Mark Sullivan

Mark Sullivan is a Music Education Consultant working nationally to enhance local Instrumental Music Programs, while supporting teachers to improve their pedagogy and teaching practice. 

During a 45 year career, he has  initiated innovative developments in music education for primary and secondary schools, directed and managed highly successful school and community orchestras in Queensland and Washington State and supervised the training of future music teachers. He has also lectured extensively at tertiary level, presented at conferences, published many professional articles and designed and implemented music program evaluations.

Throughout his career Mark has served as an adjudicator at interstate festivals in Perth, Melbourne and Adelaide, as well as the Queensland Festival of Music, Fanfare 2018, the Catholic Colleges Music Festival, and the Brisbane School Bands Festival. He has also had the pleasure of supporting the work of teachers and eisteddfod committees in much of regional Queensland.

He was the recipient of the the ASG, State and National Inspirational Teaching Awards in 2010 and the ABODA Outstanding Ensemble Director’s Award.

After serving twenty years as the Director of Instrumental Music at Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Mark retired with a distinguished record of achievements in ensemble direction, group and private instrumental instruction, policy, curriculum  and program development, physical and human resource management, large event management and tour leadership. 

Currently, Mark is the string program coordinator, violin teacher and  string orchestra director at the Young Conservatorium, Griffith University. He conducts both string and symphony orchestra workshops, and SHEP programs across the state and is in constant demand as a specialist instrumental music consultant, orchestra director, adjudicator, visiting clinician, program evaluator, conference presenter and mentor.

Dr. Matthew van Emmerik

PhD, MMus, Grad-Dip Ed, F.R.S.M

Born in Bendigo, Victoria, Australia in 1978 – Matthew started playing Baritone Horn at age 7. He is the former principal euphonium player with the Central Band of the Royal Air Force based in London, United Kingdom and all Royal Australian Navy Bands.

He has held high profile recording and principal/section positions on euphonium, tuba and bass trumpet with the world’s leading bands and orchestras including: Black Dyke, Fodens, Leyland, Desford Colliery, Brighouse and Rastrick, Cory, Dalewool (NZ), Woolston (NZ), Victoria Brass, National Band of Australia and the Fountain City Band (U.S.A) – Australian Pop’s Orchestra, Melbourne Opera, Tasmanian Symphony Orchestra, Auckland Philharmonia, Melbourne Symphony, Sydney Symphony, West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the Malaysian Philharmonic, Melbourne Philharmonic Orchestra, the Oporto National Orchestra – Portugal, the Iceland Symphony Orchestra, the Singapore Symphony and the Louisville Orchestra (U.S.A).

In 2007 Matthew was awarded the coveted Champion of Champions title at the National Brass Band Championships, and in 2011 became only the second Australian in history to win the Open Euphonium Championship at the New Zealand Brass Band Championships. Matthew has adjudicated contests and festivals all across Australia, New Zealand, the U.S.A and Europe. He has conducted many high-level wind and brass bands in Australia and overseas and is the principal conductor of Victoria Brass, one of the leading brass bands in Australasia.

Matthew completed his PhD studies and graduated as a Doctor of Music from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music and University of Sydney in 2011. He has recorded four commercially available CDs: ‘Neath AustralSkies, ‘Utaki – The Sacred Grove’, ‘Homeland’, featuring repertoire commissioned and composed specifically for him, this CD received critical acclaim. Matthew’s latest research CD project; ‘Preserving Code’, included recording and compiling all of the 11 solos by famed Australian composer, conductor and instrumentalist; Percy Code, for the first time in history and was released on the Potenza Music label (U.S.A). Matthew’s CD release ‘Utaki’ and his latest project ‘Preserving Code’ received the coveted ‘CD of the Month’ Award in the Brass Band World Magazine (UK) and was also a finalist for the ‘Solo CD of the Year’ Award in the same Magazine. He is the most recorded euphonium soloist in Australasia.

Since 2006, Matthew has been the euphonium, tuba, low brass professor and ensemble conductor at the Sir Zelman Cowen School of Music, Monash University. Matthew also held the same position at the Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne until 2016. Matthew has held full-time positions as Director of Bands, Director of Music and Head of Music positions both in the U.S.A and Australia. 

In December 2016 Matthew performed with the world renowned ‘ChicagoSymphony Orchestra’ Brass section at the opening concert of the Midwest Conference at Symphony Center, Chicago.

Matthew is proud to be a Shires and Eastman Musical Instrument Company Brass Artist and Clinician and an endorsee of Reunion Blues gig bags. Matthew uses his own VAN EMMERIK signature mouthpiece range when performing.

Matthew is married to his beautiful wife Monique, and they have two son’s William 11 and Patrick 8.

