Rosemary Ponnekanti is an award-winning writer, musician, multimedia storyteller, arts manager and festival director. She has lived on three continents with a career ranging from professional classical double bassist and organist to journalist, content creator, festival director and orchestral manager.
Rosemary gained her Bachelors of Music in double bass from the Victorian College of the Arts and post-graduate Performance Certificaat from the Royal Conservatoire in The Hague, The Netherlands. After a decade performing with the Melbourne Symphony, Adelaide Symphony, Victorian State Orchestra, Tasmanian Symphony, Australian Chamber Orchestra, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and early music ensembles, she moved to the United States, where she edited two magazines in Houston, TX before serving 11 years as the arts reporter for The News Tribune, Tacoma, WA and the organist at St. Luke’s Memorial Episcopal, Tacoma.
After gaining her Masters of Communication in Digital Media from the University of Washington, Rosemary managed digital media communications for two zoos in Tacoma, WA, and a parks agency before returning to Australia. She has won awards from the Society for Professional Journalists and the University of Washington, and won 1st place in the 2021 Newcastle Nature Stories competition.
From 2017-2023 Rosemary created, managed and directed two unique arts festivals: Tacoma Ocean Fest and Tacoma Light Trail, winning local awards. At both festivals she curated art, music, poetry, dance and circus to create awareness and engagement with issues like environmental conservation and social justice.
She is currently the operations and communications manager for the Australian Romantic & Classical Orchestra and continues to perform on bass, piano and organ.
