ProfessorBenjamin Northey

Professor Northey is widely regarded as one of the most sought-after conductors in the Asia-Pacific region. He is currently Chief Conductor of the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Principal Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. In 2025, he was also appointed Conductor in Residence of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and Director of the Australian Conducting Academy, Australia’s national training program for emerging conductors.

His career has seen him lead major Australian and international orchestras, including collaborations with the London Philharmonic Orchestra, Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, Mozarteum Orchestra Salzburg, Hong Kong Philharmonic and New Zealand Symphony Orchestra. He has also worked alongside artists such as Maxim Vengerov, Lang Lang, Wynton Marsalis, kd Lang, and Anoushka Shankar.

An advocate for Australian music, Professor Northey has premiered numerous works by First Nations composers, including Deborah Cheetham Fraillon (who is the Elizabeth Todd Chair of Vocal Studies at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music) and William Barton. His contributions to orchestral leadership and education will undoubtedly inspire the next generation of Australian musicians.