4MBS is operated by the Music Broadcasting Society of Qld Ltd (MBSQ), a not-for-profit community broadcasting organisation established in Brisbane in 1979. MBSQ is a company limited by guarantee. The Board of Directors and Staff are shown below. MBSQ operates 4MBS Classic FM (since March 1979), Silver Memories (since 2007) and the digital service, MBS Light (since 2012).
4MBS PATRON
4MBS Classic FM is delighted to announce our Patron
Her Excellency the Honourable Dr Jeannette Young PSM
Governor of Queensland
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Ralph was appointed Chair of the 4MBS Board of Directors in November 2024, succeeding the previous chair Matthew Farrell. With a long and varied association with 4MBS dating back to 1980 and a long association with the Performing Arts, Ralph now leads a vibrant ‘new-look’ Board heading into 2024-25.
Ralph retired in 2022 from a 45 year long career in the Law, which began in 1971. Ralph brings a wide legal experience to 4MBS, working as Senior Counsel in Brisbane and a ‘Silk’ (QC, KC) in mainly criminal law and environmental law since 2005.
Ralph is Founding Chair of the Sunshine Coast Chamber Music Festival, established in 2020 and heading into its fifth Festival in the winter of 2025. He was Founding Chair of the Sunshine Coast Major Events Board 2013-2020 and is currently Life Governor of Maroochydore Surf Life Saving Club. Ralph was also President of Queensland Surf Life Saving 2011-2016 and Australian Deputy President 2013-2016, so his experience in the Volunteer ranks is substantial. He was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in 2016, for Services to Surf Life Saving and the Law.
Luke is an accountant, problem solver and strategy consultant with degrees in commerce, accounting, financial planning and philosophy. With over two decades of business experience, Luke provides strategic advice to diverse clients including Boards and NGOs, clinicians and other professionals, SMEs, schools, professional sporting clubs, elite athletes and government. His specialist knowledge and experience make him a sought after speaker and strategist.
As the Principal of Abundance Accounting, Luke provides diverse finance and advisory services specialising in multidisciplinary practice solutions, complex financial strategies and effective accounting and loan solutions. His interests in ethics and philosophy provide Luke’s insightful perspective on the increasingly complex economy of modern business and finance, translating to practical, holistic advice for a competitive advantage.
Matthew Farrell has held executive roles in major performing arts and is a professional musician. He is currently CEO of SunPAC (Sunnybank Performing Arts Centre) and holds a CEO role part time with the national Lev Vlassenko Piano Competition. He was Director, Orchestra Management at the Queensland Symphony Orchestra for 12 years with responsibility for production, musicians and commercial projects. Previously Matthew was cellist with the Victorian String Quartet before becoming Principal Cello with the Queensland Philharmonic which merged with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra after 2001. He has performed in Australia, Asia and Europe and is a founding member of contemporary ensemble, LOCANA. Matthew taught cello at Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University for many years and has a long history of involvement with music and arts development including participation on several State and Federal inquiries and taskforces. Matthew has recently retired from Board Chair after 11 years of serving in the role since 2013. He has been an active member of the 4MBS Board since 2006 and he also has co-directed the 4MBS Festival of Classics in 2007- 2008.
Ted is an independent finance broker who works passionately with his small business clientele to improve business and personal results and vision. Before starting his own enterprise, Ted was recognised for his ability to foster positive cultures in his workplaces. Aside from his work on the Board, he has been a presenter of 4MBS Morning Music for 10 years, and he is an occasional pianist and performer.
For over 20 years Leslie has been involved with 4MBS in various ways including: performing in Dido and Aeneas, producing shows such as Tosca: The Story of the Opera and Shakespeare: Spoken and Sung, as a programmer and announcer of Thursday Night Opera, programme guide deliverer and helper at Radiothons.
She has used her skills on the Queensland Arts Advisory Committee 2013 to then Senator George Brandis and as Company Director (2015-2017) of Australian National Association of Teachers of Singing (ANATS). She is currently a board member of Springboard Opera.
Passionate about the support that 4MBS gives to lovers of classical music and our local performers, Leslie brings to the board her skills in producing, performance, marketing, and strategic thinking
Allison has a keen appreciation of the arts, in particular music, theatre and dance. Allison is a Queensland based Corporate Finance professional experienced in managing and optimising finance structures and businesses in particular with regards to capital and debt financing. Allison’s finance career has spanned Brisbane, Sydney and London. Allison has a law degree from the Queensland University of Technology and a Masters of Commerce from the University of New South Wales. Allison enjoys travelling.
Louise volunteers at 4MBS in a number of roles including 4MBS Shop Co-ordinator, Subscriber Support, Program Guide Copy Editor, Programmer and Presenter on MBS Light and 4MBS, Program Slotter, member of the Broadcasts Committee, Program Deliverer and has been a member of the 4MBS Board since November 2020. This affords her a broad understanding of the workings of the station.
She has been a choral singer for many years, singing with the Brisbane Chorale where she was Concert Manager 1997–1999, ChoirWorks, (formally Brisbane Concert Choir), Bach Society of Qld, Chorus Oz and the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Choir.
In a previous life she was a Primary School Teacher for Education Qld for over 40 years, teaching all year levels and classroom music, but specialised in Early Education.
