Fiona Stanley is many things. Australian of the Year. Public health reformer. The Kids Research Institute Australia founder. UNICEF Australia Ambassador. The woman who helped place Western Australia at the forefront of child health research worldwide.
And yet, she’ll still tell you she was once a painfully shy schoolgirl walking the halls of St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls.
For the first time in WA Stories history, Perth Symphony is taking a story beyond the walls of the museum and back to where it all began.
In a special partnership with @st_hildagram and St Hilda’s Old Scholars Association celebrating the School’s 130th anniversary, Story 7: Fiona Stanley will travel to the magnificent Joy Shepherd Performing Arts Centre, for one extraordinary night only.
The stage where young women now dream about their futures will become the setting for the story of one who changed the future for countless others.
✨ A powerful homecoming
✨ A living legend
✨ One unforgettable evening of music and storytelling
🎟️ Tickets on sale Tuesday 19 May. With limited capacity across all performances, early booking is strongly recommended.
#PSO #FionaStanley #WAStories #SHASG
Perth Symphony proudly presents, WA Stories Chapter III
Three WA icons. Three extraordinary lives. Three unforgettable performances.
Story 7 — Fiona Stanley
Story 8 — Ben Elton
Story 9 — Dennis Lillee
From operating theatres and public health reform, to Britain’s comedy revolution and the rise of one of cricket’s greatest fast bowlers, Chapter III journeys through medicine, culture and sport united by courage, reinvention, resilience and a deep connection to Western Australia.
WA Stories has evolved into one of the State’s most unique creative movements, celebrating the people, moments and journeys that continue to shape Western Australia’s identity.
🎟️ Public tickets on-sale at 5pm Tues 19 May
✨ Sign-up to our mailing list for early access → link in bio.
#PSO #PerthSymphony #WAStories
Last week we welcomed our donors, supporters and WA Heroes to experience a private first-look at the WA Stories shaping this year's series.
Surprise. Joy. Laughter. Those were the reactions, and that's all we're going to say for now…
〰️ Behind every story in this series is @fionacampbellmusic 's creative vision. Her instinct for what moves people, what surprises them, what makes them lean in, is what shapes each chapter from concept to stage ✨
Our deepest thanks to Tony and Corinne Barton, Barton Family Foundation, for so generously opening the doors of their home. And to @voyagerestate , for keeping the evening flowing 🍷
To every guest who joined us in celebrating what's ahead, thank you.
WA Stories Chapter III is just getting started, and we can't wait to turn the page (very soon)!
#WAStories #PSO #PerthSymphony #WAStoriesChIII
As we prepare for WA Stories Ch. III (coming soon 👀), we’ve been reflecting on the moments that made Chapter II unforgettable.
Last year marked the first time WA Stories celebrated legends still living among us, giving us the rare opportunity to go deeper, into the memories, people, and moments that have shaped Western Australia in the words of those who lived them.
One moment that stayed with us long after the curtain fell... following Story 5: Richard Walley, his daughter @rickeeta_ spoke about what the performance meant to her and their family. We’ll let her words speak for themselves 🧡
Chapter III is coming, and what we’ve got in store is something truly special. Stay tuned.
#WAStories #PerthSymphony #WAMuseum #PSO
The 2026 Women on the Podium scholars 👏
These women are stepping into one of Australia's most intensive conducting development programs, led by two of the best in the world!
⚔️ Watch this space and note these faces... you may find them leading from the front very soon 💖
#WomenOnThePodium #WOTP2026 #RewritingTheScore #PerthSymphony
Last Tuesday, the room was full of people who believe in what Women on the Podium is building 🥂
After a day of intensive conducting workshops, we brought together donors, supporters, and leaders who share our vision: a future where women leading orchestras is simply… the norm.
Special mentions to esteemed guest, @cassierowemla , Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Creative Industries and Women, who spoke to her personal belief in this program and what female leadership in the arts means for WA.
The evening also included the presentation of the inaugural ArtsNational Perth Youth Scholarship to scholar Aerin Chai, supported by ArtsNational Perth Chair Fiona Johnson, creating greater access for a promising conductor under 25.
