MRC DIRECTOR TEAM

Mary Vallentine brings to the role three decades of experience in theatre, festival and music management, including 17 years as Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra.

Previous to her appointment, Mary was the Director of Business Development, Concerts at Musica Viva, the national chamber music and music education organisation. In Melbourne, she was Acting Managing Director of Victorian Opera for six months in 2008/9 and has also worked with the Music Board of the Australia Council for the Arts, Adelaide Festival and the State Theatre Company of South Australia.

Mary is Chairman of The Australian Youth Orchestra, the pre eminent national organisation for orchestral training.

Peter McCoy brings twenty five years of experience in the not for profit arts sector to his role at the Melbourne Recital centre.

Previously he has held Director of Finance positions at the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra and the Melbourne Theatre Company.

Peter has worked as a consultant for the arts sector and co-founded artadata software Pty Ltd.

Peter holds a Bachelor of Business in Accounting from Monash University and sits on the Boards of Lucy Guerin Inc and Speak Percussion

Robert has held senior management roles in marketing, most recently as Customer Relationship Marketing (CRM) Manager at Sydney Opera House, and at Australian Chamber Orchestra and Sydney Symphony with a focus on direct marketing, membership, digital strategy and website development.

Robert is also a freelance music journalist and his writing has appeared in The Australian Financial Review Magazine, Limelight and The Strad, and he has written program notes for the Sydney Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra and ABC Classics.

Robert Murray has a Bachelor of Music degree from the Tasmanian Conservatorium of Music, majoring in performance (flute).

A Canadian by birth, Sandra has over 20 years experience in fundraising for the not-for-profit sector.  Prior to joining Melbourne Recital Centre, she held a grants management role in local government and development roles with the National Ballet of Canada and Australia Business Arts Foundation (AbaF).  She was Deputy General Manager of the Melbourne Festival.  As a consultant she has provided strategic development and business planning advice to a range of Australian arts organisations.

Sandra has an honours business degree from the Richard Ivey School of Business, London Canada and a Masters of Marketing from Monash University.  She is a graduate of Canada’s National Ballet School.  Previous board memberships include the Monash Gallery of Art and Grants Network Victoria

Kirsten was born in Southampton, UK and moved to Australia during her childhood. She completed a Bachelor of Music (Honours) in musicology and French Horn at the University of Queensland and went on to hold positions in a number of Australian arts organisations, including Musica Viva Australia, the Australian Youth Choir and Opera Australia. Kirsten also worked as a freelance event manager and highlights of this time were Corroboree Melbourne 2000 - The Walk for Reconciliation and coordinating the Stage Management department and stage managing for the Sydney Paralympics Opening and Closing Ceremonies.

In 2002, she returned to the UK and accepted a position as an arts event manager, then concert manager, at London's Barbican Centre, managing concerts for leading international orchestras and artists including the London Symphony Orchestra, The Royal Opera, English National Opera, BBC Symphony Orchestra, London Philharmonic Orchestra, the English and Scottish Chamber Orchestras and jazz and world music presenters Serious Ltd. Kirsten returned to Australia in July 2007 to take up the position of Manager, Presenter Services with Melbourne Recital Centre.

Kirsten enjoys hiking, swimming and the theatre, and of course music, particularly listening and learning about music from all cultures.