Last week, Benjamin Northey started receiving messages from people asking if he had left the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, where he has been Principal Conductor in Residence since January 2020.

Benjamin Northey. Photo courtesy of Melbourne Symphony Orchestra

He took to Twitter on 12 August to clarify the situation after discovering that an interview on ABC Radio Melbourne had mistakenly suggested he was leaving. “Just to clarify – the new Chief Conductor of the MSO is the wonderful Jaime Martín who we are all very excited to be working with. He takes over from the previous CC Sir Andrew Davis. My position as Principal Conductor in Residence lives separately to the CC position,” he tweeted.

Just to clarify – the new Chief Conductor of the MSO is the wonderful Jaime Martin who we are all very excited to be working with. He takes over from the previous CC Sir Andrew Davis. My position as Principal Conductor in Residence lives separately to the CC position.

— Benjamin Northey ?? (@BenNorthey) August 12, 2021

In fact, Northey’s contract as MSO’s Principle Conductor in Residence has just been renewed...