​Jessica Cottis grew up on her family’s sheep farm in south-eastern Australia and quickly developed a lifelong interest in both music and the natural world. She is especially interested in the relation between music, nature and science, and the act of listening. She works widely as an advocate for classical music. A gifted communicator described as a “cool, contained, super-articulate and engaging” (The Scotsman), she has given masterclasses for the Royal Philharmonic Society and Royal Academy of Music, and has led courses for emerging women conductors for the Royal Opera House. She sits on the Board of new music organisation and record label Nonclassical, and is Chair of the Music Board of the Tait Memorial Trust, a body that supports young Australian and New Zealand performing artists studying in the UK. She is a frequent contributor on BBC radio and television, commenting on a wide range of arts-related topics, from opera to architecture, synaesthesia, the environment, and acoustics.

​Jessica Cottis’ early musical career was as an organist, pianist, and trumpeter. Awarded first class honours at the Australian National University, she continued her studies in Paris with pioneering French organist Marie-Claire Alain. After a wrist injury halted her playing career, she began conducting studies at the Royal Academy of Music in London, studying with Colin Metters and Sir Colin Davis. She went on to serve as Assistant Conductor of the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra and at the Sydney Symphony Orchestra, where she worked closely with mentors Sir Donald Runnicles and Vladimir Ashkenazy. More recently she was honoured with the title of Associate of the Royal Academy (ARAM), an honorary award for formers students who have made a significant contribution to the music profession.

Jessica Cottis has undertaken Executive Leadership studies at Cornell University and Saïd Business School, University of Oxford.

She resides in Stockholm and London, and outside of music pursues her passion for butterflies all over the world.