To keep up with Matthew’s activities feel free to follow him at his website 

http://www.matthewvanemmerik.com

Dr. Tarita Botsman

With a distinguished background as an opera singer, Tarita Botsman is also a director, producer, writer and artistic director. She has studied opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, music and singing at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music - Griffith University, and drama at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and recently completed her PhD in music at The University of Queensland. She is the Chairwoman of the Classical Committee for the Australian Women in Music Awards, sits on the Advisory Committee of the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Women in Music Mentor Program, and she is a peer assessor for The Australia Council for the Arts. She has been the Artistic Director of ABC Classics artists-The 7 Sopranos, since 2009. Notable awards she has received include Young Australian of the Year and Young Queenslander of the Year for her contribution to the Arts in Australia, the Monash University Italian Studies Award, an Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award, the Paul and Tony Kinane Scholarship for PhD studies in music, a Tait Memorial Trust Recipient (UK), and a Queen’s Trust Award from the UK for Excellence in the Performing Arts. Tarita followed her professional operatic debut (Opera Queensland) at the age of 22 with study across Italy, the UK, Germany and Australia, and she made her recital debut at Teatro Il Tempietto in Rome, Italy in 2007. During her freelance operatic career she performed over twenty operatic roles for companies in Australia, the UK and Germany (operatic role highlights included repeat regularly booked performances of Adina in Donizett’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Despina in Mozart’s Cosí fan Tutte and Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni), she performed roles in musical theatre in Australia (including Maria in Bernstein’s Westside Story for Brisbane Festival, and will appear in Round the Twist the new musical in 2024 for Queensland Theatre), and she also performed as an actress/singer for all the major state theatre companies in Australia, including four seasons of Terence McNally’s play Masterclass that included a season for Sydney Theatre Company at the Sydney Opera House. Alongside her performance career and whilst raising her family, Tarita has always straddled the divide between performing, producing, writing and directing. She has directed many high-end corporate music events worldwide. Memorable corporate clients have include Gucci Australia, Sofitel, Microsoft, Cartier, Hyundai China, Rolex, Sheraton, Ritz Carlton, Mercedes Benz, Dubai Shopping Festival, Singapore Fashion Festival. And at the other end of the creative spectrum, she was the stage director of the Australian debut of Ron Blair’s play ‘The Christian Brother’ that toured extensively through the Republic of Ireland performing at

Dublin Festival, Wexford Festival, Galway Festival and Cork festival. In 2017, Tarita wrote and directed her first juke box musical called Songs from Stage and Screen (set in Sydney in the 1950s), that was produced by Australian producing house Cre8ion, and toured through the states of Queensland and New South Wales, performing in over twenty regional venues.

Since returning to her home state of Queensland in 2015 after twenty years away, she has worked regularly as a stage director, script-writer and music consultant for various Queensland Government events; she also directed the inaugural ceremonies of the Australian Women in Music Awards 2018/19/20; Brisbane’s Opera in the Gardens; UQ’s Opera by the Lakes; and, she has worked for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra; Brisbane Festival, Bleach Festival and Opera Q.

With nearly thirty years in the performing arts, Tarita’s on-stage and off-stage experience have given her a unique perspective and skillset. Tarita’s goals are to continue to champion the importance of the arts in the development of Australian and global society, to continue working on the creation of original new works as a performer, writer and director and to also extend and challenge herself and her abilities to identify emerging trends.

Catherine Broadstock

Catherine Guinevere Broadstock is an ‘exciting and passionate’ pianist who has been in demand for some twenty years for her ability to perform and accompany with accuracy and insightful musicianship. 

She regularly performs for Opera Queensland, The Queensland Choir, Queensland Symphony Orchestra Chamber Concerts and for 4MBS Festival of Classics. She holds degrees from the University of Southern Queensland and the Queensland Conservatorium (Griffith University) and has studied piano with Kevin Power, Wendy Lorenz, Natasha Vlassenko, Oleg Stepanov and masterclasses with Cedric Tiberghien and Roger Woodward.

Catherine was a first prize winner of the Queensland Piano Competition and the Queensland Conservatorium Griffith University’s Margaret Nickson Prize. 

In 2005 Catherine was pianist with the Australian Youth Orchestra on their state tour and in 2006 was pianist with the Sydney Youth Orchestra on their tour of Spain and Portugal. In March 2007, Catherine and fellow pianist, Adam Gordon Herd, made their debut with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra performing Poulenc’s Concerto for Two Pianos. Catherine has also performed as a soloist with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra, and in such halls as the Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto and the Avery Fisher Hall at the Lincoln Centre in New York City. She has also toured Australia and New Zealand as a soloist and chamber pianist. In 2012 she released a CD of Haydn Sonatas and has recorded the piano music of Australian composer, Dr Graeme Wright Denniss for upcoming CD release.

Olivia Hill

BA Drama QUT, Trinity College Licentiate

Olivia is an experienced adjudicator in both drama and dance having adjudicated at numerous

Eisteddfod’s including Biloela, Mt Isa, Orange, Stanthorpe, Lismore, Armidale, Gold Coast,

Murwillambah and Redlands. She also works for the Royal Academy of Dance in the teacher

training program and runs a busy theatre school training students in drama, singing, dance and

acrobatics.

Loreta Fin

AM, LMus.A AMusA. ATCL

Loreta Fin studied at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music. She has performed regularly in chamber music, professional Australian theatre productions and orchestral concerts and has been the Principal Viola player with the Queensland Pops Orchestra for over 30 years. Loreta worked at Somerville House Girls’ School in Brisbane for 35 years, holding the position of Director of Strings until 2021. She is currently working as a freelance conductor, musician, composer and clinician.

