Patrick Thomas (conductor)

Patrick Thomas AM MBE (born 1 June 1932) is an Australian conductor.

For a period of almost 35 years he conducted hundreds of performances across Australia in just about every centre where the various state symphony orchestras ventured, and introduced music to virtually a whole generation of young Australians through his popular and distinctive schools concerts. He held a succession of important posts with four of Australia's major ABC orchestras and the specially created position of ABC Federal Conductor-in-Residence as well as conducting the Australian Opera and the Australian Ballet. He also conducted the ABC's radio chorus, the Adelaide Singers.

Overseas, he appeared in 12 countries as Guest Conductor of such orchestras as the Moscow Philharmonic Orchestra, the Hallé Orchestra, Bavarian Radio Orchestra, Polish National Radio and Television Orchestra, Munich Philharmonic, BBC Symphony Orchestra, CBC Symphony Orchestra, Prague Radio Orchestra, and many others in New Zealand, the Czech Republic, Bulgaria and South Africa. Other facets of his diverse career included those of concert, radio and television presenter and interviewer.

Patrick Alan Thomas was born in Brisbane, and attended Eagle Junction State School in Clayfield. In August 1944, at age 12, he attended his first major evening orchestral concert, when Eugene Ormandy conducted at Brisbane City Hall in four concerts designed to boost the war effort. Thomas requested, and a few days later received, Ormandy’s autograph, and from then on set his sights on becoming a conductor. As a 14-year-old, he played third flute at the first Queensland Symphony Orchestra (QSO) performance, on 26 March 1947, when the new 45-member ensemble under guest conductor Percy Code introduced Queenslanders to their own professional symphony orchestra.

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