ZAC SKELTON

Zac Skelton is an in-demand, up and coming musical director and percussionist with a love for all things groovy and a desire to share music with others. This Perth-based creative has been playing with ensembles for 14 years and working on his solo rep for the last eight years. By starting his career so early in ensembles, Zac gained a good understanding of ensemble skills, a sense of community, and his purpose: sharing his love of music. Zac was a member of the Western Australian Youth Orchestra for seven years and was Principal Percussionist for his last three years with the ensemble. He was invited to the 2023 Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp and was Principal Timpanist for the Alexander Orchestra. Zac started his career in community ensembles, playing with Armadale City Concert Band, being part of winning first place at the Western Australian Band Association State Championship B Grade two years in a row, and getting the opportunity to travel to Tasmania for the 2017 Australian National Band Championships. Zac is now Armadale City Concert Band’s Musical Director.

Zac is a graduate from the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (WAAPA). During his time at WAAPA, Zac learnt to master his ensemble and technical skills and was a member of Defying Gravity percussion ensemble. He, alongside his WAAPA colleagues, formed many ensembles included Reverie Percussion (2021 Marimbafest Ensemble Competition Runner-Up), Continuum Duo (2022 Marimbafest Ensemble Competition Runner-Up), Sunny Side Up (2023 Marimbafest Ensemble Competition Runner-Up) and The Centric Lecturers (2023 ROSL Chamber Ensemble Competition Finalist). Zac had many fantastic opportunities to travel and learn from the best around the world, most notably in 2022 when he attended the Percussive Arts Society International Convention (PASIC) in the US and in 2024 when he travelled to China to perform at various universities. Zac was also the recipient of the 2023 Norman Archibald Percussion Scholarship.

Zac always had an interest in conducting. He began his conducting career with helping his high school senior band and Classic Sounds Orchestra, offering to conduct a rehearsal or two when their regular musical director wasn’t available. He received various conducting lessons from Classic Sounds Orchestra musical director Rachel John and Darling Range Wind Ensemble musical director James Martin before arranging to be Armadale City Concert Band’s (ACCB) assistant conductor, under the tutelage of Dale Pointon. With Dale and the ACCB, Zac learnt valuable conducting and ensemble skills, and when Dale announced his resignation, the ACCB asked Zac to continue as the band’s Acting Musical Director. By the end of 2023, the ACCB offered Zac the position of Musical Director for 2024, which he gladly accepted. Zac studied conducting and orchestral studies with Jessica Gethin at WAAPA, and has had the pleasure of working with world-class conductors including Alice Farnham, Jen Winley, Umberto Clerici, Benjamin Northey, and Tze Law Chan.

During his career, Zac has gained a love for musical theatre. He has played in many community theatre musical productions and has started making his way into more professional productions, such as Western Sky Project’s 2025 production of ‘Urinetown’. Zac made his Musical Director debut in 2024 with Art in Motion (AIM) Theatre Company’s production of ‘The Guy Who Didn’t Like Musicals’. He has since been Musical Director for four community productions over 2025/26, and won Best Musical Director at the 50th Annual Robert Finley Awards for his work on AIM Theatre Company’s production of ‘American Idiot’. Beyond his playing ability, Zac has acted in a variety of community theatre productions and has recently started his composition journey with his arrangements being performed by the Perth Symphony Orchestra for their Moora Green Shoots Haybales Concert and their WA Stories: Edith Dircksey Cowan shows. Through and through, Zac is a performing arts lover and has dedicated his life to sharing this love.