Valerie Lang

Valerie Lang is an experienced musician with diverse musical skills and interests. In her undergraduate years Valerie specialized in piano and piano pedagogy at the UWA School of Music, where she was awarded a UWA prize for Chamber music in her final year of studies. Valerie continued her studies at UWA where she completed a Master of Music Education degree and a Graduate Diploma in Music Practitioner Studies. 

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Further piano performance experiences include Valerie being selected to attend Master classes by the Bulgarian pianist Nicolai Evrov in Sydney and studying fortepiano performance and 18th Century performance practices with Bart Van Oort in The Netherlands and with Geoffrey Lancaster in Perth. 

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In the early years of her career Valerie was a piano tutor at UWA and a piano and theory examiner for the AMEB. Valerie later became a member of the ATAR piano panel and has adjudicated at various piano festivals and eisteddfods in Perth. She maintained her performance work through accompanying students and performing with a group of early keyboard specialists.

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After completing her Diploma of Education (Music) at ECU in the early 2000s, Valerie was as a music specialist at Perth College (K – 12) before becoming the Academic Development Officer at the AMEB for four years. Valerie currently has a successful piano studio, mentors piano teachers and adjudicates at festivals. She has presented workshops and papers at various piano and music education national conferences, most recently the Australasian Piano Pedagogy Conference in Melbourne in July, 2024 where Valerie’s paper focussed on piano technique in popular piano pieces. She has also presented workshops for piano teachers for WAMTA and Professional Learning sessions for AMEB examiners for the AMEB. 

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As a piano teacher Valerie aims to develop essential musical and technical skills in her students – giving them the skills to connect the expressive needs of the music with the physical and technical means required to produce the desired sounds. 

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Vanessa O'Connor

Concert pianist, academic, and piano teacher, Vanessa O’Connor is a passionate musical artist and educator. As a soloist, Vanessa regularly performs the  standard concert repertoire while also exploring works by Australian and Italian composers, and uncovering lesser known repertoire for the piano. Most recently, she has been performing in Italy, Germany and Eastern Europe while also lecturing as a Professor in Piano and English at Modena and Reggio Emilia Conservatories in Italy.

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Vanessa enjoys collaborating with other artists and has performed with both opera singers, and instrumentalists as well as in chamber music formations. She has formed two duo partnerships with pianists Giuseppe Modugno and Mariangela Ciuffreda to perform the piano 4 hands repertoire and works for two pianos.

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Vanessa is a lecturer of both Piano and English (for musicians) at the Modena Conservatory and lecturer of English at the Reggio Emilia Conservatory and teaches piano privately at her studio in Perth, Western Australia. When she lived in Italy full -time, she held the position of Head of Piano in the Modena Conservatory Junior School.

Vanessa holds a Bachelor of Music degree from the Melba Conservatorium in Melbourne where she studied with Dr.Elyane Laussade, a Masters degree of piano from the Modena Conservatory where she studied with Prof. Giuseppe Modugno and a Master of Teaching from the University of Tasmania. Vanessa attended post graduate studies at the ‘C.U.B.E.C’ in Modena studying to be an opera repetiteur with Paola Molinari and Mirella Freni.

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Having studied and performed in both Australia and Italy has given Vanessa a unique and diverse cultural and professional experience which is both valuable and rare. It has also given her access to Masterclasses from acclaimed artists in both countries such as Elyane Laussade, Katherine Day, Sonia Lifschitz, Giuseppe Modugno, Bruno Canino, Antonio Ballista, Alberto Miodini, Oleg Poliansky, Matteo Napoli, Zsuzsanna CSászár, Jana Kovar, and Robert Curry.

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Vanessa is the founder of ‘Maestria Productions’, a Perth based arts management company. Dividing her time between Australia and Italy,  Vanessa continues to pursue her passion for performing, adjudicating, and teaching while also indulging other interests such as learning languages,  the arts and culture.

Sarah Ryan

Sarah Ryan is a very passionate and enthusiastic violinist and teacher. She has over 30 years of experience as both a performer and educator. Sarah graduated from WAAPA in 1993 with a Bachelor of Music Performance. The following year, she successfully auditioned for a position in the West Australian Symphony Orchestra. She has now performed for over 3 decades as a professional violinist in the WA Symphony Orchestra, QLD Symphony Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, Perth Pops and QLD Pops, as well as being concertmaster of the Brisbane City Pops Orchestra.

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She has taught in many top prestigious schools both here and in QLD, as well as running her own private studio from home. Currently, she is an AMEB examiner, a tutor for Wayachamp, and also teaches at the UWA Junior School of Music.

