Mr Clark arrived in Armidale at the start of December as soon as the Victoria border reopened but didn't start in his new role until January.

"I am an escapee of the Victorian lock-down 2020," he laughed.

"Arriving then allowed me to meet the NECOM team pre-Christmas, and enjoy getting to know Armidale and settle in."

Mr Clark has an impressive curriculum vitae including a Diploma of Arctic Operations which he obtained at the University of Lapland in Finland - no doubt a by-product of his addiction to travel which has seen him visit 60 countries so far.

He says the fact Armidale has an airport was an important factor in him choosing to come here - but there were many other reasons as well.

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"Throughout my career, many of my favourite experiences have been regional touring," Mr Clark said.

"I always enjoyed jumping into a van and driving around to perform in country towns. Regional audiences are always so grateful and appreciative, and I loved getting out of the city.

"It's so much more satisfying performing in a regional centre compared to performing to metropolitan audiences who are always spoiled for choice. So I always knew I wanted to go regional one day.

"Most importantly, Armidale has a strong culture valuing high-quality arts and education. There aren't many places where this culture is so embedded in everyday life.

"There is a thriving arts scene in Armidale, with so many professional and community groups active.

"NECOM has a great reputation, and plays a critical role in the local arts community, an umbrella supporting a much larger range of cultural activity around town."

Although Mr Clark grew up on the hot and humid Gold Coast, he claims to be a cold-weather person.

"Even though people think I'm crazy, I'm really looking forward to the winter," he said,

"The surrounding countryside is beautiful, and I can't wait to get out and explore."

Having spent most of the last decade in Melbourne Mr Clark is making the most of his move to the country and the lifestyle it can provide.

"Perhaps it's a result of being locked down in a tiny one-bedroom inner-city Melbourne apartment for 9 months last year, but I was craving outside space," he said.

"I wanted to live on some acreage and be surrounded by nature. I am really loving living about 20 minutes out of town on a 4500-acre property, with cows, alpacas, and sheep as my neighbours.

"It's hard to describe to people, and I don't think they believe me anyway... but as a young child growing up on the Gold Coast, we would often drive back and forward via the New England Highway to visit our extended family in Sydney.

"For some reason, I remember passing through or stopping in Armidale and having a feeling that I would live here one day.

"Since then, I've been through town a few times on regional tours with groups like the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and always had great experiences. I've also got some family out at Inverell.

"So it just felt right coming here now at this stage in my career. I'm excited to bring all of the skills and experiences I've gathered working in some of the world's leading cultural institutions to the region."

For the last five years, Chris was the strategic relationship manager at Arts Centre Melbourne, responsible for partnerships and collaborations, business innovation and sustainability. He oversaw the development of a multi-million-dollar portfolio of new government, philanthropic and private sector partnerships.

He says the most significant difference between that role and being CEO of NECOM is scale.

"Our team at Arts Centre Melbourne was 800 people delivering in excess of 4000 events per year," Mr Clark said.

"But otherwise lots of it is the same, working with artists, supporting our team, looking for new and creative ways to connect with our community, building collaborations and then all of the standard business functions you'd expect.

"So even though the numbers are smaller, it's still a very familiar role.

"What I love about working in a smaller organisation, though, is that you can be more agile, and you get to interact with people more directly."

Announcing Mr Clark's appointment last year NECOM chair Greg Moin said the selection committee wanted a leader with significant experience in music, music education and arts administration at a senior level, who would ensure NECOM continued in its quest to be a premier music conservatorium.

At the Australian Institute of Music and Sydney Conservatorium of Music, Mr Clark majored in piccolo performance (the first in Australia), graduating with high distinction. He was then accepted into the Sydney Symphony Orchestra training orchestra, performing with the Opera Australia Orchestra, in professional musicals, and as a regular concerto soloist and recording artist. For almost 10 years, Mr Clark performed as principal flute/piccolo of the Royal Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra.

In education, Mr Clark has taught flute and piccolo at high schools in Sydney, for the Australian Institute of Music and the Penrith Conservatorium of Music. He has also consulted to the Australian Children's Choir and the National Institute of Youth Performing Arts Australia. From 2010 - 2013, Mr Clark was a member of the Victorian Department of Education and Training's strategic partnerships advisory board.

His arts leadership roles include operations manager at the Royal Opera House Covent Garden London, for the Australian Brandenburg and Melbourne Youth Orchestras. From 2008 - 2009 he coordinated the final construction and opening of the Melbourne Recital Centre.

From this wealth of experience, Mr Clark said having a background as a professional musician is invaluable.

"Not only for the extensive networks you build but also understanding the creative process, concert repertoire and presentation, and working with creative people," he said.

"I started my career managing a community orchestra, and I know how important they are for many people who participate for a range of reasons, for example, some people are there for professional development while for others it's more about the social experience."

His work at the Melbourne Recital Centre has given Mr Clark an appreciation of the opportunities presented by the Old Teacher's College's impending renovations to house the Department of Regional NSW and the relocation of NECOM to the ground floor of the building.

"Opening the Melbourne Recital Centre, transforming it from an empty concrete box into a fully-functioning concert hall was a great experience for the exciting journey we're about to embark upon - renovating and fitting out large sections of the Old Teachers College for our new conservatorium," he said.

"Melbourne Youth Orchestra certainly helped ground me in music education, running ensemble programs and working with young people.

"For a period I worked in politics and philanthropy, which helped me understand community engagement and how to maximise our social, cultural and economic impact,"

But perhaps the most important experience he has had was the one he was worst at Mr Clark said.

"When I worked briefly as an instrumental teacher, I was terrible at it," he said.

"It made me appreciate the value of an outstanding teacher and the amazing skill set our music educators have here at NECOM,"

Future-proofing the conservatorium is his immediate priority Mr Clark said, and to ensure that high-quality music making continues in Armidale for many years to come.

"One of the biggest priorities this year is relocating our conservatorium, which is currently located on the top floor of the Old Teachers' College, down to the ground floor, which offers much better facilities, more space and is much more accessible for our community," he said.

"It's a great opportunity to think about our future, what spaces we will need, how we can maximise community engagement with our building and partner with other community organisations.

"Through this project, I'm also keen to explore connectivity with the surrounding cultural precinct and to celebrate the rich heritage of our building.

"But first, it's all about getting to know the community."

After a subdued year in the performing arts sector, thanks to COVID-19 Mr Clark said this year is all about blockbuster events.

"After a quiet 2020, we're bringing live music back to Armidale," he said.

"NECOM will be hosting several high-profile residencies, starting with the Australian Chamber Orchestra in April, with others being announced soon.

"We're also just putting the finishing touches to our 40th-anniversary concert series delivered in partnership with Musica Viva.

"Our NECOM teachers, who are wonderful performers in their own right, are itching to perform again and are putting together a range of high-quality chamber music concerts that will be performed across the region.

"We're also excited to be planning for the return of New England Sings! later this year, which is a choral showcase for over 900 students from across the New England and North West.

"Of course the other thing that's great about this year is that we are bringing back all of our programs, especially choirs and larger ensembles that weren't able to run in 2020, and welcoming students back."

COVID-19 did showcase the ability of technology to bring the performing arts into our homes - but Mr Clark doesn't think this is the way of the future.

"Of course digital is amazing," he said.

"At the click of a button, we can watch the best performers, anywhere around the world on demand.

"But while this is great, it can't possibly replace the live experience.

"Apart from hearing music live we also get to have the great social experience of coming together for a live event."