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Head Adjudicator & Clinician
Prof. Robert McWilliams
Ph.D, M.Mus, B.Mus.Ed
Prof. Rob McWilliams, an internationally accomplished musician, conductor, and educator, was born and raised in Melbourne, Australia. A United States resident from 1991 to 2014, Prof. McWilliams holds a Ph. D. in Music/Music Education 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. From 1996 Dr. McWilliams served as Professor of Music and Director of Bands and Instrumental Music Education at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh (USA) where he directed symphonic and jazz ensembles and taught courses in conducting, instrumental music education, and jazz. Prof. McWilliams also served as Head of the Music Department from 2011-2014. Prior to working in the USA, Prof. McWilliams established a brand new instrumental program at Eltham College and served on the faculty of the University of Melbourne Institute of Education where he taught and coordinated courses in brass, jazz, and instrumental music pedagogy and conducted the Wind Symphony, Brass Choir, and Jazz Big Band.
As a guest conductor and musician, Dr. McWilliams has traveled and worked extensively with groups at all levels. In the USA he worked with ensembles at the national, state, and regional levels and served as guest conductor and clinician in Alabama, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Florida, Georgia, North Dakota, Ohio, Iowa, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Utah. Prof. McWilliams has also conducted and presented at major music conferences in all states of Australia and internationally in Hong Kong, the United Kingdom, Singapore, Europe, and China including performances at the Japan Band Clinic and conferences of the World Association of Symphonic Bands & Ensembles in Manchester, England and Hamamatsu, Japan. He was a member of the faculties for the Bonyi International Youth Music Festival in Brisbane in 2007 and the Tutti International Festival in Beijing, China in 2011 and 2013 and has served as an invited conducting clinician for the Singapore Ministry of Education. 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 a number of professional publications including the Journal of Band Research, Teaching Music Through Performance in Band, and is a published composer/arranger with Alfred’s Music. In early 2015 he relocated to Brisbane, and currently works for Yamaha Music Australia as an Educational Outreach Clinician and freelances as a musician, educator, conductor, adjudicator, and composer/arranger.
Adjudicator & Clinician
Dr. Rodger Fox
ONZM, HonDMus Massey
New Zealand’s foremost jazz trombonist, big band leader, jazz educator, arranger and producer.
He has performed in concert with some of the biggest names in the business, from the jazz and entertainment world, including Louie Bellson, Bill Reichenbach, Chuck Findley, Randy Crawford, Bobby Shew, Lanny Morgan, Bruce Paulson, Diane Schuur, Arturo Sandoval, David Clayton – Thomas, Joe Williams, The Four Tops – Temptations, Gary Grant, Jon Papenbrook, Bill Cunliffe, Holly Hofmann, Kevin Mahogany to name but a few.
Rodger has promoted live concerts with his Big Band in the Global Festival arena, Montreux Jazz Festival, Monterey Jazz Festival, Manly Jazz Festival, Wichita Jazz Festival, The International Association of Jazz Educators Concert 1997 & 1999 and concerts in London, Singapore, Australia, Poland and the USA.
Rodger was winner of the ‘Tui’ for New Zealand Jazz Recording of the Year in 1981 and 2000 and a finalist in 1984 and 2001.
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Mat Taylor
Yamaha Music Australia
Mat has been a member of the Werribee Concert Band since 2000, becoming Assistant Musical Director in 2007 and Musical Director in 2009.
Music is Mat’s life and passion. When not directing Mat is principally a trumpet player, but is also respected in the ensemble community for his abilities on most brass instruments. Mat studied conducting at the ABODA Victoria 2007 and 2016 conducting summer schools under the guidance of Dr Rob McWilliams from the University of Wisconsin and the 2017 ABODA summer school with Craig Kirkoff.
Professionally Mat works for Yamaha Music Australia as the man responsible for all things Band and Orchestral and Education. Mat spearheads Yamaha’s very successful Off to a Great Start program including curating the Great Start Grant as well as implementing Yamaha’s Education Enrichment Strategy.
Mat loves what he does, and that comes through in all aspects of his life.
Our Patron
Justin Lester was elected Mayor in 2016. He joined Wellington City Council as a Northern Ward Councillor in 2010 and then served as Deputy Mayor from 2013 until 2016.
During his time as a Councillor, Justin championed the living wage, prioritised good quality local services and supported local businesses. He feels strongly that good local government services make a huge difference in people’s lives.
Photo by Mark Tantrum (http://marktantrum.com)