To our scholars: the people in that room are behind you. And so are we! 💖
#WomenOnThePodium #WOTP2026 #PerthSymphony #RewritingTheScore
She didn’t just join Women on the Podium, she built it ⚔️🎼
@jessicagethinconductor is the Founding Conductor and WOTP Ambassador, and her fingerprints are on everything this program stands for.
A conductor, educator, and advocate based in WA, Jess has spent years proving that women belong at the front of the stage. Not just occasionally, permanently.
💖 Honoured to have Jess leading this program into 2026 and beyond 🚀
⚔️ Learn more about Women on the Podium → link in bio.
#WomenOnThePodium #WOTP2026 #RewritingTheScore #PerthSymphony
Meet the woman who’s been changing the game in conducting for decades ✨
@alice.farnham.14 is the Artistic Advisor of Women on the Podium, and if you’ve seen her in a rehearsal room, you’ll know exactly why.
Based in the UK, Alice has conducted at some of the world’s most prestigious venues and spent years championing access to conducting for women. She brings rigour, warmth, and zero tolerance for holding back ⚔️
To our 2026 scholars: you’re in extraordinary hands.
💖 Learn more about Women on the Podium → link in bio.
#WomenOnThePodium #WOTP2026 #WomenInMusic #RewritingTheScore
WOTP 2026 Conducting Intensive 🎯🤺
Two days. World-class mentorship. Scholars who showed up and owned every moment with precision, presence and authority.
From WA’s Great Southern region to NSW and the Northern Territory, these conductors showed up, took the podium, and did the work!
Under the mentorship of @alice.farnham.14 and @jessicagethinconductor , they got something that’s incredibly rare: real podium time, in front of real musicians, with world-class guidance in the room.
⚔️ This is Women on the Podium... not just opening doors, but shaping the next generation of conductors who know exactly how to own the room.
💖 Be part of the movement, and learn more → link in bio!
#WomenOnThePodium #RewritingTheScore #WOTP2026 #PerthSymphony
This is where future conductors step up and take control ⚡
⚔️ Women on the Podium is about more than representation. It's about confidence, visibility and creating space for women to take charge at the front of the stage.
This week we're hosting our first 2-day conducting intensive for 2026, led by two powerhouses of the conducting world → @alice.farnham.14 and @jessicagethinconductor .
Our scholars will be putting in the work! Because when one woman steps onto the podium, she makes it easier for the next 💖
Stay tuned 🎼
Learn more, 🔗 in bio.
#WomenOnThePodium #RewritingTheScore #WOTP2026 #PerthSymphony
The final tally is in... 🥁🥁🥁
WE HIT OUR GOAL! And then some... 🙌
Thanks to your generosity, we exceeded our Regional Giving Campaign goal. Every donation, big or small, makes a real difference to the students in remote and regional communities across WA - and the impact has already started!
As Principal of Purnululu Aboriginal Independent Community School put it; “There was a lot of excitement and curiosity from our students during the first visit, and by the second visit it was wonderful to see their engagement and confidence growing.
We are looking forward to seeing how the students’ skills and creativity develop throughout the year!"
While the matched funding period supported by @MinderooFoundation has now wrapped up, the music never stops, and neither does our need for your support.
Donations to PSO's Regional outreach are welcome year-round. Whether it is $5 or $500, every contribution helps bring live music to the regional and remote communities across WA that need it most.
To everyone who gave, shared and supported PSO thank you - you made this happen 🧡🎶
🔗 Learn more and donate via the link in bio.
#PSO #MusicForEveryone #RegionalGiving
Little Rhythms, BIG STORIES 🪇📓✨
The story is spreading 🤗 → thanks to @thewestaustralian and the @thekimberleyecho for shining a light on the children, communities and musicians at the heart of this program.
Since PSO's first visits to Roebourne and Purnululu, schools have reported something quietly remarkable: improved attendance, growing confidence and students who were once withdrawn stepping forward as leaders.
As our Community Engagement Manager Marie-Claire Donnelly shared: "When young people hear their own stories reflected back to them through music, something shifts. They stand taller. They believe in themselves."
🤝 That is exactly why this work matters.
To every teacher, elder, cultural leader and community member who has opened their doors and shared their stories with us, thank you. And to @telethon7 and @minderoofoundation , whose support makes this journey possible, we are deeply grateful 💖
Read the articles, 🔗 in bio.
#PSO #MusicForEveryone #TheWestAustralian #KimberleyEcho
