ABC has appointed Joe Gelonesi as the new content manager for ABC Classical and ABC Jazz. Gelonesi has held this position since April, when his predecessor Toby Chadd was appointed artistic planning director of the Australian Chamber Orchestra. Gelonesi will now run the only national radio stations dedicated to classical and jazz, and oversee ongoing initiatives and programs managed by the ABC.

Gelonesi is a familiar face at ABC Classic, where he has been a presenter in the past. He presented The Philosophers’ Zone on Radio National and was a member of RN’s editorial team for nearly two decades. He was also part of the team that produced the first Hottest 100 in 1989, and developed the ABC Top 5 media residency project for early-career researchers in the arts, sciences and humanities.

“I am very happy to have the opportunity to defend and support their efforts to bring Australians together through the wonderful shared love of music,” Gelonesi said of his new role and work with the ‘ABC.

Gelonesi will oversee the annual Classical 100 and Jazz 100 countdowns, the Annual Festival of Composers, the ABC Jazz Artist in Residence program and the recently announced Composers’ Order Fund for Emerging Artists.

In recent years, ABC Classic and ABC Jazz have launched numerous programs to attract new, engaged audiences, including the inaugural Classic Choir in 2020, the monthly ABC Jazz Artist in Residence, as well as coverage of major live shows over the past three years. recent years such as Yo-Yo Ma’s Australian debut in 2019.

His appointment follows the announcement that Chris Scaddan, head of music and creative development for ABC’s Entertainment & Specialist division, will lead ABC-wide audio projects from July 19 to 2022. Scaddan will now coordinate content audio in all three ABC content divisions, developing new programming for radio, on-demand and podcast platforms.

As a result, Meagan Loader who runs Double J, ABC Country and Rage, will take on the role of Scaddan for the next 18 months, with Double J executive producer Ryan Egan taking on the role of Loader.

“The talent and passion they each possess is indicative of the entire team’s dedication to our audience on a daily basis,” said Scaddan, welcoming Gelonesi, Loader and Egan to their new roles. “After more than a year of uncertainty due to ongoing COVID-19 restrictions, listeners have turned to our networks for company, joy, inspiration and direction. The role of the ABC as a full supporter of Australian music is more important than ever as we anticipate further successes in the audio space for many years to come.

More information on the new appointments, as well as ABC’s current lineup, can be found here.