The Board of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM) is delighted to announce the appointment of Anna Goldsworthy as its new Artistic Director to commence in January 2027.
Announcing the appointment John Daley, ANAM Chair, said: “Anna is an outstanding musician, writer, educator and leader. She is a leading public voice for music in Australia. We are thrilled that she is bringing all these talents to lead ANAM and shape the training of our next generation of musical leaders.”
Anna Goldsworthy is an award-winning pianist, writer and festival director. She is currently Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide and will be the first Artistic Director of ANAM who is also an ANAM alum.
Anna Goldsworthy said: “It is an enormous privilege to be stepping into the position of Artistic Director of the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM), a powerful force for creativity and community, and a seminal part of my own musical journey. In this era of exponential change, ANAM’s mission is more vital than ever: shaping young musicians not only into expert practitioners but advocates for our shared humanity. Thanks to a brilliant leadership team and a series of visionary Artistic Directors – most recently my esteemed friend and colleague Paavali Jumppanen – ANAM is in robust health. It is a great honour to steward this extraordinary institution into its next chapter.”
ANAM’s current Artistic Director, Paavali Jumppanen will finish his term at the end of 2026 and the position of ANAM Artistic Director will continue to be generously supported by Janet Holmes à Court AC, and John and Rosemary Macleod when Anna commences.
John Daley continued: “The outstanding field of candidates from both Australia and internationally for the Artistic Director position testifies to ANAM’s increasing global reputation. We are looking forward to Anna building on Paavali Jumppanen’s contribution, reinforcing ANAM’s position as one of the world’s leading music academies. And she is the ideal person to lead ANAM as the organisation moves back to a splendidly refurbished South Melbourne Town Hall in 2028.”
Upon her appointment to ANAM, Anna will also continue as a Professor of Music at the Elder Conservatorium in a research capacity.
In August, Anna Goldsworthy and award-winning writer Nam Le are joining together with ANAM to present Ghosts of the Convent, a twin In Discussion (Thursday 21st) and Concert (Friday 22nd) presentation at the Abbotsford Convent. Ghosts of the Convent is the result of an artist residency undertaken by Anna who was invited by ANAM to create a musical response exploring the historic Abbotsford Convent’s complex past alongside ANAM musicians.
Image by Alex Frayne
About Anna Goldsworthy
Professor Anna Goldsworthy is Director of the Elder Conservatorium of Music at the University of Adelaide, and an award-winning pianist, writer, and festival director.
As a pianist, Anna performs extensively throughout Australia and internationally, as a soloist and chamber musician. She is a founding member of Seraphim Trio, whose recordings include the ARIA-award-winning Thirteen Ways to Look at Birds for Decca, with Paul Kelly. Musical highlights of 2025 include performances with Seraphim Trio throughout the UK and Germany; a residency at the Conservatorio di Musica Santa Cecelia in Rome; release of the recording Radiante by Seraphim Trio for ABC Classics; appearances at the Adelaide Festival; and collaborations with some of Australia’s most distinguished musicians such as violinist Andrew Haveron and bass-baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes.
As a writer, Anna was awarded Newcomer of the Year at the Australian Book Industry Awards for her debut memoir, Piano Lessons, released in Australia, North America, Germany, Korea and Vietnam, and shortly to appear in China. Her most recent book, the novel Melting Moments, was released in 2020. She is the author of several works for the stage, including the libretto of the Graeme Koehne’s opera A Christmas Carol, premiered by Victorian Opera in December 2022. Her stage play, Welcome to Your New Life was premiered by the State Theatre Company of South Australia in November 2023.
Anna has directed numerous festivals, including the Port Fairy Spring Music Festival, the Coriole Music Festival, and the Music and Mountains Festival in Queenstown, New Zealand. In 2024, she delivered a Boyer Lecture for ABC radio and television, on the future of classical music.
Anna Goldsworthy has degrees from the University of Adelaide, Texas Christian University and the University of Melbourne. Her significant mentors have been Eleonora Sivan and Ronald Farren-Price in Australia, and Hatto Beyerle in Hanover. She has also studied in Moscow with Lev Naumov, and in the Advanced Performers Program at the Australian National Academy of Music (ANAM).
www.annagoldsworthy.com