Flinders Quartet Inc. is governed by a voluntary Board of Directors and managed by a part-time Artistic Director and part-time General Manager. The organisational structure chart is shown below. The Development and Marketing Manager works across both the Artistic Director and General Manager portfolios.

Matthew Hoy  |  Chair

Matthew Hoy is an Australian performing arts professional with 25 years of experience spanning performance, curation, and artistic leadership. An alumnus of Sydney Conservatorium and Manhattan School of Music, his career has involved time as a cellist with West Australian Symphony Orchestra and Australian World Orchestra before expanding into project conception, commissioning, and curation. His work has attracted Helpmann, ARIA, and APRA award acclaim. As Program Director at ANAM, Artistic Associate at Melbourne International Arts Festival/RISING, Head of Programming at Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, and Artistic Director of Four Winds, Matthew has pioneered collaborations across genres with artists including Archie Roach, Meow Meow, Paul Kelly, and Electric Fields. A sought-after consultant and mentor, Matthew now applies music's transformative power beyond the arts, using design thinking to drive change across community, industry, and social sectors. Matthew has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since May 2024 and was elected Chair at the June 2026 AGM.

Zoe Knighton  |  Vice-Chair / Artistic Director

Zoe Knighton is a founding member and Artistic Director of Flinders Quartet, and one of Australia's leading chamber musicians. She has commissioned and premiered numerous new works, championed Australian composers, and collaborated widely across disciplines to expand the role of the string quartet in contemporary culture. Zoe has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since August 2017 and was elected Vice-Chair at the June 2026 AGM.

Anusha Campbell  |  Treasurer

Anusha Campbell is a Director in EY's Consulting Practice, specialising in governance, finance, risk and internal audit. She has extensive experience working with organisations to strengthen risk management, improve controls and support better decision-making. Anusha is passionate about supporting purpose-driven organisations and helping them build sustainable, high-performing governance frameworks. She also serves as Treasurer and Board member of Grow, a national community-led organisation supporting mental health and wellbeing. Anusha has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since April 2026 and was elected Treasurer at the June 2026 AGM.

Wendy Avilov  |  Secretary / General Manager

Wendy Avilov is an experienced arts manager with expertise in strategic planning, financial management, and governance for not-for-profit organisations. At Flinders Quartet she has overseen the strengthening of operational systems, financial sustainability, and organisational resilience, ensuring alignment between artistic vision and organisational capacity. Wendy has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since August 2017 and has held the Secretary position since October 2019.

Mary Vallentine AO  |  Board Member

Mary Vallentine AO has had a career in arts administration for more than forty years. A graduate in music and drama from the Universities of Sydney and UNSW, she worked at the Australian Council for the Arts and Musica Viva Australia before becoming Administrator of the Adelaide Festival (1978-82). She was General Manager of the State Theatre Company of SA (1982-84) prior to her appointment as Managing Director of the Sydney Symphony Orchestra (1986-2003). She undertook a series of arts consultancies before becoming Director of Production Services in Doha for the 2006 Asian Games Ceremonies. Mary joined Musica Viva as Director of Business Development in 2009 before accepting the position of CEO of the Melbourne Recital Centre in 2010, a role she held until 2016. She was Classical Music Advisor to the Adelaide Festival from 2017-2022. Mary now sits on the boards of a number of arts, education and philanthropic organisations, and received an Order of Australia (Officer) in 1996 for services to music. Mary has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since August 2017.

Dr Fiona Phillips  |  Board Member

Dr Fiona Phillips has 20 years of classroom experience in state and independent schools, and has also taught in the early childhood sector and served as musical director of a large community choir. She completed her Graduate Certificate in Higher Education in 2011, a Master of Education by Research in 2012, and her PhD in 2022. Fiona holds certificates in Kodaly and Orff and researches how teachers and others are becoming musical across a range of educational landscapes. She has worked closely with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and their communities, and is currently co-chair of SMAG Schools Music Action Group. Fiona has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since September 2022.

Helen Ireland  |  Board Member / FQ musician representative

Helen Ireland is a founding member of Flinders Quartet and one of Australia's most accomplished chamber musicians. Originally from Adelaide, she moved to Melbourne in 2000 to attend the Australian National Academy of Music -- the same year Flinders Quartet was founded. A graduate of the Canberra School of Music and recipient of the Erica Haas Prize for chamber music, Helen has performed with many leading Australian orchestras including the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra Victoria, the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra, and the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra. A qualified Feldenkrais practitioner, she brings a distinctive approach to her viola playing. Helen plays a 1939 A.E. Smith viola. She has been a member of the Flinders Quartet Board of Directors since August 2017.

EXECUTIVE AND ADMINISTRATIVE STAFF

Zoe Knighton | Artistic Director | 0.3 FTE
Wendy Avilov | General Manager | 0.5 FTE
Katherine Lee | Development and Marketing Manager | 0.4 FTE

PERFORMING MUSICIANS

Zoe Knighton | Cellist | 0.4 FTE + calls
Helen Ireland | Violist | 0.4 FTE + calls
Elizabeth Sellars | Violinist | 0.4 FTE + calls
Wilma Smith | Violinist | 0.4 FTE + calls

ADVISORS

James Henry | First Peoples Advisor

James Henry (Kamilaroi-Yuwaalaraay, Yorta Yorta and Yuin) is a composer, sound designer, and musician whose work spans contemporary and traditional forms. He has composed for the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Sydney Philharmonia Choir, and many other ensembles, blending Aboriginal languages and traditions with new musical contexts. James has served as Musical Director for landmark cultural events including Dreamtime at the 'G and the Tanderrum ceremony at the Melbourne Festival. He is also an active language worker, using music to preserve and revitalise Indigenous languages. His practice exemplifies the meeting of cultural custodianship and contemporary artistic innovation. James serves as First Peoples Advisor to Flinders Quartet and has contributed to the organisation as a commissioned composer and photographer.