Former Warner Chappell Australia Managing Director Matthew Capper Passes Away

Matthew Capper, the former Managing Director of Warner Chappell Australia, has passed away following a brief illness.

According to a statement posted by his family on LinkedIn yesterday (19 January), Capper died last week after he suffered a ruptured appendix and sadly couldn’t fight an infection following surgery.

“Dearest Family & Friends,

“It is with the greatest sadness that we inform you of Matthew's passing a week ago,” the statement from Capper’s family reads.

“Matthew had suffered a ruptured appendix and could not fight off the infection after the operation.”

Adding that Capper was a “cherished son, brother, uncle and nephew” who passed away too soon and is “sorely missed,” Capper’s family outlined his love of music.

“Matthew loved music. He'd always hoped to make it big with his own but ended up becoming a part of the industry in a different way,” they wrote.

“He loved it, and he also hated aspects of it. We've heard from reliable sources that he always acted with integrity and tried to be a force for positive change. We never thought we'd have a brother who would be addressing the audience at big music awards ceremonies, but there he was. Perhaps Matthew never guessed he would have been doing it either.”

The statement continued, “He reached some dizzying heights, and he met a lot of people that he greatly respected, even after meeting them. We think he was quietly proud of his achievements. We certainly were. We're also certain he thought he had a lot more work to do. Hopefully others have been inspired by him and can continue that.

“It was his wish that there not be a funeral. Get together with your friends who knew and loved him and celebrate his life.

“We're still coming to terms with this ourselves, and we ask that you respect the family's privacy.

“With our deepest sympathy,

“The Capper Family.”

Capper was the Managing Director of Warner Chappell Australia from 2010 until last February when he was let go due to company-wide downsizing.

Before his time at Warner Chappell, Capper spent time as the Administration Manager at Festival Music Publishing, a former local independent music publishing brand acquired by Mushroom Music. He was also on the boards of APRA, AMCOS, AMPAL and ICMP.

APRA AMCOS and AMPAL issued a joint statement about Capper’s passing.

Dean Ormston, CEO of APRA AMCOS, said: “I'm completely shocked and saddened to hear of the passing of dear friend and colleague, Matthew Capper. I remember Matthew as an incredibly sincere, principled professional who was passionate about music publishing. He was self-deprecating, always loved a joke and enjoyed spending time with colleagues. 

“He had great regard for the work of APRA AMCOS and was very proud of his long connection to the organisation and staff. He will be sorely missed by us all, and our thoughts go out to his friends and family at this very difficult time.”

Jaime Gough, Chair of AMCOS, explained: “I was lucky to spend a lot of time with Matthew on the AMPAL, AMCOS and APRA Boards, often travelling to Sydney together from Melbourne for meetings. Matthew was a true professional, a great mentor and sounding board. He was passionate about the songwriter and publisher members we represent, and a vocal advocate for their rights.

“I am still in a state of shock at Matthew’s passing. He had so much more to give to the music industry, many more meals to cook, and will be sorely missed. My thoughts go out to his family and friends.”

Jenny Morris, Chair of APRA, added: “We have had many losses from the music industry family in the last few years, all of which have been sources of great sadness, but Matt’s death has been a huge shock. Matt was one of the most decent, wise and funny people, and I feel very privileged not only to have known him, but to have had his friendship.

“He worked with genuine care and a great amount of industry awareness on the APRA Board and, on more than a few occasions, sent supportive messages at just the right time. He was an empath as well.  My heart goes out to his family. I hope they know what he meant to his APRA whanau.”

Clive Hodson, Chair of AMPAL, said: "Matthew and I worked very closely together at Board level, me as Deputy to his Chair. During the almost 10 years we worked together, I witnessed his passion and drive to ensure AMPAL's relevance was front and centre for Board members, publishers and the music industry. 

“I will miss Matthew greatly for his friendship and dedication to his role as a former Chair of AMPAL.”