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Laura Carr

Laura Carr studied under Kathryn Hardman and Christopher Horner at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. Previously awarded the perpetual trophy for Young Musician of the Year at the Torbay and South Devon Music Centre, Laura has performed in major venues across the UK and Australia and studied with virtuoso Edith Peinemann at the Dartington Summer School.

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She discovered her true calling in self-studying violin pedagogy, leading to the creation of her bespoke early childhood curriculum and the Stringosaurus Resources Hub. Laura nurtures children's love of music with playful, process-inspired lessons that seamlessly integrate pedagogy.

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Her innovative approach has led to invitations to present at conferences worldwide, including ESTA, ESTA ESPANA, AUSTA, ASME, and Nova Scotia Music Educators. Laura’s expertise recently earned her the role of adjudicator at the Hale Junior Music Festival.

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She proudly runs an early childhood string program at Peter Moyes Anglican Community School and teaches students of all ages, from Pre-Primary to high school. Laura’s passion for high-quality string education and kindness continues to foster a lifelong love of learning in her students.​

Ruth Lenz

Ruth Lenz (nee Ebdon) has been described as, "…a fine guitarist, well-equipped both in terms of technical facility and musical awareness.”  

 

Ruth started her higher studies at the University of Western Australia with influential teacher John Casey. During and after her studies she played in numerous concerts and built up a fine reputation as both a soloist and chamber musician. 

 

To further her postgraduate studies, Ruth received a Churchill Fellowship to study in London under the guidance of guitarist Richard Wright. Three years later she was invited to return to the United Kingdom and travelled to Wales to collaborate with other musicians and undertake further study with renowned British concert guitarist John Mills at the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama. During her studies, Ruth participated in various summer schools and master classes.  

 

As part of Duo Lenz, Ruth and her husband Richard have established themselves as one of Australia’s leading classical guitar duos and have given recitals worldwide. Duo Lenz has been invited to play for many prestigious events and festivals and their performance schedule has been extensive. Together they have made television appearances and received extensive radio airplay. 

 

Ruth maintains a busy performance and tuition schedule and is much in demand as an adjudicator. She has also worked as an examiner for the Australian Music Examinations Board, the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (DoE, WA) and the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts (Edith Cowan University).

Teresa Tan

Teresa Tan, Music Director of the Chung Wah Chinese Orchestra, is a conductor, concert producer, guzheng musician, piano accompanist, and pharmacist. Born in Hong Kong, she completed high school in Canada and graduated from Curtin University in Western Australia. She has been playing the guzheng for over 40 years and has more than 20 years of teaching experience. She has participated in numerous music festivals and cultural performances. Her passion for “broadening cultural exchanges and preserving musical heritage” has been her driving motivation for many years. Since 2020, she has been dedicated to directing and organising the annual WA Chinese Guzheng Festival and WA Festival of Chinese Music, which brings together over 200 performers and staff.

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Teresa has taught guzheng at Methodist Ladies’ College, Kennedy Baptist College, and Chung Wah Chinese School Leeming. Currently, she serves as the Deputy Secretary General of the HuaXing Arts Group, a committee member of the Australian Chinese Musicians Association, WA Guzheng Ensemble, and Chung Wah Choir. Additionally, she is a member of the Chinese Culture and Artists Association of WA and Hui Huang Cantonese Opera Society, and a former member of the Yi Sheng Choir and Miracle Band.

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Liu Gang

Student of Guzheng Master Performer ZHANG Yan since 1972

Student of Guqin Master ZHU Ziyi and Professor ZHAO Jiazhen

Third director of Chinese Guqin Association

Member of Chinese Musicians Association and Shandong Musicians Association

Secretary-General of Shandong Guqin Association and Jinan Quanyun (Spring Melody) Guqin Studio

Director of Shandong Guqin Association Training Centre

Silver Award at 2006 'Huaxia Art Style Selection Competition' - Ministry of Culture of P.R.C

Excellent Teacher at 2016 Dunhuang Cup Chinese Guqin Art Exhibition

Participant of the 12th National Guqin Teachers' Advanced Study Program

Performed on China Central Television's (CCTV) Mid-Autumn Festival Gala

Appeared on exclusive interview, ‘Liu Gang, the Promoter of Guqin Culture’ by Shandong Television

Ashley Smith

Described as ‘Incandescent... a masterly display of skill and insight... as an apologist for contemporary music-making, you would search hard to find this young clarinettist's equal’ (The Age), clarinettist Ashley William Smith has performed as a soloist, recitalist, and chamber musician throughout Australia, USA Europe and Asia. He is a laureate of several the industry’s most prestigious prizes including the Music Council of Australia Freedman Fellowship, an ABC Symphony International Young Performer Award, and a Churchill Fellowship. His performance of Lachlan Skipworth’s Clarinet Concerto with the West Australian Symphony Orchestra was awarded the 2015 APRA Performance of the Year. He is an artist for Buffet-Crampon and D'Addario.

