Mark Coughlan is a concert pianist, conductor, music critic, teacher, concert promoter and company director. He grew up in Perth and studied music at University of WA before moving to London where he lived and worked for several years. Returning to WA, Mr Coughlan became the head of the School of Music at UWA and has held leadership roles at state and national levels in the performing arts and higher education sectors. He was a board member of Musica Viva Australia and was federal chair of the Australian Music Examinations Board. Mr Coughlan was a board member of The West Australian Symphony Orchestra for 9 years before becoming chief executive in 2019. He is a director of WA Youth Orchestra, chair of Lost and Found Opera, and artistic director of the concert series Music on the Terrace in Government House Ballroom and the Annual New Year's Eve concert in the Perth Concert Hall. Mr Coughlan writes for The Australian Newspaper and has twice been a finalist for West Australian of the Year in the Arts and Culture category. Outside of the not-for-profit sector, Mr Coughlan owns a medical centre in the southern suburbs of Perth. He is a finalist in the Arts & Culture Award category of the 2019 Western Australian Of The Year Awards.
