Patrick Thomas

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

He was born in Brisbane, Queensland, and began his career in close association with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. He first performed for the ABC as a flautist in 1944 and joined its Queensland Symphony Orchestra in 1951, remaining with it till the end of 1955. He eventually became the ABC's Federal Conductor-in-Residence 1978-1986 and conducted hundreds of concerts with the Corporation's Six Orchestras.

In 1958 he married Helen Elder. He was a church musician and was organist and choirmaster at Ann Street Presbyterian Church, Brisbane 1958-1960.

He was Resident Conductor, Australian Elizabethan Theatre Trust Opera Company and the Australian Ballet during 1964. From 1965 to 1972 he was Assistant Conductor of the South Australian Symphony Orchestra and Music Director of the ABC's National Radio Chorus, the Adelaide Singers. During 1968 he was Chief Conductor of the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra and served as Chief Conductor, Queensland Symphony Orchestra from 1973-1977. He was Artistic Director of the Wellington City Opera, New Zealand from 1988-1991.

He was awarded an MBE in 1978 and made an Honorary Life Member of the Fellowship of Australian Composers in 1998. In 2005 he became a Patron of the Music Teachers' Association of New South Wales.

As a guest conductor he performed in twelve overseas countries with such orchestras as the Bavarian Radio, Munich Philharmonic, Janacek, Moravian and Moscow Philharmonic Orchestras, the Halle, BBC Philharmonic, and in Bulgaria, Poland, South Africa, Canada and USA.