Jen Winley has been appointed as the first Associate Conductor at West Australian Symphony Orchestra. After making her debut with WASO in 2020, Winley quickly established herself as a versatile presence on the podium.

Jen Winley, the new Associate Conductor at West Australian Symphony Orchestra. Photo © Daniel Grant

Following a career as a percussionist and music educator, she was a participant in WASO’s 2020 and 2021 Emerging Conductors program, and made her professional conducting debut in 2020 while still taking part in the program. She went on to become WASO’s Assistant Conductor in 2022, conducting 12 concerts and a further 24 concerts in 2023, when she also made her debut with Queensland Symphony Orchestra. She will conduct Melbourne Symphony Orchestra for the first time this year. 

The new role of Associate Conductor will see Winley conduct more mainstage performances for WASO, including Rimsky-Korsakov’s Scheherazade in May. She will also lead two of the orchestra’s flagship Artist Development and Community programs, and continue to receive mentorship from Principal Conductor and Artistic Advisor, Asher Fisch.

Rebecca Lloyd-Jones. Image supplied

Australian percussionist Rebecca...