Adjudicators

FABB Confirm Adjudicators for 2011
The Federation of Australasian Brass Bands is pleased to confirm the appointment of three adjudications for the 2011 FABBFest.

Russell Gray (UK)

Russell Gray has been working as a free lance conductor since 1998. His career regularly takes him to most European countries, Japan, and Australia.

In 2007 Russell was appointed Adjunct Professor at the Queensland Conservatorium of Music in Australia. This appointment adds to his position of Brass tutor at the University of Salford in Manchester England.

Russell was born in Scotland in 1968, and in his early years learned to play the cornet.

By the time he was twelve years old he had already won the junior solo Championships of both Scotland and Great Britain.  At University Russell was a member of the Black Dyke Mills Brass Band.

Yamaha became aware of Russell’s talents and soon a relationship was established with him as an internationally endorsed soloist.  This appointment has helped Russell become one of the most sought after Brass soloists and clinicians in the world today.

In 1998 Russell started his conducting career by moving to Norway, accepting the position of resident conductor with the Stavanger Brass Band. During this time Russell helped them further their reputation as one of the finest brass ensembles in the world by recording several CDs, and fusing links with other musical groups and composers, including the popular Scandinavian folk group Vamp, Stig Roar Wigestrand (Jazz Violin), and Torstein Aagaard Nilsen.  He also enhanced their name internationally touring Scotland, England, and Latvia.

Since moving back to England in 2001, Russell has won many competitions, including the Norwegian, Danish, Japanese, Scottish, and British National Brass Band Championships. The most recent was winning the English National Championships with The Fairey Band and qualifying them for the European championships in 2011.

Russell also enjoys working with many varied ensembles. These include the National youth band of Switzerland, the Queensland Youth Band, the Australian Army Band Brisbane, Her Majesty’s band of the Coldstream Guards, Wrexham Symphony Orchestra, the Queensland Pops Orchestra, and the Mueller International Chamber Orchestra. In 2010, he was appointed Principal Conductor of the Cambrian Orchestra.

In 2007 Russell attended the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, to study for his Masters Degree in Orchestral Conducting. During this time he worked with the Royal Scottish Academy Symphony Orchestra, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, graduating with Distinction in 2008.

Russell has studied conducting with Bramwell Tovey, Stephane Deneve, David Danzmayr, Martyn Brabbins, and Alasdair Mitchell.

Bill Broughton (AUS/USA)

Bill Broughton began his career as a studio musician in 1968 and soon was playing trombone for most of the television and motion picture studios in Hollywood.  Some of the television shows and motion pictures are “Bonanza,”  “Little House On The Prairie,” “Kojak,” “Police Woman,” “Hawaii 5-0,” “The Incredible Hulk,” “Scoobie-Doo”,  “Jaws 2,” “The Godfather II”, “Honey I Blew Up The Kid,”  “For Love Or Money,” (featured soloist), and “Miracle On 34th Street”,  to name a few.  As a player Bill performed for many artists from Sinatra to Streisand but also enjoyed tenure with The Roger Wagner Chorale and Symphonia Orchestra, The New York Ballet (West Coast performances), San Francisco Ballet, Glendale Symphony and many other organizations.  It was there that he came to the attention of the top composers and conductors like David Rose, Lalo Schifrin, Morton Stevens, Carmen Dragon and many others.

With that kind of encouragement, Bill moved easily into the next phase of his career.  Composing for shows like “Quincy, M.E.,” “Hawaii 5-0,” “BJ and the Bear,” “The Tonight Show,” “Buck Rogers,” “The Fall Guy,” “It Happened One Christmas,” (Movie of the week) and others, he soon accumulated an impressive resume of nearly 100 musical scores for television.  He also had several Symphonic and other commissioned compositions premiered as well.

Bill was the executive producer of over 70 major musical comedy productions for Bullwinkle’s Inc.  Writing many scripts and all of the music, Bill eventually compiled more than 50 songs and over 100 scripts.

