Queensland Youth Music Awards

As an educator, Laurinda has held positions teaching instrumental music, coordinating large music programs and conducting bands in both the Private and State systems of Queensland.  She is an experienced clinician and adjudicator for National festivals and competitions and is a past academic board member of the Jazz Music Institute Australia. Her contribution to music education has been recognised by her colleagues, being nominated for a National Award for Excellence in School Music Education in 2007.

Laurinda  is  a  clinician  for  Hal  Leonard  Australia, a  contributing editor for  the Essential  Elements Band Method, a contributing writer for Saxophone Life Magazine (UK) and The Instrumental Teacher (AU) and is currently employed at Brisbane Girls Grammar school as Director of Instrumental Music.

Natalie is a performance graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music. Research into effective postural set-up and action in upper string playing ignited a passion for teaching. Her thesis on this subject was awarded the Conservatorium’s Gordon Spearritt prize.

Natalie has taught in private and state schools for 35 years. Her busy private studio demands focus in guiding violin and viola students from elementary to diploma levels. As a string tutor, conductor and adjudicator, Natalie enjoys inspiring and fostering young string players both locally and interstate. She directs two Western Suburbs Strings Orchestra ensembles – the Chamber Strings and Soloists. She has been a regular tutor and audition panel member for Education Queensland’s Creative Generation and “MOST” programs, and QYO. In 2006 she was a recipient of a Ryan Recognition award for the arts in her electorate, and in 2012 received an AUSTA State Award for services to Queensland’s string fraternity.

Natalie is co-author of the popular beginner series, Encore on Strings - Music Maestros. She works collaboratively with her husband Keith Sharp, at camps, workshops and in publishing ensemble repertoire. These student resources are popular in Australia, and have been published in the US by Alfreds and FJH.

Brendan Joyce is Violinist, Leader and Artistic Director of Camerata - Queensland's Chamber Orchestra based in Brisbane.  He frequently appears as soloist with Camerata and has led through milestones such as its first recordings, 12 regional tours, broadcasts and during the establishment of its major concert series and residency at QPAC and Empire Theatre, Toowoomba.  Brendan has also led for highly regarded performances and collaborations at the Brisbane Festival, Qld Music Festival, Orange Chamber Music Festival, Darwin International Festival, Tyalgum Festival, the Festival of Tibet and the Australian Festival of Chamber Music.  A graduate of the University of Queensland, Brendan later attained a Doctor of Musical Arts from the University of Maryland, USA, receiving an award there for his leadership of the Maryland Festival Opera Orchestra and for his presentations and premieres of the music of twenty Australian composers.  Brendan is involved in string education as a private teacher and mentor, and in 2013 was named a “Queensland Culture Champion” by the Queensland State Government.

Edward Kennedy is a leading music educator and band director with the Queensland Education Department with over 30 years’ experience. He is also an accomplished trumpet player, and internationally published band composer and arranger. Edward has a Master’s Degree in conducting from Salford University UK, a Bachelor of Teaching from the University of Southern Queensland and Licentiate and Fellowship diplomas on trumpet from Trinity College London.

Claire Preston has worked extensively in Australia and North America specialising in developing young singers.  She has been Assistant Conductor of the Toronto Children’s Chorus and Canadian Children’s Opera Chorus, accompanist for Canada’s foremost professional choir, Elmer Iseler Singers and was Co-Founder of the award winning, Exaudi Youth Choir.  Claire returned to Australia as Head of Choral Studies at the Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School where she commissioned and recorded Australian music and collaborated regularly with the VCA Orchestra.  Claire maintains an active career as a choral conductor and is in demand as an adjudicator for choral festivals and eisteddfods including New Zealand Choral Federation The Big Sing; Festival of Voices, State Honours Ensemble Program Griffith University and Gondwana National Choral School. Claire is currently Head of Music at Hillcrest Christian College and in 2020 was awarded a scholarship through the National Excellence in School Leadership Institute. In 2021, Claire was honoured to receive a Leadership Award from the Australian Council for Educational Leaders. 

Dr. Anthony Young is Coordinator of culture and solidarity at St. Laurence’s College in South Brisbane. The college has a strong community singing tradition, supported by 7 choirs involving 220 singers aged from 10 to 18, and taught by a team of highly accomplished and generous Kodaly trained teachers. A committed teacher, conductor and mentor, Anthony has received a Queensland College of Teachers Excellence in Teaching award, a Spirit of Catholic Education award, and a mentoring award from the Kodaly Music Education Institute of Australia. He holds a Master’s in music studies (choral conducting), an Australian Kodaly Certificate, a Diploma in Education, an Arts degree in literature, and a Law degree. Anthony serves the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority as an External Examiner and is the Chief Confirmer of Standards for Senior Music in Queensland. His commitment to boys’ music education culminated in a research doctorate in Music Education which examined the participation of boys in a Kodaly based music education program. This led to articles on music education and choral conducting, and contributions to books published by ACER, Springer publications and Oxford University Press. He has recently finished an article on gender in choral music with Jason Goopy, the current KMEIA president. As part of his commitment to forming the music teachers of the future, Anthony lectures in musicianship for the University of Queensland. An active church musician, he serves on the Brisbane Archdiocesan Commission on the Liturgy and is a member of the National Liturgical Music Council. Anthony has formed and conducted choirs in school, community, and church settings for many years, in Australia and overseas.