An experienced educator and adjudicator, Loreta has presented at many Australian National Music Conferences, as well as two American String Teachers’ Conferences. She has adjudicated at major events and competitions all around Australia and has composed over 100 works for String Orchestra, which are regularly selected as set works for competitions and distributed worldwide by Alfred Publications. Loreta was accepted as a Represented Pedagogical Artist/Composer with the Australian Music Centre in 2021. 

A passionate advocate of community service, Loreta has been involved with the Australian Strings Association for over 30 years, serving as both State and National President. She received a Queensland State Award for services to AUSTA in 2009. In 2021, Loreta was appointed as a Federal Examiner with the Australian Music Examinations Board and is currently the State Syllabus Advisor for Strings. She was on the Education Advisory Committee for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra for over 10 years. Since 2015, she has regularly conducted the State and National Honours Ensembles Programs throughout Queensland. 

Since becoming a freelance educator, Loreta has been invited to conduct the Massed Strings in Education Queensland’s Creative Generations event, as well as many of their Primary and Secondary Days of Excellence. She also conducted the Combined Anglican Schools’ Music Festival at QPAC Concert Hall. Loreta was honoured to receive the Australian Strings Association’s National Award for Services to Music and String Teaching in Australia in 2015.  

In the 2024 Australia Day Honours, Loreta was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM). The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. Loreta received the award for “significant service to music, to education and to professional associations”.

Dr. Tarita Botsman

With a distinguished background as an opera singer, Tarita Botsman is also a director, producer, writer and artistic director. She has studied opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London, music and singing at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music - Griffith University, and drama at Queensland University of Technology in Brisbane, Australia, and recently completed her PhD in music at The University of Queensland. She is the Chairwoman of the Classical Committee for the Australian Women in Music Awards, sits on the Advisory Committee of the Australian Independent Record Labels Association (AIR) Women in Music Mentor Program, and she is a peer assessor for The Australia Council for the Arts. She has been the Artistic Director of ABC Classics artists-The 7 Sopranos, since 2009. Notable awards she has received include Young Australian of the Year and Young Queenslander of the Year for her contribution to the Arts in Australia, the Monash University Italian Studies Award, an Ian Potter Cultural Trust Award, the Paul and Tony Kinane Scholarship for PhD studies in music, a Tait Memorial Trust Recipient (UK), and a Queen’s Trust Award from the UK for Excellence in the Performing Arts. Tarita followed her professional operatic debut (Opera Queensland) at the age of 22 with study across Italy, the UK, Germany and Australia, and she made her recital debut at Teatro Il Tempietto in Rome, Italy in 2007. During her freelance operatic career she performed over twenty operatic roles for companies in Australia, the UK and Germany (operatic role highlights included repeat regularly booked performances of Adina in Donizett’s L’Elisir d’Amore, Despina in Mozart’s Cosí fan Tutte and Zerlina in Mozart’s Don Giovanni), she performed roles in musical theatre in Australia (including Maria in Bernstein’s Westside Story for Brisbane Festival, and will appear in Round the Twist the new musical in 2024 for Queensland Theatre), and she also performed as an actress/singer for all the major state theatre companies in Australia, including four seasons of Terence McNally’s play Masterclass that included a season for Sydney Theatre Company at the Sydney Opera House. Alongside her performance career and whilst raising her family, Tarita has always straddled the divide between performing, producing, writing and directing. She has directed many high-end corporate music events worldwide. Memorable corporate clients have include Gucci Australia, Sofitel, Microsoft, Cartier, Hyundai China, Rolex, Sheraton, Ritz Carlton, Mercedes Benz, Dubai Shopping Festival, Singapore Fashion Festival. And at the other end of the creative spectrum, she was the stage director of the Australian debut of Ron Blair’s play ‘The Christian Brother’ that toured extensively through the Republic of Ireland performing at

Dublin Festival, Wexford Festival, Galway Festival and Cork festival. In 2017, Tarita wrote and directed her first juke box musical called Songs from Stage and Screen (set in Sydney in the 1950s), that was produced by Australian producing house Cre8ion, and toured through the states of Queensland and New South Wales, performing in over twenty regional venues.

Since returning to her home state of Queensland in 2015 after twenty years away, she has worked regularly as a stage director, script-writer and music consultant for various Queensland Government events; she also directed the inaugural ceremonies of the Australian Women in Music Awards 2018/19/20; Brisbane’s Opera in the Gardens; UQ’s Opera by the Lakes; and, she has worked for the Queensland Symphony Orchestra; Brisbane Festival, Bleach Festival and Opera Q.

With nearly thirty years in the performing arts, Tarita’s on-stage and off-stage experience have given her a unique perspective and skillset. Tarita’s goals are to continue to champion the importance of the arts in the development of Australian and global society, to continue working on the creation of original new works as a performer, writer and director and to also extend and challenge herself and her abilities to identify emerging trends.