Tognetti on festival team

JOSEPHINE Ridge has called on a high-profile former colleague to help.

JOSEPHINE Ridge, creative director of the Melbourne Festival, has called on a high-profile former colleague to help boost the musical fortunes of the annual event.

Australian Chamber Orchestra artistic director Richard Tognetti has accepted a three-year role at the festival, serving as creative associate (music) from next year.

Ridge was deputy general manager of the ACO between 1993 and 1997 before joining the Australian Ballet and then the Sydney Festival, where she served as executive director.

Her appointment to the Melbourne Festival coincided with moves to shift the event from October to February.

The festival recently backed down on this plan, which was widely opposed by local companies.

Ridge says the festival is planning to build several partnerships with "key cultural organisations and artists".

She says the appointment of Tognetti, who is also artistic director of Slovenia's Maribor Festival and former director of the Huntington Music Festival in Mudgee, NSW, signals her intention to embrace a wide range of music and innovation in her program.

"We are extremely fortunate that an artist of Richard's status, accomplishment and unique combination of skills has agreed to work with us to help shape the festival's music program," Ridge says. "I value enormously his creative insight."

Tognetti says he is looking forward to working in Melbourne, which he says is "one of the greatest cultural hubs on the planet".

"Its stellar venues, supportive, culturally aware government, and courteous engaged audiences create the perfect platform for the festival," he says.