 

Ashley is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia where he is the Head of Winds and Contemporary Performance. Ashley is the clarinettist of the Southern Cross Soloists and performs across the globe at chamber music festivals with ensembles including the Calder, Dover, and Australian string quartets.

 

A graduate of Yale University, the University of Western Australia, and a Fellow of the Australian National Academy of Music, Ashley was awarded prizes as the most outstanding performance graduate of each institution. In 2020 he completed a doctorate in music analysis examining the application of moment form to the solo works of Franco Donatoni.​

​Marilyn Phillips

Marilyn Phillips studied at the Royal Academy of Music, where she was awarded the Ralph Vaughan Williams Scholarship for advanced studies in piano accompaniment, and was elected an Associate of the Royal Academy in 1996. As an accompanist she performed in the major London concert halls, Europe, and the USA, with frequent BBC radio and television broadcasts. Marilyn was vocal coach at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, and she also became a musical director for the Royal Shakespeare Company and the Royal National Theatre. 

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On taking up residence in Australia, Marilyn was appointed Head of Music with West Australian Opera. In 2001 she received the Prime Minister’s Centenary Medal for services to Australian opera, and in 2005 was nominated for WA Citizen of the Year Award. As Chorus Director of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra Chorus (2005-2013) Marilyn achieved national and international acclaim. In Australia she has supervised vocal master classes in Perth, Melbourne and Sydney, and has been Guest Conductor of the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra Chorus and the Giovanni Consort. 

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As Artistic Director of Art Song Perth and former President of the Royal Schools Music Club (RSMC) Marilyn continues to work tirelessly to foster a better understanding and love of music in the wider West Australian community. She is a regular pre-concert speaker for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra, Musica Viva and the Australian Chamber Orchestra and is a reviewer for the ABC magazine Limelight. 

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In 2022 Marilyn was awarded the Medal of the Order of Australia (OAM) for service to choral music.

Geoffrey Bourgault du Coudray

Geoffrey Bourgault du Coudray grew up in WA, attending Churchlands SHS and then going on to study clarinet at the Conservatorium of Music and at UWA's School of Music. He spent the following 8 years performing with various ensembles, including the West Australian Symphony Orchestra (WASO), and teaching the clarinet at a number of schools

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In 2003 Geoffrey took up the position of Associate Principal clarinet/ E flat clarinet with the Adelaide Symphony Orchestra (ASO), and two years later moved to the principal chair. During his period playing for the ASO, he also taught clarinet at the Elder School of Music, at the University of Adelaide and played as guest principal clarinet with The Queensland Orchestra and The Australian Opera and Ballet Orchestra. 

 

In 2012 Geoffrey moved to Bridgetown with his wife Sally Boud and son Louis, and in 2013 he and Sally took over the direction of the Blackwood River Chamber Festival.

Since then his engagements have included performances with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra, the WA Philharmonic Orchestra and WASO, playing the Bruch double concerto with Sally Boud and the Fremantle Chamber Orchestra, and chamber music performances with the Darlington Ensemble.

Alfonso Demasi

Alf Demasi has studied and performed music for over 50 years.
During his childhood, he focused on studying the accordion. At the age of 15, he decided to prioritize his career and academic endeavours by choosing the piano as my primary instrument and later completed an AMusA qualification. His experiences with institutions like WA Opera, WA Symphony Orchestra, Literature Centre, as well as Perth’s Channel 7 Telethon, have provided him with diverse opportunities to engage in various musical projects. His primary goal in all these endeavours has been to create music that resonates with individuals and underscores the significance of music in our lives.

In his capacity as a music educator, he has engaged in private teaching, accompanied students and choirs, and served as a music specialist in educational settings. He firmly believes that the piano serves as a valuable educational tool, offering a logical gateway to understanding all musical instruments. Throughout his creative journey, composition has held a central role. Whether crafting his own pieces or collaborating on projects, his ultimate aim is to produce music that captivates, challenges, and inspires both performers and audiences alike.

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He am the WA representative for the Australian Guild of Music & Speech with multiple compositions listed in the syllabus across various grades.