brisbane Festival, associate producer and acting venue manager of Brunswick Mechanics Institute for Next Wave, and partnerships manager of Melbourne Fringe, is now announced as executive director of Melbourne’s Emerging Writers’ Festival.