Conductor Don Whitbread has had a varied career as teacher, public servant, businessman and musician. He has his own consultancy, Music Co-ordination Australia, and is Artistic Adviser for ACFEA Tour consultants, an international company which specialises in concert tours for performing groups.

Don and his wife Barbara founded Woden Valley Youth Choir in 1969. During his 28 years as Director the choir built up an enviable reputation both nationally and internationally through tours of the USA/Canada, Japan, New Zealand, and UK/Europe. Don has broad musical tastes and originally studied piano before moving into choral singing and conducting. An experienced adjudicator, Don has been on judging panels for the former ABC Vocal and Instrumental Competition, the Shell Aria Competition, and has adjudicated for the Australian National Eisteddfod, the ACT Lieder Society’s Festival of Song and was Chairman of the Adjudication Panel for the St Cecilia Music Scholarships (Bateman’s Bay) for five years. He also presents workshops on conducting and choral technique.

Don was awarded an OAM in 1980 for service to music, the Rotary Award for Vocational Excellence in 1984, was made a Paul Harris Fellow by Rotary in 1996, and is a Life Member of Canberra Philharmonic. He was Canberra Citizen of the Year in 1997 and in 2001 he was named by The Canberra Times in its 75th Anniversary Year as one of the 75 Faces of Canberra that have helped shape Canberra.