Austin, a tenor who retired in 2004, had a repertoire of 32 roles with Opera Australia. He also performed with Glyndebourne Opera, San Francisco Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Teatro Col‹n, the New Zealand International Festival, and all the major Australian orchestras.

Gordon Fell, chairman of the board, said in a statement, "Anson's depth of knowledge of opera, his thoughtfulness, and his commitment to the company are without questions—the board and I very much look forward to working with him."