Richard Sandham – trumpet

Richard began his playing career with his local brass band in the UK, Hathern. After a number of years with the band and two years playing with the National Youth Brass Band of Great Britain, Richard was awarded a place in the Central Band of the Royal Air Force.

During his twelve years as a RAF musician, Richard performed in all major concert venues around the UK including: Royal Albert Hall, London; Symphony Hall Birmingham and Bridgewater Hall Manchester. He also took part in large national occasions and celebrations including the Edinburgh Tattoo and Royal Wedding.  As well as performing in the UK Richard has performed in a number of locations around the world – including Spain, Holland, Germany and the U.S.A – for state ceremonial occasions and public performances.

Richard studied with Paul Cosh of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama for six years; former Principal Trumpet of the London Symphony Orchestra the late Rod Franks for three years; Mark Heron of the Royal Northern School of Music for three years and Ian Lowes from the ABRSM. He also received five years composition tuition from Martin Ellerby and Kit Turnbal, both of the Royal Northern School of Music.

Richard has performed as a soloist in Spain, Holland, Germany, U.S.A. and Australia.  Since arriving in Australia at the start of the year Richard has won the NSW State Open Bb Cornet competition at the State Solo Championships.  He is also a keen conductor and composer, recently conducting the winning Open C Grade Wind Band at the State Championships, as well as having one of his compositions used as the title track for the Hathern Band’s latest C.D.

William Sandwell – trumpet

Currently in his third year of study at the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, William began his trumpet study in 2002 at the age of 8, under the tutelage of Mosman Symphony musical director Andrew Del Riccio, at Trinity Grammar School, Summer Hill. Throughout his school life he played in the school’s varied and highly rated musical ensembles including the Symphony Orchestra, Symphonic Wind Band, Big Band, Chamber Orchestra, Brass Ensemble, and Brass Quintet.

Since leaving school in 2011 William has been a regular with the Mosman Symphony Orchestra.  He has also appeared as a guest member with various community orchestras around Sydney including Balmain Sinfonia, Ryde Hunters Hill Symphony Orchestra, Penrith Symphony Orchestra and North Sydney Symphony Orchestra. He has been a member of a number of Conservatorium ensembles including the Wind Symphony, Modern Music Ensemble, Chamber Orchestra, Opera Orchestra, Brass Ensemble and Trumpet Ensemble. He is also a founding member of Excalibrass, a brass quintet made up of Conservatorium students.

He currently learns from the Conservatorium Chair of Brass Andrew Evans and has studied with David Elton (principal trumpet, Sydney Symphony Orchestra), Bruce Helmers (second trumpet, Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra) and Leanne Sullivan (principal trumpet, Australian Brandenburg Orchestra). This is his first time performing a concerto with an orchestra.

Jacqueline Kent – narrator

Originally trained as a journalist and broadcaster, Jacqueline Kent has also been a book editor and a reviewer for numerous publicications, and has a Doctorate of Creative Arts from the University of Technology, Sydney. As well as biography and general social history, she has written fiction for young adults. A Certain Style: Beatrice Davis, A Literary Lifewon the 2002 National Biography Award and the Nita B. Kibble Award.An Exacting Heart: The Story of Hepzibah Menuhin was also shortlisted for several major awards and won the Nita B. Kibble Award. The Making of Julia Gillard, the only full biography of Australia’s first woman prime minister, has been reprinted several times and a revised and updated version will be published in November 2014.

It was Mosman Symphony Orchestra’s musical director, Andrew Del Riccio, who suggested a commentary to accompany the orchestra’s performance of the suites from Bizet’s Carmen – though perhaps a much more serious one than this.

Gregory Kinda – piano

Gregory Andrew Kinda was born in Katowice, Poland. In 1983, his family immigrated to Australia. In 1984, at the age of 6, he became the youngest scholar to enter the Sydney Conservatorium of Music in the preparatory department. In 1986 he moved to Papua-New Guinea, and in 1990 he returned to Poland. He studied at the Katowice Secondary Music School. In 1999, at the Academy of Music in Katowice, Gregory completed his Master of Arts degree in an accelerated three years instead of the usual five. He also studied post-graduate courses in Oslo, Norway and Gdansk, Poland. He returned back to Sydney in 2000. In 2003, he completed his Bachelor of Teaching degree at the University of Western Sydney. From 2001 to 2006 Gregory was a piano lecturer at the Australian International Conservatorium of Music in Sydney. From 2008 till 2010 he worked as a teacher at the Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Conservatorium of Music. Since 2010, he works as an Associate Artist at Trinity Grammar School in Summer Hill, NSW.

