The Willoughby Symphony Orchestra’s own Chief Conductor and Artistic Director, Dr Nicholas Milton, has been appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for significant service to the arts, particularly to classical orchestral music performance, as a musician, conductor and artistic director.
Dr Milton has established an outstanding international reputation as one of the leading conductors of his generation. He has been Chief Conductor and Artistic Director of the Willoughby Symphony Orchestra since 2001 and in 2014 was appointed to the prestigious position of General Music Director and Chief Conductor of the State Opera House of Saarbrücken, Germany.
Dr Milton’s stellar career also includes concert engagements with leading orchestras in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, England, Hungary, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Asia and is a regular guest at several leading opera houses in Vienna, Berlin and Leipzig. In December 2015, Dr Milton was nominated for a Grammy for his direction of the Deutsche Radio Philharmonie Saarbrücken.
Appointed as the youngest-ever concertmaster of a major Australian orchestra, Dr Milton was Concertmaster of the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra and Violinist of Australia’s renowned Macquarie Trio for eight years. Having studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and at the Juilliard School, he also holds four Master degrees and a Doctorate in Music from the City University of New York.
“I am deeply honoured by this award, and share this recognition with my colleagues in the exceptional Willoughby Symphony. Our magnificent orchestra and choir bring profound beauty into the lives of our audiences through the miracle of music,” said Dr Milton.
“When the Willoughby Symphony perform on stage at our superb Concert Hall on The Concourse, all of us – on stage and in the audience – share in transformative, wondrous and magical moments in time. I look forward to continue being a small part of this important legacy to the Willoughby community long into the future,” he said.
“Congratulation to Dr Nicholas Milton on receiving this incredible accolade for his unstinting contribution to the Australian arts,” said Willoughby Mayor, Gail Giles-Gidney. “On behalf of the Willoughby community, we are extremely grateful for Dr Milton’s dedication to enriching our lives through the power of music,” she said.
Dr Milton will return to Australia in February to conduct the Willoughby Symphony’s season opening concert, GALA.
