HEY EVERYONE, MEET RICHARD!
Richard Mills AO is an internationally recognised conductor and composer whose career spans more than 25 years across opera, orchestral music, and new work. Now based in the Northern Territory, he draws creative inspiration from its landscape, climate, and communities.
The newly-appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the Darwin Symphony Orchestra (DSO) caught up with Brooke Gibbs for a chat.
IMAGE PAZ TASSONE
Welcome to the DSO! What drew you to this role at this moment in your career?
I am at the end of a rich and busy working life. I’ve written five operas, three of which were performed at the Sydney Opera House, as well as a great deal of other music.
I love the Northern Territory. I feel well here. I like the seasons, the heat, and the relaxed attitude to life. I find that I am very creative here. The landscape inspires and nourishes me, so it made sense to try to contribute something useful to the Northern Territory by working here.
You’re stepping into the dual role of Artistic Director and Chief Conductor. How do those two perspectives inform each other for you?
Each role informs the other. Ultimately, the most important part of my job is to reimagine the role and identity of the orchestra in both a local and national context, alongside, of course, conducting good concerts.
When you imagine your first season with the orchestra, what excites you most?
Our program for the Darwin Festival, in collaboration with Brown’s Mart Theatre. It will be an adventure to work with such a vital institution, one that is so essentially of this place, drawing on the wonderful heritage of Shakespeare and the great music his words have inspired over the ages.
What kind of musical conversations do you want the DSO to be having with audiences, composers, and the wider community?
I see myself as a facilitator for talent. I want to indicate, and then reveal, what is possible to achieve within our community, with a particular emphasis on the potential for interaction not only with the riches of Australian First Nations culture, but also with the music of our immediate neighbours in the Arafura and Pacific regions. All of this while continuing to engage deeply with the classics of the symphonic repertoire.
You’ve long been a champion of Australian music and composers. How central is that to your plans for the DSO?
I will simply continue doing what I have always done – commissioning new music and creating opportunities for composers within the working life of the orchestra. Not every new work needs to be a masterpiece. In fact, nothing is less predictable than the emergence of a masterpiece. What matters is keeping composers practising their craft. Then, who knows what might emerge.
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