Forever and a Day, for harp and chamber string orchestra (1976).[6]
Vietnam War
Williams was a conscientious objector during the Vietnam War, defending himself in court.[4] His impending imprisonment was averted when the incoming Whitlam Labor government abolished national service in late 1972.[6]
Working life
After graduation, Williams had a series of management roles in music: in opera; at the Sydney Conservatorium under Rex Hobcroft; as a member of the inaugural Australia Council Music Board (1973); and general manager of Music Rostrum Australia, whose artistic director was Roger Woodward.[1] From 1975 to 1977, he studied composition in Italy with Luciano Berio and was assistant to Berio's former wife, the American soprano Cathy Berberian, with whom he had a brief love affair.[5][7] He also had significant involvement with the Israel Chamber Orchestra.[1] On return to Australia he became general manager (1977–84)[6] and later board member and chairman (1984–2004) of Musica Viva Australia.[1]
In 1995, shortly after the last-minute failure of a deal for the ABC to provide two news channels to Rupert Murdoch's Foxtel, which Williams had spearheaded on behalf of the ABC, he left the ABC to accept Murdoch's invitation to head Fox Studios.[5] In December 2001 he became chief executive of Foxtel.[8] He remained until 2011 and was praised for reversing Foxtel's fortunes from a chronic loss-maker to high-profitability.[4] He was a participant in the Australia 2020 Summit, as a member of the Towards a Creative Australia working group.
In December 2011, Williams was appointed CEO of News Limited. He resigned in August 2013 amid reports that his management style had alienated many staff members and executives, including members of the Murdoch family.[4] In February 2014 he was appointed a commissioner of the Australian Football League (AFL).[11] The same year he published Rules of Engagement, an account of his time in Australia's leading boardrooms and organisations.[12]
Williams was appointed an independent board member of the Australian Copyright Agency Ltd in January 2015 and was its chair from June 2015 to 2021.[13][14]
Williams has married twice; from 1983 to 1989 to Kathy Lette,[2] and since 1998 to Catherine Dovey, daughter of Gough and Margaret Whitlam (née Dovey), and Kathy Lette's best friend.[7][18]
In 2006 he was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM), "for service to arts administration through executive roles with a range of cultural organisations, to music education and the formulation of arts related public policy".[22]
In 2009 he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Letters by Macquarie University for his contribution to the arts and entertainment industry both in Australia and internationally.[8]
In 2010 he was Deakin University's George Fairfax Fellow in Arts and Entertainment Management.[1]
In 2010 he gave the Ken Myer Lecture, titled "Growing up in Arts – a personal Australian perspective on film, television, music and management".[1]