20 June 2025
Life Member: Mary Vallentine AO Honoured by Australian Youth Orchestra
The Australian Youth Orchestra is proud to recognise the outstanding contribution of Mary Vallentine AO—long-time supporter and former Chair— with the award of an Honorary Life Membership. One of Australia’s most accomplished arts administrators, Mary Vallentine has dedicated over four decades to the advancement of music and theatre in this country. She concluded her tenure on the AYO Board in 2016, having served as Chair for a decade, and was succeeded by AYO alumnus Ben Rimmer.
Reflecting on her time with the organisation, Mary remarked in 2016: “Without doubt these have been the most stimulating and rewarding years of my professional life.”
Mary said: “My 10 years as Chair of Australian Youth Orchestra have given me an opportunity to observe and be a part of this most inspiring organisation. Watching the development of Australia’s most talented young players under the supervision of dedicated and talented professionals, including Australian and international instrumentalists and conductors has been thrilling. And with the support of a professional management team and a committed board, we are assured that Australia’s musical future is in great hands.”
Former Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra and CEO of the Melbourne Recital Centre, Mary was instrumental in the growth of the AYO including four international tours which continue to give Australia’s finest young musicians invaluable performance opportunities in a variety of exceptional halls to different concert audiences throughout the world.
On completing an undergraduate arts degree in drama (University of NSW), and music (University of Sydney), Mary gained experience and training in arts management at Musica Viva Australia.
The role of Administrator of the 1980 and 1982 Adelaide Festivals preceded her appointment as General Manager of the State Theatre Company of South Australia for its Lighthouse years (1982 to 1984) under the Artistic Direction of Jim Sharman.
She returned to Sydney and took up the position of Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra in 1986, a position she held for 17 years. During her time with the Sydney Symphony, Mary worked with Chief Conductors and Artistic Directors Stuart Challender and Edo de Waart setting the course for the Orchestra’s artistic development and emergence as Australia’s flagship orchestra.
During her stewardship, the Sydney Symphony developed the largest audience at Sydney Opera House of any Australian arts company. Inspired by Richard Gill, the Orchestra’s Education Director, the Sydney Sinfonia was established, a key innovation of the SSO’s renowned education program.
The Sydney Symphony began an active recording, commissioning and touring program and secured its first ever sponsors and philanthropists while Mary was Managing Director. A period of freelance arts management and consultancy roles followed which included mentorship of philanthropic programs at a number of Australian arts companies including Western Australia Opera and Desart. During this time, she was a board director of Belvoir Theatre, Currency Press and took up the role of Chair of the Australian Youth Orchestra.
Mary was appointed Managing Director of Melbourne Recital Centre in 2010 until 2016, her most recent full-time management role. She became Classical Music Advisor and Opera Producer at Adelaide Festival from 2018 to 2022.
Recognised for her services to the arts in Australia, Mary was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in The Queen’s Birthday 1996 Honours List and received the Sidney Myer Performing Arts Facilitators Prize in 2002 and the Sir Bernard Heinz Memorial Award in 2016. She was appointed a Vice Chancellor’s Professorial Fellow of Monash University from 2017-2020.
Mary lives in Sydney and is a director of Flinders Quartet, Ukaria Cultural Foundation and Naomi Milgrom Foundation.