Jessica Gethin

Jessica Gethin
OriginPerth, Western Australia
OccupationConductor
InstrumentViolin

Jessica Gethin is an violinist and orchestral conductor from Western Australia. Gethin is internationally recognised for her dynamic conducting style[1] and has engaged with symphonic ensembles across Australia, New Zealand, Asia and the United States.[2] Her expertise as a conductor encompasses symphonic works, opera, ballet, contemporary music, film scores, to pop recordings.[3]

Career

She earned her Bachelor of Music Performance from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2002 and was selected for the prestigious Symphony Australia Conductor Development Program.[4]

In the early 2000s Gethin met Bourby Webster, a viola player who shared her vision of transforming how orchestral music was presented to audiences and making classical music more accessible which led to the founding of the Perth Symphony Orchestra.[5]

Gethin was Chief Conductor of the Perth Symphony Orchestra from 2011 to 2019 and appointed Co-Artistic Director of the Perth Chamber Orchestra in 2015.[6][7] That year proved to be a milestone in her career, as she was also awarded the Brian Stacey Award for an Emerging Australian Conductor and the Australian Financial Review recognised her as one of Australia's "Top 100 Women of Influence".[6]

In 2016, Gethin received the Churchill Fellowship, allowing her to pursue study and mentorship opportunities outside of Australia.[7] This endeavour led to her becoming an inaugural Fellow at the Hart Institute of Women Conductors with the Dallas Opera, where she has been mentored by Emmanuel Villaume, Nicole Paiement and Christopher Seaman.[6][7]

More recently, Gethin was appointed Principal Conductor for the West Australian Ballet[8] and has been involved in teaching and lecturing at Australian music institutions, including as Head of Orchestral Studies and Conducting at the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts in 2023.[9]

As of 2024, Gethin has taken on the role of Artistic Advisor for Orchestra Victoria[10][11] and continues to serve as an ambassador for the Perth Symphony Orchestra's Women on the Podium program, advocating for gender equity in the conducting field.[12][13]

Awards

  • 2002 - Faithe Court Scholarship Prize for Performance at WAPA[4]
  • 2015 - Brian Stacey Memorial Trust Award for emerging Australian conductors[6]
  • 2015 - Fellow of the Dallas Opera’s Hart Institute for Women Conductors[6]
  • 2016 - The Mr and Mrs Gerald Frank NewChurchill Fellowship[7]
  • 2019 - Finalist for West Australian of the Year (Arts and Culture)[9]
  • 2024 - Inducted into the Western Australia Women Hall of Fame[12]

Personal life

Gethin's was born into a musical family. Her father Ray Walker, an Irish-born musician and former lecturer in jazz guitar, and her mother, Teresa, a choral singer, were her first musical role models. Gethin's musical talent was evident early on and she was the recipient of a scholarship to St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School in Karrinyup, Western Australia. After graduating she became an instrumental string teacher for the school.[5]

Gethin is married with two children in Perth, Western Australia.[5]

References

  1. ^ "Jessica Gethin principal conductor at WA Ballet". The West Australian. 2023-05-09. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  2. ^ Review, Arts (2024-04-15). "Orchestra Victoria welcomes Jessica Gethin as Artistic Advisor". Australian Arts Review. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  3. ^ "JESSICA GETHIN WASO Conductor's Royale occasion". X-Press Magazine. 13 January 2022.
  4. ^ a b "Jessica Gethin". Business News. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  5. ^ a b c "Talent, style and envelope-pushing performances". PerthNow. 2018-08-07. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  6. ^ a b c d e Boon, Maxim (23 June 2015). "Jessica Gethin wins Brian Stacey Emerging Conductor Award". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  7. ^ a b c d "Jessica Gethin WA 2016". Churchill Trust. 2016.
  8. ^ Blake, Jason (12 May 2023). "Jessica Gethin appointed Principal Conductor of West Australian Ballet". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  9. ^ a b Edith Cowan University, Perth (2023-12-12). "Mrs Jessica Gethin". WAAPA. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  10. ^ Blake, Jason (15 April 2024). "Orchestra Victoria appoints new Artistic Advisor". Limelight. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  11. ^ Review, Arts (2024-10-25). "Orchestra Victoria announces its first full concert season in over a decade". Australian Arts Review. Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  12. ^ a b "2024 INDUCTEE BIOGRAPHIES | WA Womens Hall Of Fame". Retrieved 2024-12-05.
  13. ^ "Meet the conductor making room for women on the podiums of the world's great orchestras". ABC News. 2023-09-17. Retrieved 2024-12-05.