Paul BlackmanPaul Blackman grew up in Sydney and started taking music lessons while in primary school. He was accepted into the Sydney Conservatorium High School where for six years he benefited from rubbing shoulders with current and future members of the orchesral music scene in Australia.

After a period in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Training Orchestra, he was appointed Sub Principal Contrabassoon with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, and took leave for advanced study in Germany and England. In 1978, he joined the Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra as Principal Bassoon, before becoming the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra's (ASO) Principal Contrabassoon in 1981.

For most of his time as a player with the ASO, he was at first a player's representative on the Players' Committee and later became the union representative. After many years on the Symphony Orchestra Musician Association National Executive Committee, he became National President the year before his resignation as a player in 2008.

His last six years' service at the ASO was in the role of Human Resources Manager, in which his duties included that of orchestral archivist. During that time he created the ASO Heritage website. Read More Read Less