KEYNOTE PRESENTERS
We are absolutely delighted to welcome our esteemed keynote presenters to the ASME 25th National Conference. Their expertise and passion for advancing music education will undoubtedly inspire and challenge us as we explore the latest developments and innovative practices in our field. These distinguished presenters bring a wealth of knowledge, diverse perspectives, and a shared commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians and educators. We are honored to have them join us and look forward to the valuable insights and discussions they will contribute to this exciting event.
William Barton
Proudly presented in partnership with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra
William Barton is Australia’s leading didgeridoo player as well as composer, instrumentalist and vocalist.
William first learnt the instrument from his uncle, Arthur Peterson, an elder of the Wannyi, Lardil and Kalkadunga people and was working from an early age with traditional dance groups and fusion/rock jazz bands, orchestras, string quartets, and mixed ensembles.
Throughout his diverse career he has forged a path in the classical musical world, from the London, Berlin and Bremer Philharmonic Orchestras to historic events at Westminster Abbey for Commonwealth Day 2019, at Anzac Cove in Gallipoli and for the Beijing Olympics.
William holds honorary doctorates from both Griffith University and the University of Sydney, and has released five albums on the ABC Classic label.
William was named Queensland Australian of the Year for 2023, was an Australian of the Year nominee and received the Don Banks Music Award from the Australia Council in 2021.
In 2022 he was recognised for his work with the Australian Chamber Orchestra for the multi award-winning soundtrack from the film “River”.
William is part of the legacy of the landscape and working with Véronique Serret and his mother Aunty Delmae, on developing a new musical language which is epitomised in "Heartland" as well as participating in community outreach programs when possible so that knowledge of the Didgeridoo is expanding to younger communities.
In 2023 William with his QSO family along with Aunty Delmae Barton and Véronique Serret launched Warrma Piipa at a special ceremony on Kalkadunga country to find and embrace the next generation of story tellers and custodians of culture legacy and music.
Pamela Burnard
Pamela Burnard is an Australian Professor of Arts, Creativities and Educations at the Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, UK. She is presently in the middle of her third phased career. The first phase saw her working as a professional musician in the Creative Industries. The second phase involved working across Early Years, Primary and Secondary sectors as a music educator. In her third phase, she has kept herself very busy publishing widely with 25 books and over 120 articles which advance the theory and practice of pluralising creativities across education and industry sectors including early years, primary, secondary, further and higher/further education, through to creative and cultural industries.
Current funded projects include ‘Choices, Chances and Transitions around Creative Further and Higher Education’ (funded by The Nuffield Trust). Three of her most recent books include: Eruptive Research: Changing Landscapes on Research in Teaching and Learning (Brill-i-Sense, 2025); Music for Inclusion and Healing in Schools and Beyond: Hip Hop, Techno, Grime and More? (Oxford University Press, 2023); and The Routledge Companion to Creativities in Music Education. (Routledge, 2023).
She is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts (RSA), the Chartered College of Teaching (CCT) in the UK, Professor-in-Residence and Governor at the University of Cambridge Primary School and newly appointed Co-Editor of Music Education Research.
Paul Grabowsky AO
Proudly presented in partnership with the Queensland Performing Arts Centre
Paul Grabowsky is a pianist, composer,arranger, conductor – and is one Australia’smost distinguished artists. Born in Papua New Guinea, Paul was raised in Melbourne. Duringthe late 70’s he became prominent in the music scene in Melbourne,working in various jazz, theatre and cabaret projects.
He lived and worked in Europe and the US from 1980-85, duringwhich time he performed with many jazz luminaries including Art Farmer and Johnny Griffin. He returned to Australia in 1986 andestablished a reputation as one of Australia’s leading jazz musicianswith such bands as his own trio and sextet, the Wizards of Oz and as musical director for singer Vince Jones.He was musical director of Tonight Live with Steve Vizard (a nationallytelevised variety show) from 1990-1992.
He was Commissioning Editor (Arts and Entertainment) for ABCTelevision 1995-98. He has written the scores for over twenty feature films in Australia,the UK and US including Innocence (Paul Cox), Last Orders, The Eyeof the Storm, Words and Pictures (Fred Schepisi) and Shiner (JohnIrvin). His television credits include the series Phoenix and Janusand the Emmy-winning Empire Falls. His works for the theatreinclude four operas and various multimedia works. His most recentopera, created for soprano Emma Matthews, The Space Between,with libretto by Steve Vizard, premiered at Arts Centre Melbourne in September 2018.
He is the Founding Artistic Director of the Australian Art Orchestra,which he led from 1994-2013.
He has won seven ARIA awards (most recently in 2019 for his recording Tryst with singer Kate Ceberano), two Helpmann awards, several APRA and Bell Awards and a Deadly award. He was theSydney Myer Performing Artist of the Year in 2000, and received the Melbourne Prize for Music in 2007.
He was the 2010 Australian National University H.C.Coombs Fellow.He was Artistic Director of the Queensland Music Festival from 2005-2007 and was Artistic Director of the Adelaide Festival of Arts for 2010 and 2012.He is currently a Professor at Monash University, and director of the Monash University Academy of Performing Arts and the Monash Art Ensemble. In 2014 he was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for services to music and arts administration.
Andrew Ford OAM
Andrew Ford OAM is a composer, writer and broadcaster who has won awards in each of those capacities, including the Paul Lowin Prize for his song cycle Learning to Howl, a Green Room Award for his opera Rembrandt’s Wife and the Albert H Maggs Prize for his large ensemble piece, Rauha. He has been composer-in-residence for the Australian Chamber Orchestra, the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.
In 2014 he was Poynter Fellow and visiting composer at Yale University, in 2015 visiting lecturer at Shanghai Conservatory of Music, and in 2018 HC Coombs Creative Arts Fellow at the Australian National University. Ford has written widely on all manner of music and published eleven books, most recently The Shortest History of Music (Black Inc., July 2024). He has written, presented and co-produced five radio series for the ABC and, since 1995, presented The Music Show each weekend on Radio National. He was awarded an OAM in the 2016 Queen’s Birthday Honours.
Topology
Proudly presented in partnership with ASME Queensland Chapter
Topology is an award-winning quintet and arts organisation who is a recognised leader in contemporary music. Topology has a legacy of nearly three decades of creative excellence, community engagement, and educational leadership. Central to its identity is the belief that everyone is inherently creative and deserves access to high-quality, affordable artistic experiences. This ethos informs and unites all of Topology’s programs and initiatives, shaping its mission to make creativity accessible to all, regardless of location, age, skill level, or artistic interest.
Through its multifaceted approach—spanning the groundbreaking work of the Core Ensemble, the educational impact of the Creative Academy, and the transformative power of the Creative Communities program—Topology is committed to fostering creativity, connection, and capability. Whether delivering creative workshops, creating adventurous new compositions, or facilitating collaborative community projects, the organisation strives to enrich lives and inspire communities.
Topology has an impressive network and history of collaborations and partnerships within Australia and internationally with a diverse portfolio of projects spanning artistic creation, capacity building, education, health, justice and cross-cultural collaboration.