Gary E. McPherson studied music education at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, before completing a master of music education at Indiana University, a doctorate of philosophy at the University of Sydney and a Licentiate and Fellowship in trumpet performance through Trinity College, London.
In 2021, he was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate - Artium Doctorem Honoris Causa - from Lund University Sweden, for his outstanding contribution to music and music research internationally. Gary is the Ormond Professor of Music at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music and has served as National President of the Australian Society for Music Education and President of the International Society for Music Education. His research interests are broad and his approach interdisciplinary. His most important research examines the acquisition and development of musical competence, and motivation to engage and participate in music from novice to expert levels.
With a particular interest in the acquisition of visual, aural and creative performance skills, he has attempted to understand more precisely how music students become sufficiently motivated and self-regulated to achieve at the highest level. Among his 300+ publications are the Oxford Handbook of Music Education (2016) and the Oxford Handbook of Music Performance (2022).

You can also look forward to presentations by Professor Peter Morris, Nicole Greentree, Marian Heckenberg, Theo Kotzas, Dr Eve Newsome, and Shannon Tobin.  The weekend will conclude with a Delegates Orchestra session directed by Warwick Adeney.