Lindy Hume

Hume was born in the Sydney suburb of Paddington and grew up in Glebe and Annandale. Her father taught primary school and also worked as a film censor. Her mother was a psychologist at the University of Sydney.[2]

Hume was Artistic Director of West Australian Opera (1992–1996), OzOpera and Victorian State Opera (1996–2001), and Director of the Perth International Arts Festival (2004–2007).[3]

She was appointed as Director of the Sydney Festival in 2008,[4][5] and led it from 2010 to 2012.[2]

As of June 2017 she is Artistic Director of Opera Queensland.[6] Her productions for Opera Queensland included a 2014 season of Verdi's Rigoletto inspired by Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi.[7] She fosters the creation and presentation of performance in regional Australia, and performances in eight regional Queensland centres of Puccini's La bohème in 2014 featured local singers in the chorus.[8]

Her freelance productions also included a season of Gluck's Iphigénie en Tauride for Sydney's Pinchgut Opera, described by Hannah Cunningham of The Sydney Morning Herald as "a near perfect production".[9]

Hume received Helpmann Awards and Green Room Awards in 2002 for Best Director for the world premiere of Richard Mills' Batavia.[10] Her 2010 Sydney Festival won five Helpmann Awards including Best New Australian Work for Smoke & Mirrors, Best Major Event (Festival First Night), and Best Classical or Orchestral Concert (Oedipus Rex/Symphony of Psalms).[11]

She was the recipient of an Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of Western Australia in 2007.[12] Hume was awarded Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2021 Australia Day Honours, for "For significant service to the performing arts, particularly to opera."[13]