Artistic Staff

2012 Conductors

Peter Moore OAM

Chris van Tuinen

Jon Tooby 

Dr Alan Lourens  

Jan Holdsworth

Emily Clements

Grace Ah-Quee

Jeanette Teh

Daemon Clark

Jess Brittain

Rachel Brogan

Donna Deroost

Peter Moore OAM

Musical Director | conductor, WA Youth Orchestra

Peter Moore graduated from Trinity College, London, with teaching and performing diplomas in bassoon and piano. After completing his studies, he freelanced with British orchestras, broadcast regularly on BBC radio with the Scottish Virtuosi Chamber Ensemble and toured extensively in Europe, the USA and Asia as a professional musician. For nine years, Peter was co-principal bassoon with the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and performed in major festivals throughout the world. During this time, he worked extensively as a conductor with British youth orchestras. In 1983 he won an Arts Council Award to further his career.

In April 1985, Peter came to Western Australia. He has played with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra and has been a lecturer in bassoon at the WA Conservatorium of Music. He is currently a senior lecturer at the School of Music at the University of Western Australia.

Peter is also principal bassoon with the Australian Brandenburg Orchestra and is regularly invited to perform with all Australia’s major orchestras. Peter has a strong interest in Baroque bassoon, and has appeared in a number of concerts featuring the instrument.

Peter has been involved with the Association since 1986 and has been its Musical Director since mid-1988. He has conducted orchestras at all levels in the Association, including the very successful Babies Proms. Peter was awarded an OAM in January 2000 for his services to youth music in Australia and as a conductor, bassoonist and music educator.

Jon Tooby

conductor, Philharmonic Orchestra

Jon has been a professional cellist for the last twenty-four years. He joined the WA Symphony Orchestra at the age of 19, a position he held for nearly 20 years. During this time he also worked extensively as a chamber musician and teacher/mentor. He is also Artistic Director of the Darlington Chamber Music Series, now in it's 7^th season, and is a member of the Darlington Ensemble with Semra Lee (Violin) and Graeme Gilling (Piano).

Over the last 3 years Jon has turned his attention to becoming a conductor. He completed a Masters in conducting course at Melbourne University under the direction of John Hopkins. Following this he has had numerous conducting engagements working with a number of orchestras in Perth, including the Metropolitan Symphony, WA Youth Music Philharmonic and the Perth Concert Band. In 2010 he was Young Artist in Conducting with the WA Opera and under the direction of Richard Mills has participated in the productions of Peter Grimes and La Sonnambula. He is also founder and Music Director of Etica, a new Perth-based ensemble of 15 players dedicated to presenting contemporary music, which will be launched in November 2010. Jon has also recently been accepted into the Symphony Services International 2011 Conductor Development Program where he will study with Christopher Seaman, Sebastian Lang-Lessing and Arvo Volmer.

Dr Alan Lourens

conductor, WA Youth Symphonic Band

Professor Alan Lourens is a currently coordinator of Wind and Brass Studies at the University of Western Australia, where he holds the post as Associate Professor of Music and Music Education. Dr. Lourens has held Professorial positions in Singapore, Dubai and Australia at leading arts institutions, as well as lecturing in Music and Music Education at ECU, WAAPA and UWA. Dr. Lourens has conducted orchestras and bands throughout Asia, Australia and the US, and performed on Euphonium across four continents. In addition, his compositions and arrangements for Concert Band, Brass Band and Orchestra have been played across world. He has been heard nationally on Australian radio, and he is in demand as a conductor and teacher of conducting through the region. He is also active in the Brass Band movement in Australia, both as a conductor and soloist. In 2008, Dr. Lourens was made a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts in recognition of his contribution to the development of the arts internationally.

On Euphonium, he regularly appears as an international soloist, and has recorded and toured with ensembles including the Philharmonia à Vent, the Australian Wind Orchestra and the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, under such conductors as Frederick Fennell, Harry Begian, Vernon Handley, Ray E. Cramer and Simone Young. He has lectured and conducted at Universities throughout the US and Australia.

Dr. Lourens holds a Doctorate in Conducting and Masters degree in Euphonium Performance from Indiana University, where he studied conducting with Ray E. Cramer and Euphonium with Daniel Perantoni, M. Dee Stewart and Harvey G. Phillips. He received a coveted Performers Certificate for the quality of his Masters recital.

His undergraduate degree is in Music Education from the Western Australian College of Advanced Education. In Western Australia, Dr. Lourens taught high school music for 5 years where he directed award winning ensembles, before being appointed as the Conducting Support Teacher for the state.

Prof. Lourens has many articles and music publications to his credit, including analysis contributions to the Teaching Music Through Performance in Band series of books, recent contributions to the US based MBM Times and in 2010 co-authored a book on the planning, policy and development of Universities. Cimarron Publishing has released his arrangements for both band and orchestra.

