Jonathan Mills announced as Festival Director Designate
Mon 27 Feb 2006
The board of the Edinburgh International Festival have announced the appointment of Jonathan Mills as the next Festival Director. Mr Mills will take up the position in October 2006, and will be responsible for planning the 2007 Festival onwards. He succeeds Sir Brian McMaster, who will stand down in September after fifteen years as Festival Director.
Jonathan Mills is currently the Vice-Chancellor’s (Professorial) Fellow at the University of Melbourne, director of the Alfred Deakin Lectures and an Artistic Advisor to the new Melbourne Recital Centre & Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, which is scheduled to open in 2009. One of Australia’s most experienced festival directors his previous posts have included Artistic Director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Melbourne Federation Festival, the Melbourne Millennium Eve celebrations and the Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival. As a composer he is regularly commissioned in Australia and increasingly in Europe and the UK. His composition Sandakan Threnody for solo tenor, choir and orchestra won the Prix Italia in 2005. He graduated in music from the University of Sydney where he specialised in composition with Peter Sculthorpe. In addition to his work as a composer Jonathan Mills holds a degree in Architecture specialising in Acoustic Design.
Jonathan Mills today said, “Edinburgh International Festival is a great Festival in a gracious city. From the moment it was founded EIF has been a source of inspiration for similar celebrations of the performing arts throughout the world. I am both excited and humbled to be offered the opportunity to build on the twin traditions of excellence and innovation established by this wonderful event over the last 60 years. “