Disney/MGM Studios in Orlando, Florida - The project encompassed not only musical productions and arrangements for the main live show “Hooray for Hollywood,” but also entailed scripts, staging and direction, as well as most the of repertoire for a comedic musical trio in the Animation Pavilion called the “Toon Town Trio”.

In 1991 Bill was composer/music director of the international Miss World competition in Atlanta, Georgia and  in 1994, Intersound International produced eight albums entitled The Magic of The Movies with Bill as artist and conductor and they were released nationally in the USA. 1994 also marked the release of two Jazz albums featuring Ten Trombones and Rhythm will Bill as performer and arranger.  Billboard magazine gave Spiritual To The Bone 1 & 2 a great review and was acclaimed internationally.

In 1996, Bill was the Music Director for the opening and closing ceremonies for the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics Games. His responsibilities included writing original music as well as conduct and oversee any and all music production for the event. Special guest stars for the just completed Opening Ceremonies were Carly Simon, Liza Minnelli, Aretha Franklin, Kirk Franklin and the Family, Hall and Oates, Raven Simone, Christopher Reeve, Teddy Pendergrass and Rachel Barton.

Bill’s brass band compositions and arrangements have been played and/or recorded internationally for many years.  His Flugel Horn Concerto “Trilogy” was the open contest piece for Flugel Horn at National Comps in Brisbane; The KJ Concerto, written for Kevin Joughin, was the open contest piece for Cornet in New Zealand.  He has been commissioned by many bands to compose new works including the New Zealand National Band.  The Euphonium Concerto “Life of a Dream” was recorded by Michael Howely with the Brighouse & Rastirick Band; “Sarah” was composed for and recorded by Brett Baker of the Black Dyke Band and other bands such as Wingates, use Bill’s music for their concert seasons.  In June 2011 at the International Staff Band of the Salvation Army 120 anniversary Bill had two of his arrangements performed at the Royal Albert Hall Concert, one by the Melbourne Staff band and one as a massed band performance with New York, Chicago, Canadian, Japanese, German, Amsterdam, Melbourne and International Staff Bands.

Moving to Australia in 2003, Bill gained permanent residency and then became an Australian citizen in 2006 Bill (composer/artist/conductor/producer/author/motivator) spends his time composing and arranging commissions  for various genres in Orchestra, Concert Band, Brass Band, Big Band and other musical groups.  He has been part of the Generations in Jazz weekend with James and John Morrison, since 2006. He was, from 2003-07, part-time lecturer at Adelaide University Elder School of Music with large and small ensembles, composition/arranging, film scoring, one to one tutoring and brass masters classes. He still produces his own solo and other CD’s, also travels interstate lecturing at other schools, performing as conductor and soloist, adjudicating, as well as giving motivational presentations.  He has written and published two books, both being inspirational in content.

David Gallaher (AUS/NZ)

A career and passion for brass teaching and conducting began in the Deep South of New Zealand. Many of David’s former students have gone on to National Youth Bands and National Bands. His musical experience includes wind bands, jazz bands, symphony orchestras and musical theatre.

David moved to Christchurch in 1989 to join Woolston Brass as a player and deputy musical director under Ken Smith. David cites the wonderful influences of Ken and the late Mervyn Waters on his teaching and conducting.  Upon Ken’s retirement David was appointed conductor of Woolston Brass in 1997.  In his ten year tenure with Woolston David directed the Band to five New Zealand Championships and the Band of the Year Title seven times.

When the National Band of New Zealand was reformed to tour the North Island in 2003, David was appointed as its Music Director. A further appointment was made for him to conduct the band on its 2005 European tour.  The commissioning of New Zealand compositions for the tour was significant for David. He has been instrumental in the commissioning New Zealand works and recordings for both Woolston Brass and The National Band of New Zealand. In 2005 as a result of his work in education, David was awarded the KBB Scholarship to attend the International Mid-Western Orchestra and Band Festival.

The establishment of a Brass Course including brass band instruments at Canterbury University in 2006 realised a long held ambition for David. In 2010 he was awarded an MNZM for his services to music. He also conducted the New Zealand Secondary Schools Symphony Orchestra in 2010. Currently David is employed as Director of Music at St Joseph’s College Geelong.