John Hopkins

John Raymond Hopkins AM OBE (19 July 192730 September 2013) was a British-born Australian conductor and administrator.

Career John Hopkins As part of his contribution to youth music he also conducted the South African National Youth Orchestra.

Hopkins moved to Australia in 1963. As the Federal Director of Music for the Australian Broadcasting Commission (ABC), Hopkins began a number of innovations within the ABC's Concert Music Division, such as starting an Australian Promenade (Proms) series in Sydney in 1965 and broadcasting international avant-garde classical music. the then rarely performed music of Hector Berlioz, Gustav Mahler and Sir Edward Elgar, The Australian composers who wrote music for the concerts included Peter Sculthorpe, Nigel Butterley and Richard Meale.

Career Assistant conductor, BBC Scottish Orchestra, 1949–52 Conductor, BBC Northern Orchestra, 1952–57 Conductor, New Zealand National Orchestra (now New Zealand Symphony Orchestra), 1957–63 Federal Director of Music, Australian Broadcasting Commission, 1963–73 Dean of School of Music, Victorian College of the Arts, Melbourne, 1973–86 Director, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, 1986–91

Honours and awards Hopkins was named an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1970. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 2013 "for significant service to the performing arts, particularly as a conductor, to music education, and to the community".

Bernard Heinze Memorial Award The Sir Bernard Heinze Memorial Award is given to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to music in Australia.