Australian festival supremo appointed next EIF director

Published Monday 27 February 2006 at 13:05 by Alistair Smith

Jonathan Mills, one of Australia’s most experienced festival directors, has been appointed as the next director of the Edinburgh International Festival.

Mills will take up the appointment in October 2006 and will be responsible for planning the 2007 festival onwards. He succeeds Brian McMaster, who stands down in September after 15 years as festival director.

Currently the vice-chancellor’s (professorial) fellow at the University of Melbourne, Mills is also director of the Alfred Deakin Lectures and an artistic advisor to the new Melbourne Recital Centre and Elisabeth Murdoch Hall, which is scheduled to open in 2009.

He is one of Australia’s most experienced festival directors and his previous posts have included artistic director of the Melbourne International Arts Festival, the Melbourne Federation Festival, the Melbourne Millennium Eve celebrations and the Brisbane Biennial International Music Festival.

Lesley Hinds, chair of the Edinburgh Festival Council, and Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh said: “I am delighted to announce this unanimous decision to appoint Jonathan Mills. This is an exciting and important appointment for the city and I am confident that we have chosen the right person to continue to grow Edinburgh’s international reputation for innovative, inspiring and high quality arts and cultural performances.

“Edinburgh is one of the best cities in the world to work in and I’m sure that Jonathan Mills will be inspired to take us forward in the highly competitive world of the performing arts. He is an extremely exciting choice, and one I’m sure heralds clearly the future success of the festival as it enters its seventh decade.”

Mills will move to Edinburgh to take up the post of festival director in October. He commented: “Edinburgh International Festival is a great festival in a gracious city. From the moment it was founded, EIF has been a source of inspiration for similar celebrations of the performing arts throughout the world. I am both excited and humbled to be offered the opportunity to build on the twin traditions of excellence and innovation established by this wonderful event over the last 60 years.”