Jan Holdsworth

conductor, Flute Choir

Jan began her initial studies on flute with Annette Daniels and has been fortunate to have also had lessons with Paul Curtis, Brian Warren, Wendy Clarke, and Owen and Neil Fisenden. Whilst at the WA Conservatorium of Music, she has taken part in lessons and classes with James Galway, Peter Lukas Graf, Peter Lloyd and Margaret Crawford and has represented WA in the National Flute Competition as a soloist and as a conductor with the WA Youth Music Flute Choir.

As an educator she has taught at Penrhos College, St Hilda's School for Girls, Perth Modern Senior High School and Churchlands Senior High School. She currently teaches and works extensively with students at the University of WA, Wesley College, Hale and Sacred Heart College.

Jan has been an examiner for the AMEB since 1992 and examines all woodwind levels in both city and country venues.

Jan is currently performing with Australia's only professional flute ensemble, the "Fisenden Flute Ensemble" on bass flute, contra bass flute, alto and C flute and continues her research into new works for small and large flute ensembles at all levels.

Grace Ah-Quee

conductor, Collegium String Orchestra

After initial training in the ABC Training Orchestra, Grace Ah-Quee began her career in Sydney as a freelance orchestral violinist. She spent some exciting years in the pit playing for the Australian Ballet and Opera, including working with Dame Joan Sutherland and two of the three great tenors, as well as for shows such as Les Misérables. She was fortunate to be part of Baz Luhrmann's production of La Bohème, her favourite opera.

During this time, the in-between hours were spent in the backing orchestra for The Midday Show, recording jingles and film soundtracks as well as backing artists such as Sammy Davis Junior, Peter Allen and Oliva Newton-John. Touring with Pavarotti was a highlight, topped only by performing for Dame Joan Sutherland's final curtain in Les Huguenots.

Grace acquired a taste for the tropical life and the viola when on a quartet residency on Dunk Island and has since worked on the islands of New Caledonia and Mauritius. Now in Perth, Grace enjoys performing chamber music, teaching and passing on her experience to the Collegium players.  She is also currently plaing viola for the inspirational Kaleidoscope Quartet, with whom she tours schools with a music and poetry show.

Jeanette Teh   

conductor, Sinfonietta

Jeanette first started music at the age of 4 on piano and subsequently the violin at age 9. She first joined WA Youth Music in 1991 where she was a member of the Sinfonietta. Since then she has been involved in programs such as the WA Academy of Performing Arts Exhibitions Programme and the Australian Youth Orchestra's National Music Camp. Throughout high school Jeanette was the recipient of bursaries to aid her musical education. She has also spent periods of time in Edmonton, Canada, studying with the renowned violinist James Keene.

Jeanette attended the University of Western Australia and graduated with a Bachelor of Music Education. During this time, she has also gained accreditation in Orff, Kodaly and Suzuki methodologies.

She is currently a full-time Music Specialist at St Stephen's School. Jeanette is presently studying for her Masters in Music Education through the University of Queensland. She enjoys being a freelance violinist, accompanist and performing in musicals.

At the beginning of 2008 Jeanette joined WA Youth Music once again as conductor of the Sinfonietta string orchestra.

Jessica Johnson

conductor, South West Youth Strings: Camerata

Jess Johnson graduated from the WA Conservatorium of Music in 1994 where she studied ‘cello under the tutelage of Dr Suzanne Wijsman. More recently Jess graduated from University of Western Australia with a Graduate Diploma in Music Education.

Jess has nearly 20 years of wide ranging experience as a professional cellist, chamber musician and strings teacher. Jess has performed as master class student to world renowned ‘cellists Steven Isserlis and Ralph Kirschbaum and performed for many years with the West Australian Symphony. Jess currently holds the position of Strings Coordinator at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School where she has taught violin, viola, ‘cello and double bass and coordinated various chamber and orchestral ensembles for the past three years.

Jess was a WA Youth Orchestra member herself for five years from 1989 through till 1993 and was inspired from such a terrific musical experience to pursue a professional career in music, as well as forming many lifelong friendships. With her love of strings teaching and performance coupled with her love of the South West region Jess is really excited to be conducting a WA Youth Music ensemble in the region.

Rachel Brogan

conductor, South West Youth Strings: Junior Maestros

Rachel Brogan studied violin and viola with Jan Kaznowski in England. She was a member of the Bedfordshire Youth Orchestra, performing at the Edinburgh Festival and touring Czechoslovakia , also attending the County Chamber Music courses for a number of years. She graduated from Cambridge University with a Bachelor of Education in 1997 with music as her specialist subject. She continued her association with the County Youth Music programme by tutoring on the Chamber Music courses and managing the County Youth Fourth Orchestra (for students aged around 13 years of age). Rachel worked as Head of Music for one of the largest middle schools in England before immigrating to Australia.

On arrival in Australia, Rachel began teaching as a Music Specialist at Newman College, Churchlands. She is currently the Primary Music Specialist at Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School, also teaching violin and viola.

Rachel is thrilled at the prospect of fostering a love for strings in the South West and hopes the WA Youth Music ensembles will ignite a passion for strings and orchestral music in the region.

Tutors

Tutors are predominantly drawn from the ranks of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, the University of Western Australia School of Music, and the Classical Music Department of the WA Academy of Performing Arts.