A MUSIC scholar who began as an 11-year-old violin student at the old Canberra School of Music, is returning to Canberra to lead the school for six months.

Professor Malcolm Gillies will commence immediately as an advisor and mentor and from October 17, he will be Interim Head of the School of Music for six months as it enters its next phase with a new permanent Head, at which point he will return to a mentoring and advisory role.

Gillies, a well-known and respected member of the Canberra arts community over long period, was in town last year to give a talk about music criticism, with a strong focus on Canberra. He studied violin as a child under Vincent Edwards, knew founding director Ernest Llewellyn, led the Canberra Youth Orchestra and played with the CSO.

“I owe a huge debt to the School of Music, which I have known for half a century,” he said.

Gillies has served as Vice-Chancellor of two British universities – the London Metropolitan University and the City University in London, and as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic) of the ANU.

ANU Vice-Chancellor Professor Brian Schmidt said the appointment underscores the university’s long-term commitment to the future of the School.

“Professor Gillies has long and enduring ties with ANU and we are delighted he has agreed to return home to Canberra to lead the School through a critical period of its history,” Professor Schmidt said.

He also paid tribute to Dr Royston Gustavson, who has stepped down as Interim Head and will return to his fulltime role as the Associate Dean (Education) of the College of Arts and Social Sciences.

Gillies is the latest in a line of appointments to the School of Music this year, including Christopher Sainsbury, Bonnie McConnell, Natalie Williams and ‘Pokemon’ film composer Kenneth Lampl, who recently joined the School from New York and who told guests at the launch of the Whitworth Roach Classical Music Performance Competition on Friday about unique and exciting plans for the curriculum.

The university now continues with its lengthy international search for a new permanent Head of the School of Music, while former public servant Professor Andrew Podger AO is finalising a community consultation about the School’s future direction.