Kerry Vann-Leeflang is a versatile musician who maintains a busy schedule of performing, teaching, examining and adjudicating. She is the principal percussionist with the Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra and Corda Spiritus and also plays with the Brisbane Excelsior Band.
She sang with Opera Queensland for 10 seasons and has sung several principal roles in Gilbert and Sullivan operettas. She teaches piano, percussion and singing and is a music examiner with ANZCA and examines throughout Australia and Asia. She holds ten degrees and diplomas: eight in music, one in languages (French, German and Japanese) and one in education. These include a Ph. D. in music from The University of Queensland and she is a Fellow of the Trinity College London in voice. While at university, she was awarded a Mitsui Educational Foundation scholarship as part of her study of Japanese and a DAAD scholarship to study in Wagner’s manuscripts in Germany for her Ph. D. on Lohengrin.
James J. Haywood has been a broadcaster at 4MBS for over five years. Each Sunday fortnight, he hosts Daybreak Classics and Light & Bright and also contributes a monthly article to the station’s program guide. James holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland specialising in History and Political Science. James also has extensive capability in customer service and business management, having managed several stores for high level fashion labels in Australia. James’ experience in this area has been further honed through his work as a freelance writer for Queensland’s art scene. To date he has written program notes and has given pre-concert talks for: The Brisbane Philharmonic Orchestra, Opus Five, Musica Viva, the Brisbane Music Festival, the flautist Johnathan Henderson, the pianist Alex Raineri as well as the Brisbane Baroque Players, and the Queensland Choir. Education and work experience aside, James is also active in the governance of the Queensland Choir. He currently sits on the choir’s board and is responsible for the organisations publicity and marketing.
After running newsrooms for Murdoch and Fairfax titles in Australia and the UK, Susan established an award-winning national communications consultancy in 1999, focussing on agriculture, agribusiness and finance. She holds qualifications in project management and communications and has received numerous awards for her fiction writing. A 4MBS announcer, she plays piano, guitar, flute and horn at varying levels of competency.
4MBS CLASSIC FM STAFF
Gary Thorpe is the General Manager of Silver Memories Nostalgia Radio which he founded in 2007. He is also General Manager of two other radio stations – 4MBS Classic FM and MBS Light digital radio. He was Executive Producer of the first performance outside Britain of Havergal Brian’s Gothic Symphony, is Artistic Director of the Annual 4MBS Festival of Classics which is the largest classical music festival in the country, Producer of the 4MBS Brisbane Shakespeare Festival and Vice-President of the Havergal Brian Society. He was awarded an OAM in 2009 for his services to music and community broadcasting and in 2011 a Churchill Fellowship to study the use of music in management of dementia. Other commitments include being Deputy Chair of The Queensland Choir, Secretary of the Board of Broadcasting Park Pty. Ltd. and Treasurer of the Queensland Community Broadcasting Association. He has also been a Board Member of Jupiter’s Casino Community Benefit Fund, a Member of the Arts Faculty Board of Studies, University of Queensland, Chair of the Broadcasting Committee of the Music Council of Australia (MCA), Secretary/Vice President of the Australian Society for Education Through the Arts and Chairman, Music Broadcasting Society of Queensland Ltd.
Maggie has been with 4MBS since 1999, and began her involvement as Director of our annual Festival of Classics, making it a highly successful major festival in the Brisbane festival season. Since that time, Maggie has overseen a broad range of events and festivals, managing the engagement of prominent artists and venues across Brisbane. Maggie’s background in music is deeply ingrained, and whilst ever-modest, we have on good authority that Maggie has previously sung with prestigious international organisations including the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company and English National Opera. Maggie was married to the late international opera conductor John Matheson.
Peter has been with 4MBS Classic FM since 2001. Prior to joining the station he was in senior positions with several of Brisbane’s leading commercial radio stations. His wealth of experience in radio advertising enables him to match clients to suitable programs and promotion packages.
Born in ex-Yugoslavia, Nick worked for 19 years for TV Sarajevo: public broadcaster, during which time he covered politics, culture and arts, and foreign affairs. His work was referred by The Economist weekly in 1992. Following eight years in Prague, Czech Republic, Nick spent a semester in Washington DC working for the US Congress, sponsored by Radio Free Europe, and broadcasting in 28 languages. Since joining 4MBS Classic FM in winter 2007, Nick has written more than 300 feature articles about renowned Australian music makers and young emerging artists.
4MBS Ticketing, Music Diary & Performance Studio Manager, MBS Light Broadcasts Manager
Wendy is a lover of words, woodwinds and the human voice. After graduating with a Bachelor of Digital Media Production, Wendy began volunteering at 4MBS in 2004, and became the Program Guide Editor from 2006. She later moved into the festivals area of 4MBS, and has worked on at least 10 4MBS Festival of Classics and 4MBS Brisbane Shakespeare Festivals. Since February 2022, Wendy has been presenting contemporary classical music on ‘Music Of Our Time’, which airs the first Monday of each month (formerly hosted by Elaine Seeto). Outside of 4MBS, Wendy’s final year university project was produced into the 52 minute documentary, ‘Mysteries of the Human Voice’, broadcast internationally. She is a performing singer/songwriter, clarinettist and tin whistle player with interests in folk and pop music. She can also tap dance.
Accounts Administrator (part-time)