Board of Directors

James de Rozario is an experienced string teacher and music educator. Originally hailing from Perth, he studied violin at the WA Conservatorium of Music and later gained a Graduate Diploma in Education from Monash University.

Working as an itinerant teacher for several years, James performed regularly in WA as a freelance artist. In 1999 he was appointed Head of Strings at Scotch College Perth and later conducted with the WA Youth Orchestra Association.

James moved to Melbourne in 2005 to take on the role of Head of Strings at Scotch College Melbourne and in 2020 moved to Xavier College as their new Head of Music.

As an experienced clinician, James has presented workshops on string education within schools and at conferences. He has been heavily involved in the Australian Strings Association (AUSTA) and has served as Victorian State President, National Treasurer and National President.

James has worked in many of the MYO Programs including as tutor and conductor for both the Saturday morning program and for Summer Camps.

Hugh Crosthwaite is a member of the Victorian Bar. He specialises in disputes about employment and government decision making.

Hugh also holds a Bachelor’s degree in music and maintains an active practice as a composer. Hugh’s compositions have been premiered by some of Melbourne’s finest musicians and his recordings have appeared on The ABC, PBS, Triple RRR and 3MBS among others. In addition to his work with Melbourne Youth Orchestras, Hugh has past governance experience with the Human Rights Arts and Film Festival and KAGE Physical Theatre.

Lisa-Maree Amos is Section Principal Flute with Orchestra Victoria, performing regularly with The Australian Ballet, Opera Australia and Victorian Opera, and has established a distinguished career as an orchestral, chamber and solo artist across Australia, Europe and North America. Recent highlights include performances at Carnegie Hall, NY, alongside appearances at Wigmore Hall, the Royal Opera House, Westminster Abbey, the BBC Proms and major festivals including Aspen, Tanglewood and Aldeburgh. She has also appeared as Guest Principal Flute with many orchestras including the BBC Symphony Orchestra, Boston Symphony Orchestra, Royal Scottish National Orchestra, Pacific Symphony and Sante Fe Symphony, and a majority of orchestras in Australia. Her performances and recordings have been featured on ABC Classics, BBC Radio 3, Classic FM UK and international labels including Melba, Meridian and Innova.

Alongside her performing career, Lisa-Maree has been on staff at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, University of Melbourne for 17 years, where she teaches advanced flute performance and mentors emerging professional musicians. She is deeply committed to supporting pathways for young artists and fostering inclusive, high-level music education and participation and has been a coach at several AYO National Music Camps, and for ANAM, appeared at several international Flute conventions and a frequent guest at major international Universities.

Lisa-Maree also brings extensive governance and leadership experience within the arts sector. She currently serves as Musicians’ President of Orchestra Victoria and has contributed to the orchestra’s Artistic Committee for over a decade. She is completing an MBA in Arts Innovation with the Global Leaders Institute, with research focused on cultural infrastructure, organisational sustainability and community participation in the arts. Through her artistic, educational and strategic work, she is passionate about strengthening the long-term future of music and arts organisations and expanding access to meaningful cultural experiences for young people and communities.

Norah Breekveldt possesses over 30 years’ experience in the government and corporate sectors leading human resources teams, driving organisational change and fostering employee engagement. She is founder and director of Breekthrough Strategies, a consulting and coaching business focused on driving positive change, developing leadership capability and providing one-on-one coaching to high performing leaders.

Norah has over 20 years’ experience as a director on boards in government, the community sector and membership-based organisations, contributing across all governance matters and providing specialist expertise and guidance in strategic planning. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD).

She is a life member of the Youth Music Foundation and a strong supporter of the arts.

Norah is a recipient of the Telstra Business Woman of the Year (Large Corporations, Victoria).

She is a published author of three books on women in leadership and career management.

Campbell Phillips brings a diverse and esteemed background in educational leadership, business management, and percussion performance.

As a distinguished drummer and marching percussion specialist, Campbell has played a pivotal role in shaping and advancing drumline culture in Australia. He was the first Australian to march with the legendary Blue Devils Drum and Bugle Corps in 2015, performed with the world-renowned Top Secret drum corps from Switzerland in 2019, and the Beijing Olympic Orchestra in 2008.

Campbell is the Founder and Executive Director of D²Drumline, a world-class performance ensemble and thriving community for drummers. He has directed ensembles and taught at a number of schools since 2007, is the Drumline Director for the Victorian State School Spectacular, and has established and consulted on several highly acclaimed high school drumline programs.

Campbell’s experiences in event production, having composed music for high-profile events such as the AFL Grand Final, Rugby League World Cup, and Australian Open as well as his passion for education complements his business and leadership skills developed through his role at D²Drumline.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant at Ernst & Young, Emma has led finance, commercial and operations teams with companies such as Siemens and AusNet Services. She is currently Chief Financial Officer at Lochard Energy,  responsible for shaping strategy and capital allocation, risk management, digital and governance. She is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and the Harvard Business School Advanced Management Program.

Emma is also an oboist who performs regularly with community ensembles in Melbourne. She is honoured to serve on the Melbourne Youth Orchestra board, knowing that youth orchestras enable participants to experience the joy of musical performance as well as develop lifelong skills and friendships.

Sarah Turner is a senior legal and governance executive with more than two decades of experience advising Boards and executive leadership teams across listed and not-for-profit organisations in Australia and internationally. She is currently Chief Legal Officer and Executive Director of Corporate Governance at Epworth HealthCare, Victoria’s largest not-for-profit hospital group, where she leads the organisation’s legal, compliance, risk, internal audit, privacy and governance functions.

Across a 20-year career as Chief Legal Officer and Company Secretary at large ASX-listed companies, Sarah has developed broad expertise in governance strategy, stakeholder engagement, risk and compliance frameworks across multiple jurisdictions, and commercial strategy in regulated industries.

Sarah holds a Bachelor of Laws (Hons) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Tasmania, a Graduate Diploma in Applied Corporate Governance, and is a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, a Fellow of the Chartered Governance Institute (UK), and a Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (GAICD). She also serves on the Risk Committee of a leading Melbourne private school, bringing direct experience in educational governance.

Music and MYO are close to Sarah’s heart. She played piano and flute for many years, including with the Tasmanian Youth Orchestra, and her two children have participated in MYO programs. She brings to the Board both deep governance expertise and a first-hand understanding of the transformative role music education plays in the lives of young people.