Gregory has performed in Australia, Poland, Norway, Germany, Russia, France, Czech Republic and Japan. He was the star performer in March 2010 at the City Recital Hall, Angel Place in Sydney, during the official NSW state celebrations for the 200th anniversary of Frédéric Chopin, where he played in the presence of the Polish Ambassador and the Governor of NSW Professor Marie Bashir AC.

His prizes at international competitions have included:
3rd Prize in the F. Chopin Competition in Szafarnia, Poland 1993.
Artistic Scholarship from the F. Chopin Foundation in Warsaw, 1994.
3rd Prize in the M. Magin Competition in Paris, 1995.
2nd Prize in the National Competition in Zagan, Poland 1996.

Georgia Lowe – harp

Georgia Lowe has just completed a Master of Music with Sivan Magen at Brooklyn College Conservatory of Music in New York. She is a 2011 graduate of the Sydney Conservatorium of Music where she studied a Bachelor of Music under Louise Johnson, Principal Harpist of the Sydney Symphony.

Georgia was the winner of the 2014 Brooklyn College Performance Award and the 2013 BCC Orchestra Award. In November 2013 she performed the Mozart flute and harp concerto with Manly Warringah Choir and Orchestra, and in March 2012 she performed the Debussy Danses with North Sydney Symphony Orchestra, both performances broadcast on Australian radio station Fine Music 102.5FM. In July 2012 Georgia attended the Kuhmo Chamber Music Festival in Finland with support from Ars Musica Australis. Georgia has given several performances on Fine Music 102.5FM, and was named a 2MBS FM Young Performer in 2011. She has performed Benjamin Britten’s Ceremony of Carols for harp and choir, with the Manly Warringah Choir and Wollongong’s Con Voci. At the 2010 Sydney Harp Eisteddfod she was named the Harp Society of NSW Most Outstanding Performer for her interpretation of Manuel de Falla’s Spanish Dance No.1 from the opera La Vida Breve.

During her undergraduate studies, Georgia was selected for the Sydney Symphony’s Sinfonia program for three consecutive years and has attended the Australian Youth Orchestra’s National Music Camp and the Australian International Symphony Orchestral Institute in Tasmania. Georgia has performed at venues all around Sydney including the Art Gallery of NSW, Admiralty House, Government House and the Sydney Exhibition and Convention Centre. She has also appeared on television shows Young Talent Time and Sunrise. As well as her love for classical music, Georgia has a keen interest in free improvisation, popular music, rock, and ragtime.

Ronald Thomas – violin

Born in Australia, Ronald Thomas began the violin at the age of four with lessons from his father. At sixteen he made his national debut performing the Beethoven Violin Concerto with the Melbourne Symphony Orhcestra. the following year after winning a scholarship to Europe, he continued his studies with Max Rostal in London and Switzerland. At the age of 21 he won the Carl Flesch International Violin competition. Following a critically acclaimed recital at the Wigmore Hall in London he was offered concerto engagements with major orchestras in England, including the Royal Philharmonic, Birmingham and Bournemouth Symphony Orchestras. He also began broadcasting recitals for BBC radio and was a concerto soloist at the first night of the BBC Promenade concerts. While continuing to give recitals and perform concertos throughout the country he was a member of the English Chamber Orchestra. He also performed as concertmaster and soloist with Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of Saint Martin in the Fields for a number of years in concerts, recordings and world tours. He formed his own ensemble, the New London Soloists Ensemble which toured the USA. At this time he returned to Australia to play with and conduct the ABC orchestras.

In 1976 he became concertmaster, then Musical Director of the Bournemouth Sinfonietta where he remained for ten years, giving some 950 concerts (250 of which he conductred), solo concerts broadcasts and recordings.In the 1980s he was invited by Sir George Solti to be guest concertmaster for a Special Anniversary Series of Concerts by the London Philharmonic Orchestra apearing at the Edinburgh Festival and the Royal Festival Hall in London.At this time he was also the guest concermaster of the London Symphony Orchestra.

He moved back to Australia in 1987 to become Artistic Director of the Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Whilst in Australia he formed the Soloists of Australia which made a number or recordings for Chandos Records as well as appearing at the Perth Festival. He was also Lecturer of Violin at the Sydney Conservatorium. At present he is leader of the Sydney String Quartet and Master of Chamber Music at Trinity Grammar School in Sydney.