Wollongong Conservatorium of Music logo

Home > News

Alumni Profile: Richard Tognetti

“WollCon is a huge asset to Wollongong, to the community and to the future of music.  It needs us all to champion its work and ensure it thrives for the next 50 years.”

Richard Tognetti

Music Director, Australian Chamber Orchestra

Richard began playing the violin at the age of four, spending his early years at WollCon where his talent was nurtured by his family and by two distinguished string teachers – Harold Brissenden and Hiroko Primrose. He was one of the first pupils of WollCon before entering the Conservatorium High School in Sydney at the age of 11.

He became leader and soloist of the young persons’ chamber orchestra founded and conducted by the then Director of the Sydney Conservatorium, John Painter. It prepared him for one of his most significant early achievements as director, leader and soloist of the Huntington Chamber Orchestra.

In 1987 Richard left for Europe and studied in Bern where he performed as a member of and soloist with the prestigious Camerata Bern Chamber Orchestra. He returned to Australia in 1989 to become Director and Concertmaster of the Australian Chamber Orchestra, and has taken the ACO to recognition on the world stage.

“My early musical journey was nurtured by Wollongong Conservatorium and the staff there were formative in helping me develop not only my playing skills but my love for music and musicianship as well as the importance of music in all our lives.  It was, and is, a place where a music community thrives and people of all ages and abilities can explore their musical passions.   Nurturing the talent of the future and engaging our community in music is essential for our wellbeing as well as the educational and cultural life of the Country.  The work of WollCon is central to that in our City.”

Richard Tognetti

Positive Change Through Music

EXPLORE

FOLLOW WOLLCON

VISIT

Subscribe

Wollongong Conservatorium is located on Dharawal country. We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of Country throughout Australia. We pay our respects to Elders past, present and emerging, celebrate their continuing culture and the contribution First Nations people make to the life of this region and our country.

We thank our supporters

Wollongong Conservatorium of Music is funded by the NSW Government through the Regional Conservatorium Grants Program

© 2023 Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Limited (a Company Limited by Guarantee) ABN 31 080 489 685 Trading as Wollongong Conservatorium of Music
Site by justine powell design

Anne Mowbray

Director

Anne has been a member of the Wollcon Board since 2019. She holds a Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts from UNSW. She is an Accredited Specialist in Family Law and an accredited Mediator and Family Dispute Resolution Practitioner. She has taught family law and other subjects at Wollongong University.

For a number of years she has been a subscriber to the Australian Chamber Orchestra which regularly performs in Wollongong . She has been passionate about music and in particular music education to children and adults.

Jake Pearson

Director

Jake has worked in the disability sector for 24 years- 17 of these with Interchange and 7 years as their CEO. Jake is passionate about inclusion and equality for both people with disability and their carers.

He holds an MBA, Bachelor of Commerce, Certificate IV in Training and Assessment, as well as completing Diploma’s in Case Management, Community Services Coordination and the AICD Company Directors Course.

Jake is also a committee member on the International Short Breaks Association Board and has been a Director on the Wollongong Conservatorium of Music Board since 2022.

Wayne Morris

Director

Wayne is a Graduate Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors as well as being a qualified company secretary and accountant with over 35 years experience in banking and finance. He performed for nine of those years as Chief Executive of IMB Ltd, and the preceding seven years as Company Secretary and Chief Financial Officer, also with IMB. Wayne’s primary expertise is in the areas of governance, management, accounting, risk management and banking and finance. He has spent his whole life living in the Illawarra and is passionate about ensuring the Illawarra can provide the best possible opportunities and lifestyle for its residents. In 2024 Wayne was awarded an Order of Australia Medal (OAM) for services to the community.

Dr Terumi Narushima

Deputy Chair

Dr Terumi Narushima is a senior lecturer and Music Discipline Leader at the University of Wollongong. She is a composer, performer and sound designer specialising in microtonal tuning systems. Her works include Tritriadic Chimes, a sound installation for LA MicroFest, Hidden Sidetracks, a composition for custom-made instruments premiered by Ensemble Offspring at Sydney Opera House, and a project to build microtonal flutes using 3D printing. She has worked on theatre collaborations which have been presented nationally and internationally, including Yasukichi Murakami: Through a Distant Lens, Lost in Shanghai, and The Story of Chi. She performs with microtonal ensemble Clocks and Clouds, and her book Microtonality and the Tuning Systems of Erv Wilson is published by Routledge.

Nicky Sloan

Chair

Nicky is the CEO of Community Industry Group. She has degrees in Dementia Care, Community & Environment and Marketing, and a Grad Dip in Project Management. She is a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and an Honorary Fellow of UOW. In addition to Chairing the WollCon Board, she is Deputy Chair of the Regional Development Australia Illawarra Shoalhaven Board and an Independent Non-Executive Director of Warrigal, a large not-for-profit specialising in the provision of services for older people.

Her corporate governance and strategy experience extends through a 20+ year career on boards in the corporate, government and NFP sectors.