Peter Ingram is a noted conductor of school, university and community choirs throughout Australia. He is a graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music and Florida State University (U.S.A.) where he gained his master’s degree in choral conducting under the guidance of Rodney Eichenberger and Andre Thomas. Previously the conductor of various choirs at both the Queensland Conservatorium of Music (Griffith University) and the University of Queensland, he currently conducts two choirs as part of the acclaimed community arts organization Voices of Birralee: young adult ensemble Resonance of Birralee (co-conductor) and project-based adult choir Birralee Recycled.

Peter is Head of Music at Brisbane Grammar School where he directs several choirs including the Grammarphones which, in 2018, were place second in the Youth Choir section of the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod where Peter was awarded the prize for the most outstanding conductor. He is a long-serving committee member of the Australian National Choral Association (ANCA) at both state and national levels, serving as national president for three years and president of the Queensland Chapter for five years. He was chair of the organising committee for the ANCA national conference Choralfest in 2017. He is in demand as a guest conductor, adjudicator, clinician and workshop leader at various choral events throughout the country.

Dr. Katrina Peddell is an experienced music educator and choral conductor who has taught all levels of education from Kindergarten to University. A graduate of the Queensland Conservatorium of Music, she began her teaching career in state and independent primary and secondary schools in Brisbane, before moving to the United States in 1999 where she obtained a Master of Arts in Music Education and a Doctor of Philosophy in Music from the University of Minnesota. As Director of Music at Canterbury College in Waterford, Dr. Peddell is responsible for all aspects of music at the College. She also directs Canterbury’s Cantabile Choir, which has a rich history of touring and performing in choral festivals around Australia and overseas. Among the choir’s achievements is winning First Place in the 2014 National Eisteddfod’s Australian Choral Challenge as well as the 19 Years and Under Championships. Dr Peddell lives in Waterford, with her husband Lewes, and their two daughters, Sophie and Hannah.

Born and raised in Melbourne, Australia, Prof. Rob McWilliams holds a Ph. D. in Music from the University of Minnesota, a Master's degree in Instrumental Conducting from Florida State University, and a Bachelor's degree in Music Education from the University of Melbourne.  A United States resident from 1991 to 2014, Dr. McWilliams served as Professor of Conducting and Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education at the University of Wisconsin-Oshkosh (USA) from 1996 where he conducted symphonic and jazz ensembles, and taught courses in conducting, music education, and jazz.  From 2011 he also served as Head of the Music Department.

Prof. McWilliams has traveled extensively as a guest conductor and clinician, conducting and presenting at major music conferences in all states of Australia, many states of the USA, as well as Japan, Hong Kong, the UK, Singapore, Europe, and China, including conferences of the World Association of Symphonic Bands & Ensembles and the Tutti International Youth Music Festival. In addition to ensemble direction, he has extensive professional performing experience on trumpet and keyboard with a number of symphonic, brass, and jazz ensembles.

Prof. McWilliams has been published in peer-reviewed professional publications including Teaching Music Through Performance and is a published composer/arranger with Alfred's Music. In early 2015 he relocated to Brisbane, Australia where he is currently Yamaha Music Australia’s Education Outreach Clinician working to improve the quality of ensemble direction and conducting throughout Australia and New Zealand.  He also serves as a guest conductor/clinician for community outreach events with the Queensland Symphony Orchestra and is a conductor with the Queensland Youth Orchestra organisation in addition to teaching sessionally at the University of Queensland and the Jazz Music Institute and freelancing as a musician, educator, conductor, composer/arranger, and adjudicator.

Kate Albury has a reputation as a dynamic and exciting choral conductor and educator.  Along with her degrees in Music and Masters in Choral Conducting, she counts her years as Choral Director and Middle School Co-ordinator of Events at Brisbane Grammar School as invaluable in fostering her passion for choral conducting.  Kate has conducted choirs and workshops for Voices of Birralee, the State Honours Ensemble Program in metropolitan and regional areas of Queensland, and the Qld Conservatorium Chorus. Most significantly, she is regularly invited to join conductors from around Australia to be part of the Artistic Team of the National Gondwana Choral School.  Kate is in demand nationally as an adjudicator and workshop presenter, specialising in choral music. 

Kate is equally devoted to leading Arts programs that involve young people learning through performances and real-world presentations.  Kate was previously the Head of Faculty for the Creative and Performing Arts Department and is now Head of Culture at St Patrick’s College, Shorncliffe.  She loves leading dynamic and innovative Arts communities that encourage young people to express themselves through all aspects of the Arts.